MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Tonie Morgan had 18 points and Amelia Hassett scored 11 of her 14 during a dominant first half to help Kentucky cruise to a 71-56 victory over James Madison in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
Clara Strack had her 15th double-double of the season for the Wildcats (24-10), the No. 5 seed in the Fort Worth region, who advanced to play either No. 4 seed West Virginia or No. 13 Miami (Ohio) in the second
round on Monday.
Strack, a 6-foot-5 center who averages a double-double this season, had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Wildcats. Jordan Obi added 12 points.
Ashanti Barnes scored 16 and Peyton McDaniel added 15 points for the 12th-seeded Dukes (26-9). The Sun Belt Conference Tournament champs saw their 12-game winning streak snapped.
James Madison used a sagging zone defense in the paint or a double-team on Strack in an attempt to slow down the Wildcats, but that left Strack’s teammates open for easy shots.
The taller Wildcats worked the ball inside for easy baskets and made things tough on the defensive end of the court. Kentucky blocked eight shots and limited James Madison to 29% shooting in the first half and 34% for the game.
Seven different Kentucky players scored in the first quarter, led by Hassett’s eight points in the first three minutes. Kentucky used a 19-2 run to lead 32-10 after the first quarter before cooling off. Kentucky finished the half missing 12 of its final 13 shots but still led 43-18 at halftime.
James Madison chipped away at what once was a 29-point deficit but got no closer than the final margin.
Kentucky will look to advance to the Sweet 16 on Monday for the first time since 2016. The Wildcats have lost the last four times they played in the second round.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
