Only 54 seconds were left in the game. Suddenly, Jordan Obi pokes the ball out, getting the ball to Asia Boone, who hit a pull-up jumper to put the Wildcats up three points!

The very next play, Florida inbounds the ball to the corner, with a chance to tie the game, but a block by Clara Strack basically sealed the game for the blue and white.

That is how the most important sequence of the game went for the Wildcats as No. 7 Kentucky women’s basketball (17-2, 4-1 SEC) held up against the Florida Gators (12-8, 0-5 SEC) by a score of 94-89, in what was supposed to be an easy win at home on Thursday, Jan. 15.

The Wildcats came into the game off a top-five win versus No, 13 Oklahoma while the Gators hadn’t won a conference game yet.

So who would have thought it would come down to Asia Boone hitting a mid-range pull up dagger to give the Cats a three-point lead? And how did UK find themselves in that spot in the first place?

Three-point shooting and foul trouble is what would gave the Cats the most headache, along with some miscommunication on the offensive end. Fouling caught up to Kenny Brooks’ squad when star center Clara Strack fouled out late in the fourth after her clutch block, when her defensive presence was still needed in crunch time.

Key players like Boone, Jordan Obi and Amelia Hassett also came close to coming out the game themselves, each totaling three or more fouls.

Though Kentucky started shooting the lights out from three, the team would get stagnant as the game went on, only shooting 7-23 from deep in the final three quarters.

Kentucky started the fourth quarter down seven, but they gave BBN many reason to get loud quickly, tying the game three times and changing the lead on seven different occasions.

Brooks was unenthusiastic about the win, but this game was one fans in attendance will not soon forget.

Up next, the Wildcats will take on Mississippi State (14-5, 1-4 SEC) on Sunday, Jan. 18 inside of Humphrey Coliseum, streaming live on SEC Network+ at 3:00 p.m. ET.

From down 13 points early to going on unanswered scoring runs, No. 6 Kentucky women’s basketball (16-2, 3-1 SEC) got the best of the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners (14-3, 2-2 SEC) inside of Historic Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, Jan. 11.

The Wildcats made a statement with the 63-57 win, showing that their defense can hold a team that put up as much as 126 points in a single game earlier this year to under half of that total.

This win served as a great reminder of who the Cats are after a loss to unranked Alabama earlier in the week on Thursday, Jan. 8. So far in conference play, and the season as a whole, Kentucky has made three things very clear – Kentucky has one of the best defenses in the nation, Tonie Morgan is going to lead the Wildcats to points on the board, whether via the pass or her own shot and finally, if Clara Strack has even a sliver of daylight in the post, she is going to hit her signature jumper.

Morgan and Strack combined for forty of the Cats’ points in the win over the Sooners, with Morgan dishing out assists and buckets, some leading to a Strack fadeaway, but holding the new SEC foes to 2-19 from beyond the arc was the more telling statement.

Forcing a team that shoot an average of 31.2% from range to just 10% sends a message to the rest of the conference. Not only is Kentucky one of the best shot blocking teams, making the interior a no-go zone, but now the perimeter is just as well guarded.

The Cats tallied eight blocks and four steals as a team while having three fewer turnovers than the visitors.

Kentucky will host the Florida Gators (12-7, 0-4 SEC) on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Cats’ fifth conference game will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

The first 30-win season ever, a 27-game win streak and the only No. 1 seed left standing, it all came down to a bitter end for the Wildcats as they were swept in Kansas City by No. 3 Texas A&M in the championship match.

This was the second ever appearance in a NCAA National Championship for the Wildcats and it’s their first loss, winning their first back in 2020.

On the other side, Texas A&M acquired its first championship in program history and became the second ever team to beat three straight No. 1 seeds on the way to winning a national championship.

It was the first ever all-SEC matchup in an NCAA volleyball final, and though most expected a battle, they were given a slaughter.

The Overall Match

Kentucky held the lead for mere minutes in the first set, but after the first of six total ties in the match, the Cats were unable to regain a single lead through the next two sets.

Kentucky of course had standouts – Eva Hudson led the match in kills and points with 13 in each category, as well as led both teams in total attacks with 45.

However, in majority of major stats, it was A&M that had the advantage both coming into the match and heading out.

The Aggies led the Wildcats pre-game in four of the seven statistical categories, including hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, aces per set and blocks per set, while the Wildcats had the advantage in kills per set, assists per set and digs per set.

The eventual champions made good on those stats by tacking on three more aces and two more blocks than the Wildcats in the match.

The Cats Missteps

Specifically, the Aggies had aces in the second and third set that were like knives in the heart of the Cats. What cannot be put into question was the Wildcats effort, finishing with 43 digs and 115 attacks.

The nail in the coffin were the mistakes on offense and the inability to gain any momentum. Kentucky hit .148 in the match and had ten more attack errors than the Aggies. Kentucky had 23 attack errors to Texas A&M’s 13.

Every time the Wildcats were able to score a point, they would allow A&M to respond with two of their own. In both the second and third sets, the Aggies doubled the Wildcats’ point totals.

Also, this was the first time a Wildcat team had to play a national championship in front of a packed stadium. In 2020, the Cats had to play in a NBA bubble type of tournament because of Covid-19 conditions.

Despite this loss, Kentucky’s amazing season should not be underestimated. The Wildcats won their ninth straight regular season SEC title, won 27 matches in a row, remained undefeated in the conference, resulting in the first 30-win season since 1987.

Blue and white fans, don’t cry because it ended – just smile because it happened and you were alive to witness it.