Vicky Graff Photo
It was not the outcome that Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks wanted, but he was not going to give up on his team after a 64-53 loss at No. 4 Texas Monday.
Kentucky (18-7, 5-6 Southeastern Conference) got 14 points and seven rebounds from Clara Strack and 12 points from Tonie Morgan but was doomed by 23 turnovers and scoring droughts of 7 minutes, 3 seconds to end the first half and 4:46 to end the game. That meant UK failed to score in 12 minutes — about 30 percent of the game.
Kentucky trailed only 51-48 midway of the fourth quarter but could not finish, the same issue it had in a one-point loss to Vanderbilt in the previous game. Three of UK’s previous four losses in what has been a 1-5 skid were by a total of eight points.
“I am proud of the kids. We are not where we want to be but we are going to be happy with where we are going,” Brooks said on the UK Radio Network. “We have not been dealt the hand that was not fortunate for us. Teonni (Key) being out affected our record but not has affected their heart. They played hard. It wasn’t for lack of effort.”
This was Key’s third game back after dislocating her elbow early in SEC play.
Kentucky didn’t help itself by missing eight of 19 free throws. However, the Cats out rebounded Texas 30-29, limited the Longhorns to 3-for-14 shooting from 3 and held potential national player of the year Madison Booker to eight points on 1-for-6 shooting from the field.
Kentucky’s problem was handling Texas’ physical defense. Kentucky did not have a player shoot 50 percent from the field and starters Amelia Hassett (1-for-3) and Jordan Obi (0-for1) combined for only four shots and three points in 62 minutes of play.
“I thought Jordan Obi didn’t score a point but her attitude was great. She worked hard,” the Kentucky coach said. “We have to get kids playing good basketball on the same day. We have to get everybody on the same page and we will.”
Brooks said Texas was the “most physical team” Kentucky will play this season.
“They take you out of stuff. Lot of holding, lot of grabbing. We just got to make plays,” Brooks said. “We allowed their physicality to push us back on our heels after we had got after them. It takes a lot out of you.”
Later in his postgame press conference Brooks said Texas was the best defensive team in the country but benefits from rule changes.
“I don’t like his (Texas coach Vic Schaefer) style of basketball. It’s a lot of fouling but it’s not a foul if they don’t call it, and they do it extremely well,” Brooks said. “They don’t get away with anything. They play within the rules. They just play right into the rules.”
Kentucky was 11 of 19 from the foul line while Texas was 17 of 22. Kentucky was called for 16 fouls and Texas 18.
“I don’t think it benefits me. I got people in foul trouble all over the scoresheet,” Schaefer said about his team’s defense.
Kentucky hosts Texas A&M Thursday and then Ole Miss on Sunday in games the Cats need to win to keep alive hopes of hosting NCAA Tournament games again this year.
“We are not hanging our heads. We know we still have got a lot in front of us and our long terms goals are still there,” Brooks said. “We are going to be fine and excited with where we are going.
“We just have to get better. In the SEC this is maybe our fourth game together (with a full roster), maybe fifth. We are going to be fine. We just need to get one (game) to our way and build confidence. We are good. We just have to be a little bit better.
“We are doing a lot of good things. In this league, you have got to do a lot of great things (to win). You come here to a top four team and this arena is one of the best environments in women’s basketball and we handled the emotion. We just didn’t handle the whole game. I love this group and promise we are going to get them better.”
