No. 16 Kentucky Falls Just Short at No. 5 Vanderbilt – UK Athletics

No. 16 Kentucky placed five players in double figures, but came up short, falling to fifth-ranked Vanderbilt 81-79 on Sunday in Nashville.
Clara Strack led UK with 17 points, while adding seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Amelia Hassett hit five threes on her way to 15 points. The senior also had eight rebounds. Asia Boone scored 13 points, while Teonni Key and Tonie Morgan each scored 10. Morgan added nine assists.
Kentucky (20-8, 7-7 Southeastern Conference) jumped out to an early lead as Key hit two free throws and Boone hit a three to give the Cats a 5-0 lead. After a Vandy basket, Hassett hit a three and UK led 8-2. After another VU bucket, Hassett hit another three and the Cats led 11-4. The ‘Dores would score to cut the UK lead to 11-6.
Boone hit another three, then Strack scored at the rim, giving Kentucky a 16-6 advantage. Vandy scored but Key answered and the Cats led by 10 again. Jordan Obi scored to extend the lead to 20-8 but Vandy went on a 16-4 run to tie the game at 24-24. However, a late basket by Key gave Kentucky a 26-24 lead after one quarter.
Kentucky started the second quarter hot again, getting a three-point play from Strack and a basket from Boone to lead 31-24. VU scored the next four but Hassett hit another three to lead 34-28. After Vandy hit a three, Boone scored and UK led by five. Another Vandy three got the ‘Dores within two.
Morgan scored to extend the lead to 38-34, but Vandy hit another three to get within one. Kaelyn Carroll hit a three for UK, but the ‘Dores answered with a three of their own, and UK’s lead was 41-40. Morgan scored again, but Vandy answered to get within one again. Carroll hit another three, but Vandy scored the final two points of the half. Kentucky took a 46-44 lead into the break.
Vanderbilt scored the first two points of the third quarter to tie the game, but UK got a three from Boone and a basket in the lane from Strack to lead 51-46. The ‘Dores answered by scoring six in a row to lead 52-51. A Strack free throw tied the game but Vandy made one of its own to take the lead back.
Strack converted a three-point play to give UK a 55-53 lead but Vandy scored four in a row to take the lead back. An Obi basket and a Strack layup gave the Cats a 59-57 advantage, but the ‘Dores tied the game at 59 apiece. Kentucky then got baskets from Key, Morgan and Strack to lead 65-59. Vandy scored the final points of the period, but UK led 65-61 after three.
Vandy scored first in the fourth quarter but an acrobatic Obi bucket gave the Cats a 67-63 lead. The Commodores got a three-point play to get within one, but Morgan scored and UK led 69-66. VU scored four in a row to lead by one, but two Key free throws gave UK a 71-70 lead. The ‘Dores took the lead back on the next possession, but Hassett hit her fourth three of the game to give the Cats a 74-72 lead with 5:12 to play. Vanderbilt would tie the game at 74 apiece.
Hassett hit another three to give UK the lead but Vandy answered to tie the game at 77-77. The ‘Dores took the lead on a free throw with 53 seconds to play, but Morgan drove to the hoop and scored with 33 seconds left, giving Kentucky a 79-78 lead. Vandy ran the clock down on their possession, then scored with seven seconds left to take an 80-79 lead.
UK called a timeout and had a final possession with a chance to win. However, the Cats did not get a shot off.
Kentucky returns to action on Thursday, visiting Auburn. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on SEC Network Plus.
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