Maddie Scherr had a career-high 22 points Sunday but her teammates combined for only 46 more points in a loss to LSU. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Coach Krya Elzy’s team is now 0-4 in Southeastern Conference play and the Kentucky women are having one problem just like John Calipari’s team — scoring.
Kentucky scored just 48 points Sunday and lost by 19 points to LSU in a game that was never really close after a 12-0 LSU run late in the first half opened a 31-17 halftime lead.
Kentucky guard Maddie Scherr provided most of UK’s offense. She was 8-for-15 from the field, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, and had a career-high 22 points — or almost half of what UK scored. The Cats had just 19 field goals and she had almost half of them. Only one other player had more than two field goals.
Scherr transferred to UK from Oregon hoping to be part of a team that would compete in the SEC.
So what happens now, especially knowing No. 1 South Carolina is coming to town and will be eager to avenge last year’s SEC Tournament title game loss to Kentucky?
“Stay the course.You have to have a short memory in basketball because the next one is up,” Scherr said. “The SEC is the best league in the country and we’re going to be ready to go home, scout South Carolina, and take the floor against them.”
Scherr has been a consistent bright spot. She might not always shoot well but her effort normally results in a stat-stuffing game. She added four rebounds, three assists and two steals Sunday and has at least one steal in seven straight games and three or more assists in 14 of UK’s 16 games.
Scherr said she’s tried to be a vocal leader and help freshmen by “being in their ear” telling them she has been in their spot before.
“I see my teammates shoot it lights out and I’m hitting them everywhere at practice and they shoot them. It’s not that we can’t. I believe in every single one of my teammates and we believe in each other so I think that feeling that from each other is super important,” Scherr said.
Kentucky is not hitting shots in games — and that’s a big problem. Kentucky had no size to counter LSU inside and basically no offense inside the lane.
“We are better shooters than what we are showing, but I think overall we have to have a little more mental toughness. So, when we miss one or two, you need to start thinking I’m going to hit the next one,” Elzy said.
“Where I think it becomes a confidence issue like, I miss one or two, and then it starts playing in our minds. So, we have to play in fast forward instead of rewind, but you know we go back to work. They are capable of shooting the ball and I have total confidence in them.”
Kentucky’s defense was good enough. The Cats held LSU to 67 points, the second-fewest LSU has scored all season and just the third time it has scored in the 60’s.
But to win you have to score more than 48 points.
“We really do shoot lights-out in practice, so it’s super frustrating when this person has a great shooting night and this person doesn’t. We have to be able to put it all together,” Scherr said.
“It could be the speed of the game or getting in your own head and being hesitant on the next shot. I know I’m guilty of that but we’ve just got to stay the course.”
UK-LSU
Photos by Vicky Graff
