Kentucky womens basketball in search of second SEC win against Auburn

By Samantha Money sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky womens basketball will look to earn its second SEC win of the season when it hosts the Auburn Tigers on Thursday.

The game marks a homecoming for the Wildcats, who haven’t played inside Memorial Coliseum in over a week, with the most recent home performance being the 95-66 loss to No. 1 South Carolina.

Since that loss, the Cats have been on an extended road trip that saw them find their first SEC victory of the season against Florida, winning with a final score of 81-75 in Gainesville.

The Florida matchup saw several highs for Kentucky as Robyn Benton reached a career-high 29 points while the team as a whole shot 82% from the free-throw line.

Unfortunately for Kentucky, the SEC victory was only briefly celebrated as the Cats quickly picked up another conference loss against Mississippi State (77-76) in Starkville.

Overall, the Wildcats have struggled since the start of conference play and will be taking the court against the Tigers with a 9-10 overall record and a 1-6 conference record.

As for Auburn, the Tigers are currently in a similar position, sitting at 1-6 in conference play with their first SEC win of the season coming just last week in a

77-76 overtime win over Ole Miss.

The Tigers are led by Aicha Coulibaly, who has continued to be the team’s top performer, averaging 17.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

Following right behind Coulibaly is Hones - ty Scott-Grayson, who is shooting 44% from the field and averaging 14.1 points per game.

On Kentucky’s side, Benton has consistently led the Cats in scoring, averaging 17.1 points while sophomore point guard Jada Walker puts up an average of 13.5 points, being relied on for her aggressive energy that she brings to the court.

Also worth noting is Oregon transfer Maddie Scherr, who, in spite of Kentucky’s struggles in the conference, has stepped up in SEC play.

Scherr has recorded a double-digit point total in every game since Kentucky’s matchup against Georgia on Jan. 5, including a career-high 25 points against the No. 1 Gamecocks.

While the Wildcats have not quite seen the wins they would like to in conference play thus far, the added points that Scherr brings on the court has the potential to carry Kentucky just the few points further that it needs to come out on top.

When looking at the numbers, Kentucky and Auburn suit each other well, with both teams looking to prove themselves and earn a second conference win, ensuring that it’s likely to be an evenly matched contest.

Kentucky and Auburn are set to tip off inside Memorial Coliseum on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. EST in Lexington, Kentucky. The game can be streamed live on the SEC Network.