LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Samford women's basketball team battled the Kentucky Wildcats before falling by a score of 71-59 Sunday afternoon at the Beck Center on the campus of Transylvania University.
 
"We fought and we played hard," Samford head coach Carley Kuhns said. "I'm really proud of our team. We were well prepared on a one-day prep, we gave them everything we could. I thought that momentum swing in the fourth quarter really hurt us. They were able to ramp up the pressure and we turned the ball over and they capitalized on every single one. We had an opportunity, we were in the game. I'm really proud, especially with foul trouble, of people stepping up off the bench, ready to come in and contribute."
 
This was the third game out of Samford's last six contests to come against an SEC opponent. With the loss, Samford fell to 7-7 on the season. Kentucky improved to 7-7 with the win.
 
Samford was led in the loss by Masyn Marchbanks with 19 points, making 7-of-12 shots from the floor, including 5-of-7 from three-point range. Carly Heidger had 15 points and seven rebounds for Samford, while Kennedy Langham added eight points. Emily Bowman grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with her seven points, marking the fifth time this season she has reached double figures in boards.
 
Kentucky was led by Ajae Petty with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Maddie Scherr had 14 points for the Wildcats, while Brooklyn Miles added 13 points and six assists.
 
Kentucky took an early 10-5 lead with 5:34 to go in the first quarter after a three-pointer by Saniah Tyler. Samford fought back to cut the lead to 20-17 with 43 seconds left in the first period after a free throw by Langham. A late Kentucky free throw made the score 21-17 at the end of the quarter.
 
Samford scored the first nine points of the second quarter to take a 26-21 lead with 4:19 to go in the period following a three-pointer by Marchbanks. Kentucky scored the next five points to knot the score at 26-26 at the 3:05 mark in the second quarter following a layup by Petty. Kentucky took a 32-30 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.
 
Kentucky opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run to push its lead to 39-30 with 8:25 left in the quarter after a layup by Petty. After Samford cut the lead to 39-34, the Wildcats scored the next five points to take a 10-point lead at 44-34 with 5:57 left in the third period after a free throw by Petty. Samford fought back to close to within four points at 44-40 with 4:17 left in the quarter after a jumper by Langham. Kentucky held a 50-44 lead at the end of the third quarter.
 
After Samford cut the lead to 50-46 early in the final period, Kentucky went on a 12-0 run to take a 62-46 lead with 4:34 to go after a jumper by Emma King. Samford cut the lead to 12 points at 68-56, but the Bulldogs could get no closer as Kentucky finished with the 72-59 win.
 
Samford will play its final non-conference game of the 2023-24 season when the Bulldogs play host to Cumberland on Friday, Jan. 5. The game is set for a 6 p.m. start from the Pete Hanna Center.




 
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