In a tough loss for the Kentucky women’s basketball team, they fell to Cincinnati with a final score of 65-41 in the final game of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Saturday. Despite a strong performance from Maddie Scherr, who scored 25 points, it wasn’t enough to secure the win for the Wildcats.
Kentucky started the game off strong, taking an early 5-2 lead with all five points coming from Tyler. However, Cincinnati quickly bounced back to take an 8-5 lead. The Wildcats managed to score four consecutive points and take a 9-8 lead, but the Bearcats closed out the period with an impressive 8-0 run, giving them a 16-9 lead after the first 10 minutes.
In the second quarter, Kentucky fought to stay in the game, with Petty making a pair of free throws to bring the score to 16-11. However, Cincinnati responded with an impressive 12-2 run, building a double-digit lead. The Bearcats maintained this lead for the rest of the half, heading into halftime with a 31-20 advantage.
Despite the Wildcats’ efforts, Scherr’s impressive performance in the third quarter wasn’t enough to close the gap. She scored all 11 of Kentucky’s points in the period, but Cincinnati extended their lead to 52-31 by the end of the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Bearcats continued to dominate, pushing their lead to as many as 24 points. Kentucky fought hard until the end, but ultimately fell short.
The Wildcats will look to bounce back from this loss when they take on Boston College in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Thursday. The game will be held at the Clive M. Beck Center at Transylvania University in Lexington, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the action on the SEC Network.
