What a difference a year makes!

(Morgantown, WV) – It was March 23, 2025 when All-American Kentucky guard, Georgia Amoore, had a driving lay-up to send the University of Kentucky’s women’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.  That shot went down in the basket’s cylinder and then popped out.  Time had expired and Kansas State walked away with a 80-79 overtime win to end UK’s season.

Fast forward to March 23, 2026.  With a trip on the line to this year’s Sweet 16, West Virginia’s Gia Cooke took an open 15-foot jump shot.  If the shot had connected, just as in 2025, UK’s season would have been over.  Alas, this year, the ball went half-way down in the basket but ultimately rimmed out and the ‘Cats had secured a 74-73 victory.  Kentucky will now travel to Fort Worth, Texas for their next tournament game where they will face a heavily favorite Texas squad.

To paraphrase vivacious sportscaster Dick Vitale, “The WVU-UK contest was spectacular, shimmering, sensational, and super-scintillating.  That game was Awesome Baby, with a capital A!”

Even though there was only one lead change the entire evening, it was definitely a game of runs.  UK ran off 11 straight points in the first quarter, only to find that WVU bounced back with a run of nine consecutive points in the second quarter.  The contest  was tied at halftime but Kentucky opened the third quarter with a 9-0 run and built a 14-point fourth quarter lead.  That challenge only fueled WVU.  Even though the Mountaineers could never get over the hump to actually take the lead, they ferociously battled back to set the final one-point tally.

“It’s March and teams are going to go on runs,” UK senior guard, Tonie Morgan empathized.  “You’ve just got to expect it at all times.  You can never get too comfortable no matter how much you’re up.  Just be prepared for anything.”

WVU might have been prepared but they could not effectively stop UK’s duo of Clara Strack and Teonni Key.  Just as in the last tournament game when UK dispensed of James Madison, Strack and Key led the way for the Wildcats.  Each had a double-double with Strack scoring 18 points and gathering 15 rebounds.  Key shot nine for 14 from the field, ending up with 19 points to lead UK in scoring.  Key also garnered 10 rebounds.

In a post-game interview, Strack stated that she and Key are cohesive on the court.  “I think we play really together.  Not just one of us can do that by ourselves.  We need each other and we do a really good job of playing off one another.”

Coach Brooks was quick to credit San Diego native and starting guard, Asia Boone for her tenaciousness.  “I thought Asia was tremendous in the third quarter.  I don’t even know what her stats were but the look in her eye, it was kind of like she was in a zone and you just don’t talk to her, she was locked in to what she was doing.  I think she had two or three three’s (actually three) in that quarter and that help us stretch out the lead.”

An almost sold-out, pro-WVU crowd, was most boisterous throughout the contest.  “I thought it was a tremendous atmosphere, very respectful fans who were very knowledgeable, just cheering for their team, Coach Brooks commented.”  That raucous arena led to some difficulties with in-game communication for the ‘Cats.  “Give credit to the (WVU) fans,” Brooks said.  “I love Amelia Hassett.  Amelia does wonderful things but (Sydney) Shaw (WVU team leading point scorer with 18) got loose a couple of times.  Give credit to their fans.  80 percent of arenas that we play in, we would have been able to communicate a switch to where Shaw wouldn’t have been able to get a wide-open shot.  She got loose from Amelia one time and it was so loud in there.  That would have been a perfect opportunity for Asia to switch out on it.  However, they couldn’t hear each other.  They couldn’t hear us coaches.  Credit to Shaw, she kept WVU in the game and brought them back when they needed it.”

WVU coach, Mark Kellog was highly complimentary of the electricity in the building.  “Phenomenal college basketball game, phenomenal environment, it was loud in there all night long.  It was special and the game was something we’ll never forget.  UK is very well coached so credit to Kenny and his group.”

That well coached UK squad is now off to Texas to see if its magical run will continue in the Lone Star State.