Kentucky tops Louisville to stay perfect before SEC play originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Tonie Morgan scored 19 points as No. 20 Kentucky pulled away in the second half to beat No. 21 Louisville 72-62 on Saturday. Teonni Key and Clara Strack added 17 apiece in a winning effort.
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Strack and Jordan Obi fueled the game’s decisive stretch, combining for four points early in a 13-0 run that flipped a 44-39 deficit into an 18-point Wildcats lead late in the third quarter.
Kentucky (7-0) outscored Louisville 20-6 in the period, holding the Cardinals scoreless for more than seven minutes as they missed 14 straight shots. Morgan added seven assists, while Strack paired her scoring with 10 rebounds. Key anchored the defense with four blocks, and Obi finished with 10 points.
Tajianna Roberts scored 22 points for Louisville (4-2), and Laura Ziegler hit four 3-pointers on her way to 18 points and 11 rebounds. But outside of Roberts’ 19 first-half points, the Cardinals struggled to generate consistent offense.
Kentucky ended up shooting 52.5% from the field despite a 4-of-15 mark from long range. Key’s three-point play in the final seconds of the second quarter sent the Wildcats into halftime up 37-35 after 16 lead changes.
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Louisville twice trimmed the deficit to eight in the fourth, but Kentucky answered each push, with Key scoring on both ensuing possessions to keep the Wildcats comfortably ahead.
