In a hard-fought battle, the Kentucky women’s basketball team suffered a 73-61 defeat against the No. 18 Louisville Cardinals on Sunday. Despite the loss, senior Maddie Scherr performed impressively, scoring 22 points after missing the team’s last two games. Scherr showcased her shooting skills, making 8 of 15 field goals and hitting 4 of 7 three-pointers. Along with her scoring prowess, she contributed five rebounds and two assists.
Ajae Petty also made a significant impact on the game, recording a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Emma King had a solid performance as well, scoring five points and delivering a career-high six assists. Freshman Janae Walker made her mark on the court, showcasing her potential with a career-high six points.
Kentucky started the game strong, with Brooklynn Miles scoring the first points with a runner. The contest had three tied scores early on before Louisville went on a six-point run to take a 12-6 lead. Scherr responded with five consecutive points, closing the gap to 12-11 with 4:05 remaining in the first quarter.
Louisville’s Sydney Taylor scored back-to-back three-pointers, but Scherr’s three-pointer late in the period helped Kentucky remain within striking distance with a score of 18-16 in favor of the Cardinals at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Kentucky found their rhythm, going on a 7-2 run with five points from Saniya Tyler to take a 23-20 lead. However, Louisville quickly regained control, countering with five points of their own to reclaim a 25-23 lead with 5:20 left in the first half. Petty’s layup tied the game at 25-25 on the next possession.
Louisville connected on a free throw to take a one-point lead, but Petty responded with another basket, giving Kentucky a slim 27-26 advantage. However, the Cardinals had the last say before halftime, scoring the final basket to take a 28-27 lead into the break.
The third quarter started with Louisville taking a 32-29 lead, only for Emma King to hit a crucial three-pointer from the right corner to tie the score. After the Cardinals retook the lead at 34-32, Scherr buried a three-pointer from the left side, giving Kentucky a 35-34 advantage with 7:15 remaining in the third quarter.
Kentucky continued to fight, with Cassidy Rowe assisting Walker for an easy layup, extending the Cats’ lead to 37-36. Walker added another basket on the following possession, giving Kentucky a 39-36 lead. However, the Cards responded strongly, scoring eight consecutive points to take a 50-44 lead at the end of the third quarter.
In the final quarter, Louisville built a twelve-point lead early on, but Kentucky didn’t give up. Scherr and Rowe hit back-to-back three-pointers, bringing the Cats within five points, 66-61, with under a minute left on the clock. However, Kentucky was unable to overcome the deficit, resulting in the 73-61 loss.
Looking ahead, Kentucky will return to the court next Sunday, hosting Furman at Rupp Arena. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 1 p.m. ET and will be televised on SEC Network Plus.
