At the Buzzer: Second half resurrection allows No. 17 Kentucky women’s basketball to pick up 64-48 win over Miami

No.19 Kentucky women’s basketball (9-1) used a second half turnaround to pick up a 64-48 win over Miami (5-3) in the SEC/ACC challenge.

Both teams shot 31% from the field in the first half, Kentucky led 26-23 at the break.

Kentucky improved in the second half, Miami did not. The Cats shot 15-26 (57.7%) in the half while Miami shot 7-28 (33.3%). The Wildcats outscored the Hurricanes 38-25 in the half.

Tonie Morgan led the Wildcats in scoring with 20 points and added four assists. This was her second 20+ point performance of the season, both coming in the last three games.

Kentucky took some time to get it going on the offensive end, starting 0-3 from the field before Clara Strack sunk a mid-range fade after 2:14.

Miami scored on the first possession of the game before going scoreless for nearly three minutes.

The Hurricanes early offensive struggles allowed Kentucky to pull out to a 7-2 lead.

Miami broke free from its scoring drought with three consecutive field goals made, but the Wildcats still led 14-9.

Teonni Key made a layup with less than a minute to go in the first quarter, ending a 3:10 scoring drought for Kentucky.

The Wildcats took a 16-13 lead into the second quarter, despite shooting 5-17 (29.4%) in the quarter. Kentucky’s six second chance points on five offensive rebounds allowed them to hold its early lead.

Key and Morgan each had four points in the quarter.

Kentucky started the second quarter with yet another scoring drought of over two minutes. This allowed Miami to pull ahead 18-16 2:40 into the quarter.

This Wildcats drought lasted nearly five minutes before Jordan Obi got a layup to fall, evening the score at 18-18.

Miami was without a made field goal for 4:53 heading into halftime, allowing UK to take a 26-23 lead into the break.

Both teams scored 10 points in the second quarter after going nearly half the quarter without a made field goal.

Both teams shot 9-29 (31%) in the first half with 19 rebounds.

It was a very defensive game in the first half, both teams have had multiple scoreless stretches longer than three minutes.

Whichever, team finds some success and consistency on offense in the second half seems likely to prevail.

Strack and Morgan each had seven points in the first half despite inefficient scoring. Strack shot 3-10 in the half while Morgan shot 2-7.

Kentucky mounted a 7-2 run in the first two minutes of the second half to pull ahead by eight points.

After Morgan converted an and one and drained a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions, Kentucky extended its lead to 39-28.

Miami had a three minute scoring drought with three turnovers in this span, helping Kentucky mount a 10-0 run to take a 15 point lead.

Both teams had their best scoring quarter in the third quarter. Kentucky scored 24 points after scoring just 26 in the first half, Miami had 15 points.

The Wildcats held a 50-38 lead after three quarters.

Kentucky continued to extend its lead to 19 with a 9-2 in the first two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter.

Both teams went nearly five minutes without a made field goal late in the fourth quarter, before breaking these droughts in back-to-back possessions.

The Wildcats will return to Historic Memorial Coliseum after three weeks on Sunday Dec. 7. Kentucky will host Central Michigan with tip off scheduled for noon ET.