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Cats Knock Off #1 Seed Nebraska

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Cats Knock Off #1 Seed Nebraska Empty Cats Knock Off #1 Seed Nebraska

Post  Carolina Kat Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:15 am

#4 KENTUCKY, 76
#1 Nebraska, 67


THE CATS WILL PLAY TUESDAY NIGHT AT 9 ON ESPN AGAINST #3 SEED OKLAHOMA IN THEIR FIRST REGIONAL FINAL SINCE 1982

Updated: 7:50 AM ET Mon, Mar. 29, 2010

UK women upset Nebraska

By Jennifer Smith / jsmith3@herald-leader.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
— Kentucky gives the notion “quick like a Cat” a whole new meaning.

Much like it did in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last week, undersized Kentucky used its quickness to speed past top-seeded Nebraska 76-67 in front of a partisan Cornhuskers crowd at the Sprint Center on Sunday night.

It was just the second loss of the season for Nebraska.

With the win, the Cats advance to the elite eight and a Tuesday night matchup with three seed Oklahoma.

Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said the Sooners should beware of the Cats’ speed trap, which helped them force 16 turnovers and out-rebound the Huskers 36-25.

“We watched plenty of film; we knew they were quick,” Yori said. “We tried to simulate it. You do the best you can to simulate it but it’s hard to do.

“They were either as quick or quicker than us at every position and that was the difference. They got every loose ball.”

In front of a highly partisan big red Nebraska crowd, Kentucky nearly blew a big 19-point lead in the second half, but managed to survive and advance to its first elite eight since 1982 and its first since the tournament expanded to 64 teams.

“We tried to push the tempo and tried to just speed every team we play up,” freshman guard A’dia Mathies said. “That’s part of Kentucky basketball.”

Mathies scored 17 of her team-high 21 points in the second half, which UK opened with an 11-1 run that it built into a 19-point advantage with 15 minutes to play.

“They left me open a couple times,” said Mathies, who made three three-pointers. “I was able to knock down some shots and get more confidence and get some momentum. I kept shooting, and they just kept falling.”

Coach Matthew Mitchell said the big start to the second half was key for UK, which shot 50 percent from the field for the game and 50 percent from three-point range.

“That was a tremendous start to the half and it allowed us to get control of the game,” he said. “I was really impressed with our players to be able to do that at this point in the tournament.”

Victoria Dunlap, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, won her battle against Big 12 Player of the Year Kelsey Griffin, scoring 18 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Griffin was held to 15 points.

“We were on our heels and we never quite recovered from that,” she said. “Every time it seemed like we could kind of get a little break, they just hit a big shot or stole a ball.”

The Huskers (32-2), who were led by Dominique Kelley’s 22 points, pulled within seven points with less than a minute to play on a three-pointer by Lindsey Moore, but UK answered with two made free throws from Dunlap, who couldn’t make it into the post-game interviews because of leg cramps.

“We never gave up; we came back, we fought and it was a bout until the end,” said Griffin, who also had 12 rebounds in her final game as a Cornhusker.

Keyla Snowden added 13 points for UK, all in the first half, when she hit three three-pointers. Amber Smith pitched in six points, but had seven assists, four steals and four rebounds.

All eight players who saw action for Kentucky scored at least three points. The Cats won their program-record 28th game of the season.

“This means a lot but we’re definitely not satisfied,” Smith said.

In the first half, UK struggled with foul trouble with four players saddled with at least two fouls each. Despite that problem. the Cats built a 13-point lead behind a putback and free throw from freshman reserve Brittany Henderson.

Carolina Kat
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