Tonie Morgan Leads No. 7 Kentucky to Thrilling 94-89 Victory Over Florida
Tonie Morgan put on a spectacular show for the Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday night. She scored a season-high 26 points and dished out 13 assists. Her performance powered No. 7 Kentucky to a hard-fought 94-89 win over the Florida Gators at home.
Wildcats Maintain Perfect Home Record
The Wildcats improved their record to 17-2 overall and 4-1 in the Southeastern Conference. They also remained unbeaten at home, pushing their perfect record to 10-0. However, the Gators made them work for it with a late rally.
Florida, now 12-8 overall and 0-5 in the SEC, refused to go down quietly. They trailed 45-38 at halftime but stormed back in the third quarter. The Gators outscored Kentucky 35-21 in that period to take a 73-66 lead heading into the final quarter.
Clara Strack Steps Up in Key Moments
Clara Strack provided crucial support for Kentucky with 21 points. Her contributions were vital, especially since she missed most of the third quarter. Strack fouled out with just 13 seconds left in the game.
The fourth quarter saw intense back-and-forth action. Strack hit a jumper with 3:34 remaining to put Kentucky back in front. The lead changed hands four more times after that. Strack then sank two free throws with two minutes left, giving Kentucky an 88-87 advantage they would not relinquish.
Jordan Obi, Amelia Hassett, and Asia Boone each added 12 points for the Wildcats. Their balanced scoring helped offset the absence of senior Teonni Key. Key, the team's third-leading scorer averaging 11 points per game, is recovering from an elbow injury suffered on January 4th.
Florida's Strong Effort Falls Short
Me'Arah O'Neal led the Gators with an impressive 23 points. This marked her highest scoring output in an SEC game and came just one point shy of her career high. The 19-year-old, 6-foot-4 daughter of Shaquille O'Neal showcased her talent throughout the contest.
Liv McGill also had a strong game for Florida, contributing 20 points and 11 assists. Jade Weathersby added 18 points to the Gators' total. Despite their efforts, Florida could not complete the comeback on the road.
Both teams now look ahead to their next matchups. Florida will return home to host Missouri on Sunday. Kentucky hits the road to face Mississippi State, also on Sunday.
