The No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats had an exceptional start to their SEC season on Thursday night, achieving a dominant 91-69 victory over Mississippi State. The Wildcats set a new record by making 18 three-pointers, surpassing the former record of 16 set in 2020. A significant moment came when Georgia Amoore hit a three-pointer, boosting Kentucky’s lead to 83-62 with 4:40 left on the clock. Amoore finished with seven threes and a season-high 27 points.
Senior Dazia Lawrence also contributed significantly, hitting a three-pointer that extended Kentucky’s lead to 72-53 with about nine minutes remaining. She ended the game with a team-high 28 points, shooting 7-for-11 from beyond the arc, which was her personal best for the season.
As a whole, Kentucky excelled with 18 out of 33 shots made from three-point range and successfully converted 21 of their 25 free throws, never falling behind in their conference opener. Since their only defeat to then-No. 16 North Carolina, the Wildcats have won five consecutive games, scoring at least 80 points in each.
Despite shooting just 29.6% from three-point range for the season prior to this game, Thursday’s performance was a refreshing change. For Kentucky (12-1, 1-0 SEC) to remain a serious contender in the challenging SEC, they will need to continue achieving balanced scoring and maintain the level of shooting they displayed against the Bulldogs.
