Late Comeback Effort Falls Short as No. 16 Kentucky Drops Regular Season Finale Against No. 3 South Carolina

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky women's basketball entered Sunday with everything to play for. Not only did the Wildcats have the chance to earn a bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament, but a potential marquee win to bolster the Wildcats bid to host the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. With Kentucky's current national ranking, Sunday could be the final time its five graduating seniors took the home court at Memorial Coliseum.

Despite a late comeback effort, No. 16 Kentucky couldn't get a shot to fall late in a 60-56 loss to No. 3 South Carolina.

The Gamecocks and Wildcats traded blows to start in what started out as a very physical showdown. A pair of buckets from Clara Strack helped tie things up, and Amelia Hassett broke things open with a three-pointer of her own to give Kentucky a 9-7 lead at the first media timeout.

South Carolina center Madina Okot had a response of her own, popping out behind the arc for a three-pointer. Her seven first quarter points gave the Gamecocks a 19-13 lead.

To start the second quarter, Tessa Johnson got her name in the scoring column after a scoreless opening frame. Her wing three-pointer gave South Carolina a 26-15 lead.

The Gamecocks led by as many as 14 in the first half, but a slew of three-pointer by Kentucky kept the Wildcats within striking distance. With 39 seconds left in the half, Asia Boone's second-chance opportunity from distance brought the deficit to just six points. South Carolina led 33-27 at halftime.

Out of the locker room, Boone drained yet another pair of three-pointers to tie the game 37-37. The junior finished the day with11 points on 4 for 10 shooting. The Wildcats as a team hit 0 three-pointers, setting a new program record for makes in a single season.

Kentucky started to gain momentum, but South Carolina responded expeditiously. A 10-2 run to end the third quarter put the Gamecocks in the drivers seat with a 54-41 lead.

On senior day, Teonni Key injected a much needed third scoring presence in the final quarter. Back-to-back buckets helped the Wildcats claw back to just a one possession deficit at 56-53 with 3:39 left in regulation. Strack remained dominant throughout the game as well, finishing with a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds.

Kentucky's best chance to tie the game came off a perfectly drawn in bounds play to get Boone open for a look from beyond the arc, but it rimmed out at South Carolina held on.

Kentucky finishes the regular season 21-9, with a 8-8 record in conference play. Up next, the Wildcats head to Greenville, South Carolina for the SEC women's basketball tournament which begins on Wednesday.

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