(WKYT) – The Kentucky Women’s basketball season has come to an end at the hands of the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet 16.
Texas lit it up in the first quarter and set the tone for the rest of the game, advancing over the Wildcats 76-54.
UK turned the ball over 24 times, which led to 26 Texas points. The Horns outscored the Cats 44-22 in the paint and out-rebounded them 38-29.
Junior center Clara Strack led the way with 16 points and five rebounds. Three Wildcats finished in double-figures.
Longhorn sophomore guard Jordan Lee had a game-high 18 points.
Kentucky’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2016 won’t be one it thinks fondly about. UK scored the first basket of the game off an Amelia Hassett three-pointer, but the Longhorns responded scoring 11-straight points and forcing a Wildcat timeout.
Texas started the game 10-15 from the field, growing its lead to double-digits by the end of the first quarter. UT scored 29 first quarter points, while outrebounding Kentucky 14-3, and forcing four turnovers.
The Cats slowed the Longhorns down in the second quarter compared to the first, but turnovers plagued the team from crawling back into the game. Senior point guard Tonie Morgan had a rough first half, having seven of Kentucky’s 11 turnovers.
Texas only had a four-point advantage in the quarter but took a 48-26 lead into the locker room. The Longhorns shot 60 percent from the field, doubled up Kentucky on the boards 24-12, outscored the Cats 14-0 in points off of turnovers, and ran Kentucky off the court with a 14-0 advantage in fast-break points.
The Cats looked more like themselves in the third- Strack was able to get to her spots and make baskets, but the turnovers kept stacking up. Texas’ Madison Booker and Jordan Lee were getting anything they wanted. Texas was shooting an efficient 55-percent from the field through three quarters and led by 21 heading into the fourth.
In the fourth, Kentucky got the deficit down to 15 points midway through the quarter, but it was too little too late.
(1) Texas advances to the Elite Eight to face (2) Michigan on Monday.