“We’re going down to win it.” Kentucky women’s basketball ready for SEC Tournament

Georgia Amoore versus USC.
Credit- UK Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW)- Kenny Brooks’ first SEC Tournament at the helm of Kentucky women’s basketball is a few days away and his team is ready for an environment that’s brand new for most of them as well.

All tournament games are played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina which has an atmosphere that Brooks thinks resembles that of March Madness neutral site games.

“We know the intensity. We know the people who are going to be in that building,” said Brooks. “It’s going to be pretty big time. The SEC is stacked and we’re glad we’re a part of that.”

Know Your Opponents

Kentucky has a double-bye in the conference tournament and plays on Friday at 2:30 p.m. against either Georgia, Arkansas or Oklahoma. The Bulldogs and the Razorbacks play each other on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. for a chance to down the Sooners the next day at the same time.

UK has played each of those teams at least once this season and is 4-0 in those games.

UK against the Dawgs, Hogs and Sooners

• January 19- UK 78-64 Georgia
• January 26- UK 89-69 Arkansas
• February 2- UK 95-86 Oklahoma
• February 16- UK 84-55 Georgia

“(Playing SEC teams another time in the tournament) takes away the surprise element,” said Brooks. “It helps you out. We have a good feel for them and they’re probably saying the same thing.”

Brooks’ team plays the second game of four quarterfinals on Friday. If the Cats win against their opponent a matchup with either fellow quarterfinalist South Carolina, single-bye side Vanderbilt, Tennessee or Texas A&M awaits on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Versus that first portion of the bracket, UK is 2-2 this season.

UK’s record versus the Gamecocks, Dores, Lady Vols and Aggies

• January 5- UK 96-78 Vanderbilt
• January 23 UK 55-61 TAMU
• February 27- UK 82-58 Tennessee
• March 2- UK 66-78 USC

Been There. Done That.

Kentucky has two players, veteran guards Cassidy Rowe and Saniah Tyler, who have played in the conference tournament before. They’ve both told their teammates what to expect.

“The atmosphere is going to be great. We’ve seen a lot of big crowds thus far so we’re prepared for it,” said Tyler

“We’re really looking forward to going down there and making a run,” said Rowe

UK has won the tourney twice with the most recent win in 2022. Then, Kyra Elzy’s Cats knocked off No. 1 South Carolina to win the conference crown for the first time since 1982.

While some teams may use the tournament for resting players to get ready for the NCAA Tournament, Brooks isn’t buying into any of that.

“We’re going to take it one game at a time,” said Brooks. “We feel like we have a chance so we’re going down there putting our best foot forward. If we do that we give ourselves a chance to win. We’re going down to win it.”

The Right Mentality

Brooks has mentioned his teams’ mental lapses in games that have torpedoed its chances at taking down top ten opponents this SEC season.

Against LSU, Kentucky led by 12 points at halftime, but ended up giving up that lead and then some in the third quarter. UK fell 65-58 to the Tigers.

Redshirt senior guard Dazia Lawrence says the team knows their mistakes are easy fixes because everything is within their control.

“It’s very encouraging to know that we’re right there,” said Lawrence. “Our energy, effort and attitude haven’t been consistent. We can fix that and have a consistent, positive energy, effort and attitude.”

The Wildcats are also close to knocking off SEC giants when it comes to executing on the court too.

“We were a couple plays away from beating LSU and beating South Carolina,” said senior Georgia Amoore. “It’s exciting. We have a second shot at facing two of them the way it’s lined up.”