Category: Kentucky

#18 Kentucky Women stun #6 Mississippi State

Patients from UK Children’s Hospital join the team for pre-game introductions
(photo credit Tonia Witt – SVA)

By 11 year old Lukas Witt

#18 Kentucky Women’s Basketball upset the #6 Mississippi State Bulldogs at Memorial Coliseum taking their record to 19-5 (8-4 SEC) on hand for the game were special guests from UK Children’s Hospital who were able to be introduced with the Kentucky starting lineup and enjoy the Cats 73-62 win. The Bulldogs went down 6-0 before Kentucky’s Coach Mitchell called a timeout to re-group, after that it didn’t take long for the Cats to get on track and they would go on to lead the game for 36:21. Kentucky kicked off Sophomore Guard Rhyne Howard’s National Player of the Year campaign this week and she did not disappoint finishing with 26 points and surpassing her 1,000th point of her career, getting there 2nd quickest in program history. Howard also added 10 rebounds getting her fifth double-double this season. Chasity Patterson added 15 points and 3 rebounds in just 19 minutes of play and Jaida Roper added 14 points and 5 assists. Ogechi Anyagaligbo added 4 points and 3 rebounds, Sabrina Haines had 3 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals late in the game, KeKe McKinney did not score but had 4 assists and 2 rebounds, Tatyana Wyatt added 8 points and 6 rebounds, and Amanda Paschal added 3 points. Blair Greene and Nae Nae Cole both played but did not score. Kentucky returns to action on Thursday, visiting Oxford to take on Ole Miss. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on SEC Network Plus.

Kentucky blows out Austin Peay at home

Ogechi Anyagaligbo drives to the basket (photo credit Kentucky WBB)

By Lukas Witt (11 years old)

Kentucky comes up big winning 81-52 with balanced scoring against Austin Peay at Memorial Coliseum taking them to 7-0. The Cats played with confidence and were locked in on the 40-minutes of dread defense. Rhyne Howard finished with 14 points, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 3 assist, and 4 rebounds and had several defensive stops and deflections. KeKe McKinney had another solid game with 12 points and going 5-7 from the field, 2 assists, and 4 rebounds. Sabrina Haines leadership on the court continues to show up each game, she finishes with 10 points, 3 steals, 3 assist, and 9 rebounds. Ogechi Anyagaligbo had a big game and finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block as she got the start over Tatyana Wyatt who we did not see in action. Jaida Roper came off the bench to provide solid guard play and had 10 points, 4 assists, and 1 rebound. All 5 players finished in double figures and Kentucky was in control from the tip. There won’t be much time to celebrate, Kentucky will be back in action against the Charlotte 49ers on December 4th at 11:00 am and can be found on the SECNetwork.

Kentucky Women show no mercy against Grambling

Blair Green looks to score (photo credit Teresa Fraley SVA)

By Lukas Witt (11 years old)

Kentucky blows out Grambling State in Memorial Coliseum 81-35 bringing them to a 6-0 start. The Cats started out slow but midway through the first half they started making their shots and playing tough defensively. Rhyne Howard had another great game as she finished with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Howard knocked down four from behind the arch and had several mid-range jumpers, making her an all-around force. Jaida Roper was the perfect teammate as she had 10 points, 7 assist, and 3 steals on the defensive side of the ball. KeKe McKinney had a monster night as she had 9 points, 3 steals, 4 blocks, and 6 rebounds and continues to get big stops on the defensive side of the ball, she brings a lot to this team you won’t see in the stats. Blair Green seemed to finally look comfortable and relaxed as she had a solid game with 12 points, 3 assist, and 3 rebounds for the Cats. Kentucky is back in action on Sunday, December 1st against Austin Peay, after a short holiday break, that game can be seen on the SecNetwork at 4pm.

Kentucky in control from start to finish against Lamar

Keion Brooks Jr. with the slam (photo credit Kentucky MBB)

By Lukas Witt (11 years old)

I had a court-side view to watch the Kentucky Wildcats take on the Lamar Cardinals at Rupp Arena. The Cats started out hot as they went on a 10-0 run but the middle of the half produced sloppy play, but they quickly got back on track and at the half the score was 41-21 in favor of Kentucky. Four Wildcats finished in double figures. Nick Richards played major minutes tonight with 35 and had another double-double scoring 10 points and grabbing 13 boards while swatting 7 shots, yes 7! Immanuel Quickley had another big night with 11 points, 3 assists and 2 steals in only 19 minutes of play. Sophomore Guard Ashton Hagans was in control from the tip and was an assist away from his own double-double; he finished with 15 points and 9 assists in 32 minutes. Tyrese Maxey was all over the court, at one point he saved an overthrown pass that was going out of bounds all the way back to half court to Ashton Hagans. On the offensive end he got hot and hit three 3-point baskets in a row and blocked a shot, he finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. One player to keep your eyes on is Keion Brooks Jr. he continues to get better each game and gets 9 points and 3 rebounds tonight. Kentucky comes up big tonight with a final score of 81-56, up next University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) on Friday, November 29th at 7pm, you can watch on the SECNetwork.

Nick Richard brings toughness to Kentucky win against Mt. St. Mary’s

Nick Richards in control tonight (photo credit KSR – Michael Huang)

By Lukas Witt (11 years old)

Kentucky wins their second straight tonight against Mount Saint Mary’s 82-62 at home. The Cats got out to quick start as Junior Nick Richards threw down two dunks within the opening minutes and he didn’t stop there in his 33 minutes of play finishing with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks and took a charge late in the game. Richards was much more physical tonight and showed flashes of dominance, he will need to keep that momentum as they head into the holiday stretch of play. Ashton Hagans continues to show why he is one of the top point guards in the country as he finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Let’s not forget about Sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley who missed the last game with a chest injury he received in practice, he once again looked like his old self and put up big numbers in a hurry as he has 13 point in just 22 minutes of play. EJ Montgomery was back on the court tonight after missing 3 games with an ankle injury and proved he might just be the missing piece if he can stay out of foul trouble, he finished 7 points and 6 rebound in just 15 minutes tonight. The Cats dominated in the assist department tonight with 20 to just 8 for the Mountaineers, Kentucky made it to the line 18 times tonight knocking down 16 for 88.9%, Cal has to be happy with the increased 3-point percentage as well. The Cats only get one day off as they prepare to take on the Lamar Cardinals at home on Sunday, November 24th at Rupp, game time is 6pm and can be viewed on SECNetwork.

Kentucky Women’s Basketball handles Morehead State with ease

Rhyne Howard did not disappoint tonight (photo credit Gary Moyers The Cats’ Pause)

By Lukas Witt (11 years old)

Kentucky gets of to a quick start back at home from there win against Virginia over the weekend. #13 Kentucky grabs a win against the Morehead State Lady Eagles 79-54 and gets the Cats to a record of 5-0 on the season. Tonight, Rhyne Howard had a good showing as she finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals, she got off to a quick start and never looked back. Junior forward, Tatyana Wyatt had a good night as she finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds and a couple jumpers from down low. Blair Green had a solid night as she finished with 12 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals but only shot 3/9 from the field and 1/5 from behind the arch. Jaida Roper had some great no look passes on the hardwood tonight as she finished with 7 points and 4 assists. Sabrina Haines finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds and took on a couple defensive charges under the basket as she continues to provide a solid spark. Free throw shooting has got to show improvement before Kentucky heads into SEC play as they only shot 52% from the line tonight. The Cats look to extend their winning streak as they will take on Grambling State in Memorial Coliseum on November 26th at 7:00 pm and can be found on the SECNetwork.

#9 Kentucky comes up big in final minutes

Ashton Hagans drives to the basket (photo credit Dr. Michael Huang KSR)

By Lukas Witt (11 years old)

I got a courtside view of #9 Kentucky’s 82-74 win over Utah Valley tonight at Rupp as they improve to 3-1 on the season. The Cats were never able to pull to far ahead without UVU fighting their way back into the game from behind the 3-point line shooting 11/31 while the Cate were a low 1/12 from behind the arch. Tonight was the Nick Richards and Ashton Hagans show, Richards put up another double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds as Hagans finished the night with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. We began to see good play from Johnny Juzang as he came up with a big rebound and bucket in the last minutes of the game. Nate Sestina was quiet on the offensive end but pulled down 12 rebounds as the Cats out rebounded UVU 46-27. Free throws sealed the deal tonight as Kentucky missed just 3 going 31-34 from the charity stripe. Injuries continue to take its toll on Kentucky as EJ Montgomery was out again tonight but he was seen on the sideline without his boot which is good news, while Immanuel Quickley reportedly was suffering from a chest injury from yesterday’s practice, if that isn’t enough Khalil Whitney jammed his finger near the end of tonight’s game. Hopefully, these guys will be ready to go by the weekend. On Friday, November 22nd the Cats take on Mt. St. Mary’s at 7 pm, while on Sunday, November 24th they will face Lamar at 6 pm, both take place at Rupp and you can watch on the SECNetwork.

Kentucky Women roll behind star player performance

Howard drives to the hoop (photo credit Kentucky WBB)

By Lukas Witt (11 years old)

The #13 Kentucky Women’s Basketball team go to 3-0 on the season with a win over the Stetson Hatters 67-48 at Memorial Coliseum tonight. They got off to a fast start behind the play of Rhyne Howard who was in an early rhythm as she scored their first seven points. Howard has struggled early on in games to start the season but tonight she lit it up from all over the court and finished with 24 points and 5 rebounds. Kentucky’s press gave Stetson trouble from the beginning as they couldn’t buy a basket. That 40 minutes of dread is going to give teams trouble this season, tonight it forced the Hatters into several shot clock violations. Amanda Paschal continues to impress with her floor leadership and scrappy play, she isn’t afraid to take it to the basket against the bigger players. Jaida Roper had trouble finding the basket tonight, but she made plays all over the court you won’t see on the stat sheet and continues to bring energy each time she steps on the court, she dished out 8 assists in 26 minutes tonight. Keke McKinney was consistent again tonight posting a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, she gives teams trouble with her length. Tatyana Wyatt only played 17 minutes tonight but made the most of her time on the court scoring 9 points and grabbing 10 boards. We haven’t seen much from Nae Nae Cole and Emma King but expect them to find their groove soon. The Cats travel to the University of Virginia to take on the Cavaliers on Saturday, November 16th at 5 pm, watch on ACCN Extra.

#1 Kentucky hits a roadblock

Immanuel Quickley drives to the basket (photo credit Mike Cyrus)

By Lukas Witt

The Kentucky Wildcats fresh off a #1 ranking come up short against the Purple Aces of Evansville. The Cats got off to a slow start and held onto the lead early in the first half until the Aces got their offense rolling and never looked back. Evansville took a 34-30 lead into the half and Kentucky pulled in front midway through the second half but could not hold off the Purple Aces. Ashton Hagans is nursing a leg injury and finished with only 3 points and 3 assists and 4 turnovers. Offense was hard to come by tonight for the Cats as only two reached double figures. Tyrese Maxey finished the night with 15 points and 3 rebounds. Immanuel Quickley continues to be the one player most consistent early in the season, he finished the night with 16 points and 9 rebounds, he was 5/12 from the field and 5/5 from the free throw line. Freshman Keion Brooks Jr. had another good showing off the bench where he finished with 6 point and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes of play. EJ Montgomery was seen on the bench in a boot for a earlier report of an ankle injury. The Cats have a week to recoup and get ready for Utah Valley who comes to town on Monday, November 18th @ 7:00 pm it can be seen on ESPN2.

Life with Lukas – Episode 1

Episode 1 “Life with Lukas”

Hello, everyone! My new series, “Life with Lukas,” begins. Through “Life with Lukas,” I will show you what it’s like to live and be a part of one of the best college sports countries in the world. In Episode 1, I provide you with a look inside a typical Caturday football experience (although the rain dampened it a little bit), a breakfast session with the Kentucky Women’s Basketball program and more. Check it out and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.

#BBN #Kentucky #Caturday #WeAreUK

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