COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri women's basketball fell to Kentucky, 78-63, Thursday evening in the team's home finale in Mizzou Arena this season.
The Tigers (17-11, 6-9 Southeastern Conference) finished 11-4 at home in the regular season, their best home record since the 2018-19 campaign. Kentucky (14-11, 7-8 SEC) won their fifth game in a row.
In her first career start, Jayla Kelly scored eight of the Tigers first 10 points and finished the evening with a career-high 11. Hayley Frank and Lauren Hansen joined Kelly in double-digits, as Frank scored a team-high 16-points and Hansen added 10.
Kentucky started the game with a 17-point lead, but Mizzou fired off an 11-3 run in the final three minutes of the first quarter to bring the score within nine. The Tigers outscored Kentucky, 23-18, in the second quarter which included a final layup by Sarah Linthacum to cut the Wildcats' lead to four points.
Despite running into foul trouble in the third quarter, Mizzou sank a pair of three-pointers to cut Kentucky's lead to one headed into the fourth period. Kentucky outscored Missouri 21-7 to put it away in the fourth quarter.
GAME NOTES
- Junior forward Hayley Frank (68) and junior guard Lauren Hansen (58) are the first Mizzou teammates to hit 60+ 3-pointers in a Mizzou women's basketball season.
- Hansen's 10 points marked her 16th double-digit game of the season.
- Mizzou shot 87.5 percent at the free throw line, its highest of SEC play this season.
- Mama Dembele had a team-high five assists, reaching her 12th game this season with five or more. ??????
UP NEXT
Missouri travels to Florida on Sun., Feb. 27 for the last game of the regular season. Tip off is set for 11:00 a.m. on SECN+ and the Tiger Radio Network.
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