Kentucky Women’s Hoops Delivers Statement Win Over Ole Miss Behind Strack’s Dominance
If Kentucky needed a signature win to stay in the NCAA Tournament hosting conversation, they just got it - and then some.
The No. 18 Wildcats put together one of their most complete performances of the season Sunday, taking down No.
14 Ole Miss 74-57 in Memorial Coliseum. The victory didn’t just boost Kentucky’s postseason résumé - it showcased what this team is capable of when firing on all cylinders, especially with a healthy roster and a surging Clara Strack.
A Second-Quarter Surge That Changed Everything
The turning point came in the second quarter, when Kentucky uncorked a 19-0 run that completely flipped the game. Ole Miss, known for its physicality and rebounding prowess, suddenly found itself scrambling. The Rebels missed 16 of 17 shots in the quarter, and by halftime, Kentucky led 39-20 - a cushion that proved too much for Ole Miss to erase, even after trimming the deficit to six in the fourth.
That second-quarter stretch wasn’t just about shot-making - it was about energy, execution, and a team playing with purpose. Kentucky dictated the pace, locked in defensively, and capitalized on every Ole Miss misstep. It was the kind of basketball that turns a solid team into a dangerous one come March.
Clara Strack: The Focal Point
Clara Strack was the engine behind it all. The sophomore forward delivered a monster performance: 28 points, 9 rebounds, and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. Strack’s timing was impeccable - especially in the fourth quarter when Ole Miss cut the lead to six and momentum started to shift.
That’s when she rattled off eight straight points to slam the door shut.
“She’s not a conventional big,” head coach Kenny Brooks said. “She doesn’t have to live on the block to make an impact. We’ve been emphasizing all week that good things happen when we get her the ball - and today, she delivered.”
Strack shot 11-for-23 from the field, and her ability to stretch the floor, hit tough fadeaways, and finish through contact gave Ole Miss fits. Even Rebels head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin had to tip her cap.
“She took over,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Her fadeaway is tough to defend. She just willed them to a win.”
Strack also benefited from the return of Teonni Key, who recently came back from an elbow injury. With Key back in the rotation, Strack was able to focus on her own role rather than trying to fill two. That clarity showed in her play.
Tonie Morgan: Orchestrating the Offense
Point guard Tonie Morgan added 14 points and nine assists, continuing her stellar season as Kentucky’s floor general. Before tipoff, she was honored for setting a new UK single-season assists record - and then she went out and controlled the tempo like a seasoned vet.
Morgan was efficient, going 6-for-9 from the field, and although she committed six turnovers, her ability to steady the offense and make plays in transition was a difference-maker. McPhee-McCuin called her “pretty special,” and it’s hard to argue with that assessment.
Asia Boone also chipped in with 15 points, knocking down four triples and spacing the floor beautifully alongside Strack.
Battling on the Boards
Rebounding was always going to be a key storyline - especially after last season’s loss to Ole Miss, when the Rebels pulled down a staggering 27 offensive boards. This time around, Ole Miss still won the rebounding battle 37-33 and grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, but Kentucky limited the damage, allowing just 11 second-chance points.
“We held them to 18,” Brooks said with a grin. “It felt like 115, but that’s what they do.
You’ve got to understand your opponent. They were playing desperate in the second half, and we weathered that.”
Kentucky matched Ole Miss’s physicality and didn’t let the rebounding battle dictate the game. That’s a sign of growth - and a team learning from past mistakes.
Energy, Identity, and Momentum
Strack credited the team’s recent emphasis on energy - in practice, in games, and in how they support each other - as a major factor in the win.
“We’ve been bringing energy every day, and it’s starting to carry over,” she said. “We celebrate each other, and the crowd feeds off that.
Then we feed off the crowd. It’s a cycle.”
And on Sunday, that cycle was in full force. Memorial Coliseum was buzzing, and the Wildcats fed off that home-court advantage to deliver one of their most complete efforts of the season.
Looking Ahead
Kentucky now sits at 20-7 overall and 7-6 in the SEC, currently eighth in the conference standings. But with games remaining against Vanderbilt, Auburn, and South Carolina - two of whom are projected No. 1 seeds - there’s still plenty of opportunity to climb.
This win could help Kentucky slide back into a No. 4 seed territory, which would mean hosting rights for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. But more importantly, it showed that this team is rounding into form at just the right time.
“We dug ourselves a hole earlier in SEC play,” Brooks said. “But our kids never wavered.
Their preparation, their attitude - it never changed. I said I didn’t like where we were, but I liked where we were going.
And this week, they proved me right.”
Kentucky has now won two straight and is starting to look like the team nobody wants to see in March. If they keep this up, that early-season adversity might end up being the foundation for something special.