‘We have blue magic.’ Kentucky women trounce Georgia in opening game of SEC Tournament.
The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team brought its “blue magic” to the opening game of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Wednesday, and the No. 12-seeded Wildcats beat No. 13 Georgia 64-50 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
The Wildcats won the SEC Tournament in 2022 as the No. 7 seed, then won two games last year before bowing out as the No. 14 seed. With Wednesday’s win, head coach Kyra Elzy improved her record to 8-2 in SEC Tournament games in her four seasons as head coach.
The victory, which avenged a February loss at Georgia, came after a regular season in which Kentucky finished 11-19 overall and 4-12 in league play.
So, what gets into the Wildcats in the SEC Tournament?
“I don’t know. I love it whatever it is,” Elzy said during the postgame show on the SEC Network. “We have blue magic here. Just so proud of this team. We were without Maddie Scherr. A lot of people counted us out.”
Scherr, Kentucky’s second-leading scorer, missed the game in concussion protocol. Brooklynn Miles took over primary ball-handling duties in her absence and delivered 11 points, five assists and five rebounds.
“We’ve been on her all year,” Elzy said of the 2021 Kentucky Miss Basketball from Franklin County, who joined the team this season after two seasons at Tennessee. “She was prepared for this moment.
“I’m probably hardest on her in practice. She can take it. She can handle it. She wanted to step up to the challenge. She has that dog in her, and she led us out tonight.”
Up next for Kentucky is a date with Miles’ former school, No. 5 seed Tennessee (17-11, 10-6 SEC), on Thursday afternoon.
The Volunteers rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Kentucky 87-69 in the team’s only regular season meeting this season Jan. 7 in Knoxville.
“We went to Knoxville. I thought we had a great showing,” Elzy told the SEC Network after Wednesday’s game. “We didn’t end up with the win, but tomorrow we’re coming to fight.”
After a slow start Wednesday, the Wildcats finished the first quarter on top 21-14 fueled by 10 points off the bench from Eniya Russell. UK grew its lead to as many as 15 early in the second half before Georgia’s 2024 All-SEC Second-Team selection Javyn Nicholson helped pull the team back within striking distance.
Kentucky took its largest lead of the game (16) early in the fourth and, despite the Bulldogs cutting the lead to as few as nine, the Wildcats held strong.
Russell led Kentucky with 19 points to go with four rebounds and three assists.
“Eniya Russell came in and really gave us a big spark off the bench,” Elzy told the SEC Network.
When asked what Russell had for breakfast Wednesday, Elzy laughed and said, “I don’t know, but whatever she had, I want her to eat it again.”
Russell, who made a pair of 3-point baskets and 5 of 6 free-throw attempts, was asked on the SEC Network broadcast what’s behind Kentucky’s penchant for SEC uprisings.
“We’ve got nothing to lose and a lot to gain… It’s now or never,” Russell said.
Nicholson led the Bulldogs with 23 points. Jordan Cole was Georgia’s next-highest scorer with seven.
Elzy was asked on the SEC Network broadcast how the Wildcats limited the Bulldogs to just 50 points, the second-lowest total for a UK opponent this season.
“Defensive intensity,” the UK coach said. “We wanted to hold them to 60 points or less. Fifty’s even better. … We need our defense to travel.”
Ajae Petty joined Russell and Miles in double figures with 11 points for Kentucky and led the Wildcats to a 41-25 domination of Georgia on the boards with 14 rebounds.
Elzy said the message to her team, having to play in Greenville without Scherr, was tried and true.
“We had to say that we are built different. And we had to come with that mentality. Next man had to step up. Obviously, we really miss Maddie and what she brings to this program but, now, somebody else has to step up.”
Elzy said she’ll continue to preach optimism as the Wildcats move forward.
“It’s March. There are no records. It’s zero-zero. There are no records. You have to let the nonconference go, you have to let the conference season go. It’s March Madness.”
And there might be more than magic at play this postseason, Elzy reminded.
“We’re growing up. I have 10 players who had never played big minutes (before this season). We have taken some growing pains and it’s been hard. But we’ve learned along the way.”
SEC Tournament
At Greenville, S.C.
Wednesday
▪ No. 13 seed Kentucky 64, No. 12 seed Georgia 50
▪ No. 11 Florida 66, No. 14 Missouri 60
Thursday
Noon: No. 8 Mississippi State (21-10) vs. No. 9 Texas A&M (18-11) (SEC Network)
About 2:30 p.m.: No. 5 Tennessee (17-11) vs. Kentucky (12-19) (SEC Network)
6 p.m.: No. 7 Auburn (19-10) vs. No. 10 Arkansas (18-13) (SEC Network)
About 8:30 p.m.: No. 6 Vanderbilt (22-8) vs. Florida (15-14) (SEC Network)
Friday
Noon: No. 1 South Carolina (29-0) vs. Mississippi State-Texas A&M winner (SEC Network)
About 2:30 p.m.: No. 4 Alabama (23-8) vs. Tennessee-Kentucky winner (SEC Network)
6 p.m.: No. 2 LSU (26-4) vs. Auburn-Arkansas winner (SEC Network)
About 8:30 p.m.: No. 3 Mississippi (22-7) vs. Vanderbilt-Florida winner (SEC Network)
Saturday
4:30 p.m.: First semifinal (ESPNU)
About 7 p.m.: Second semifinal (ESPNU)
Sunday
3 p.m.: Championship game (ESPN)
Kentucky women’s basketball picks up second 2024 commitment from a familiar place
‘Be the engine.’ Brooklynn Miles sets the pace in UK’s SEC Tournament win over Georgia.
