Benharouga Scores 17, but Eagles Fall at SEC Foe Kentucky

BOX SCORE

LEXINGTON, KY --The Morehead State women's basketball team got a 33-point showing from the bench, but fell 73-48 to the Kentucky Wildcats on the road Friday.

Sophie Benharouga led all scorers with 17 points and seven rebounds. Crystal Corley added two points and nine rebounds and Sandra Lin helped out with five points and four steals.

Morehead State out-rebounded Kentucky 38-27 in Friday's game, led by Corley's nine boards. The Eagles also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and scored 14 second chance points. The defense also picked up 11 steals and forced the Wildcats into 18 turnovers. 

Next up, the Eagles head to Richmond for a rivalry matchup with EKU Sunday with tip-off slated 6:00 p.m. 

How It Happened

Morehead State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 17-6 at the end of the first quarter, but settled into the game in the second quarter, where defensive pressure kept them within one point of the Wildcats. 

The Eagles continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 26-14 halftime deficit.

Kentucky continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 44-16 advantage before Morehead State went on a 9-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Hallie Rhodes, to trim its deficit to 44-25 with 4:10 to go in the third. Kentucky countered and stretched its lead to 54-27 heading into the fourth. Morehead State took advantage of six Kentucky turnovers in the quarter, scoring four points off of takeaways.

Kentucky kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 63-32 advantage before Morehead State went on a 7-0 run, finished off by Isabel Gonzalez's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 63-39 with 4:18 to go in the contest. Kentucky responded and outscored the Eagles the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 73-48. Morehead State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 21 points in the paint.