FINAL SCORE: KENTUCKY 98 USC UPSTATE 43
The Cats jumped out to a big lead and kept that high intensity throughout the opening quarter. They went on an 11-0 run midway through the quarter to claim a 17-point lead. Outside shots may not have been falling, but Georgia Amoore got it done at the free throw line, scoring 9 first-quarter points. Clara Silva added 6 points and went 3-for-3 in her first six minutes of action.
Kentucky continued their dominance in the second quarter. Amelia Hassett knocked down two triples in the first three minutes to open the quarter. Teonni Key and Clara Strack continued dominating in every statistical category and Cassidy Rowe continued providing a spark every time she stepped on the court. By halftime, Kentucky had grown their lead to 29 points.
The Spartans started seeing more shots fall in the 3rd quarter, but the Cats followed suit and grew the lead to 40 points going into the final quarter. Kentucky never took their foot off the brake, ultimately defeating USC Upstate 98-43 with ten different Cats getting on the board.
We aim to provide coverage that is unique to other media outlets. Below, you will find several game-by-game superlatives we will give out instead of traditional game coverage. The superlatives we give may vary from game-to-game, but please scroll to the bottom of this article for a full description of all potential superlatives. Please note: these are our personal opinions, so please feel free to comment with your pick and why you picked that player in the comment section!
OFFENSIVE MVP:
Clara Strack
Strack scored a team-high 22 points and was automatic with her step-backs, even finishing some of them through contact. On top of an efficient 7-for-11 shooting effort, she also contributed in every statistical category. Strack finished with 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 2 assists. After an excellent post-season showing by Strack as a freshman last season, there were many people who expected her to have a breakout season this year, and she certainly proved them all right in game one.
GLUE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Georgia Amoore
Who better to be your glue player than your point guard? Amoore really made things move cohesively from start to finish, facilitating well and recognizing when to push pace and when to slow things down. Amoore did most of her scoring early in the game, but when she wasn’t scoring, she was making other stuff happen for the Cats. She finished the game with a double-double, 11 points and 10 assists, also adding 6 rebounds and a steal.
STAT STUFFER:
Teonni Key
Key was all over the stat sheet, finishing with 14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and a steal. This may sound crazy after listing that stat line, but the best part of what she brought to the court may not even be included in the stats. The leadership Key brought to the court was huge in Kentucky’s dominant performance. No matter who checked into the game, you could hear her voice helping lead her team and not letting them take any plays off. Key is poised to have a huge season for the Cats and will be a player that’s hard to keep off the floor.
BEST BENCH PERFORMANCE:
Clara Silva
Silva could’ve fit in several superlatives tonight, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and stuffing the stat sheet with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 2 assists. Her step-back was automatic, keeping the ball high and away from the defense on the release. She also went 2-for-2 at the free throw line. Silva wasn’t making anything easy on the defensive end either, blocking or altering a lot of the shot attempts when she was nearby.
BEST SHOOTING PERFORMANCE:
Amelia Hassett
Hassett caught fire from deep, knocking down four triples on seven attempts. She was another player stuffing the stat sheet and nearly finished the game with a double-double (14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block). The quick, high release was very hard for the defense to contest, and Hassett showed the ability to light it up from the 3-point line even with a defender on her.
INDEX: GAME SUPERLATIVES
- Offensive MVP: The offensive MVP may not always be the leading scorer for the game, but it is the player we view as the most impactful player on the offensive end. ALL offensive stats are considered.
- Defensive MVP: The defensive MVP is the player we feel was most impactful on the defensive end of the court. This can include hustle plays and defensive energy, in addition to all defensive stat categories.
- Glue Player of the Game: When we say glue player, we mean the player that keeps the team looking the most cohesive. A player who significantly impacts both sides of the ball and with their leadership. While this could lead to multiple contributions on the stat sheet, this can also be someone who is impacting the game well beyond what shows up on the stat sheet.
- Stat Stuffer: A player that makes a huge impact on the game by contributing in every statistical category.
- Underclassman of the Game: The most impactful freshman or sophomore. All stats considered.
- Biggest Energy Giver: This goes to a player whose energy was evident from the start of the game to the final buzzer. This is one of the only superlatives in which a player doesn’t need to log any minutes, as we will also be watching for bench energy.
- Best Shooting Performance: This superlative is given to the best shooting performance of the game. It doesn’t have to be outside shots only; it can also be given to someone with excellent efficiency inside the perimeter.
- Best Bench Performance: The player who had the best performance off of the bench.
- Best Hustle Play: A play in the game where the hustle was impressive.