In a disappointing game for the Kentucky women’s basketball team, they were unable to recover from an early deficit against No. 10 N.C. State, resulting in an 84-55 loss at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Despite three Wildcats scoring nine points each, it wasn’t enough to overcome the strong performance by the Wolfpack.
Ajae Petty was a consistent scorer for Kentucky, making two field goals and five free throws to contribute nine points to the team’s total. Eniya Russell also had a solid performance, making four field goals, including a three-pointer, to add nine points of her own. Saniya Tyler made an impact from beyond the arc with three triples for her nine points.
Amiya Jenkins and Emma King each scored eight points, while Maddie Scherr had seven for the Cats. Despite their efforts, it was clear that N.C. State had the upper hand throughout the game.
Kentucky got off to a rough start, with N.C. State scoring the next 15 points after Petty’s initial jumper. The Cats struggled to find their rhythm, but Russell managed to break the scoring drought with a three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 15-5. However, the Wolfpack maintained their dominance and ended the first quarter with a 31-16 lead.
N.C. State continued to build on their lead in the second quarter, outscoring Kentucky 24-8 and taking a commanding 55-24 lead into halftime. Scherr led the Cats in scoring during the first half with seven points, but it was clear that they had a lot of ground to make up.
The third quarter saw N.C. State extending their lead even further, outscoring Kentucky 21-10 and taking a commanding 76-34 lead heading into the final period. Petty was the leading scorer for the Cats at this point, with nine points under her belt.
Kentucky will have an opportunity to redeem themselves on Friday when they face off against No. 3 Colorado in the second game of the Paradise Jam. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and fans can catch the action on ESPN Plus. The Cats will need to regroup and come out with a stronger performance if they hope to secure a victory against a tough opponent.
