Clara Strack (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky has a historic matchup with South Carolina today in a sold-out Memorial Coliseum.
Coach Kenny Brooks’ team will become the first Division I women’s team since at least 2001-02 to play five regular-season conference games against opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top Five according to UK Athletics.
Kentucky beat LSU and Oklahoma when they were both ranked No. 5 and barely lost to No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Vanderbilt. South Carolina comes into today’s games ranked third.
Few teams have had much success against coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks in recent years. The last time the Wildcats defeated the Gamecocks was 103-55 in the SEC Tournament championship game on March 6, 2022. The last time the Cats defeated the Gamecocks in Lexington was March 1, 2015 (67- 56).
Clara Strack had 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal, all team highs, in a 78-66 Kentucky loss against South Carolina in last year’s final regular season game.
She became the first player — from any team — to have at least 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal against South Carolina since UConn’s Gabby Williams on Feb. 13, 2017. She also became the only player —from any team — to do this in Columbia since at least 2002-03.
She also became the first NCAA DI women’s player to have at least 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal in a regular-season true road game against an AP Top 10 opponent since Caitlin Clark did so at No. 2 Ohio State on Jan. 23, 2023.
In that game, she scored 19 of her 23 points in the second half, and in the fourth quarter. Twice she scored to get Kentucky within one point of South Carolina in a sold out arena.
Today’s game is the final UK game for seniors Amelia Hassett, Tonie Morgan, Jordan Obi, Teonni Key and Josie Gilvin.
Memorial Coliseum doors will open at 12:45 with a Senior Day poster giveaway at all entrances while supplies last. The Senior Day ceremony will start at 1:39.
Strack will be recognized at 1:54 for setting a new single-season blocks record for the second straight year before Kentuckian Marlana VanHoose sings the national anthem
One Response
The Lady Cats seem to have some great players and a great coach definitely building for the future. They have had a problem with being productive during the game. Two of our starters went 6-24 and another played 37 mins and only scored 3 pts. That will not win you too many games. We must wish them all well as they move forward.
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