‘Designed for Eniya.’ Russell caps career night with game-winner for UK women’s basketball.

Boston College’s Dontavia Waggoner stepped to the free throw line with 10 seconds to play, her team trailing Kentucky by a point in Thursday night’s ACC/SEC Challenge basketball game at Transylvania University in Lexington.

She made her first free throw but missed the second. Kentucky senior Eniya Russell secured the defensive rebound and head coach Kyra Elzy called timeout with the score tied at 81.

On a night where Russell came off the bench and delivered a career game, it wasn’t a question of who would take the shot to try to break the Wildcats’ five-game losing skid, it was a question of how.

“The play was designed for Eniya,” Elzy said. “We wanted to run a clear-out action, let her go downhill. Thought she had been aggressive in the paint all night, making the right read. Either making the pass or finishing around the rim.”

Out of the timeout, the Wildcats took their time — attempting to shave as many seconds as possible to prevent a Boston College buzzer-beater. Russell received a pass from Brooklynn Miles at the top of the three-point arc, spinning away from a defender lunging to steal it. With the right side of the floor now clear of defenders, Russell used her speed to make a beeline to the basket. By the time Boston College’s help defense arrived, Russell had laid in the game-winning basket with four-tenths of a second to go. The Eagles could not make good on their final possession, and Kentucky held on for a badly needed 83-81 victory as the 910 fans in attendance at the Clive M. Beck Center erupted.

Russell said the winning play was familiar, something Elzy has the wings run during offensive review in practices.

“So that was something I was comfortable with,” Russell said. “And I had confidence in my team around me, letting me know that I can get the job done. Nothing new for me.”

Elzy said Ajae Petty, with whom Russell grew up playing basketball in Baltimore, told Russell ahead of the winning basket that, even if the ball didn’t go in, she’d be right there to put it back up. Petty said it’s easy to play alongside Russell and use their chemistry to the team’s advantage.

“When we first started playing together I couldn’t catch her passes,” Petty said, laughing. “It was so crazy, but it’s just when you play with someone for such a long time, you know their tendencies and you just know what they’re gonna do.”

Russell finished with a career-high 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. She led UK in scoring for the second time this season and reached double figures for the fourth time. Russell also grabbed four defensive rebounds, dished a career high-tying four assists and accounted for two of the Wildcats’ 10 steals.

Petty added 17 points, eight rebounds and one block as Kentucky improved to 3-5 and helped its conference achieve a 7-7 tie in the two-night Challenge between the SEC and the ACC.

A short-handed win

After a more-than-difficult trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands for the 2023 Paradise Jam last week, during which UK dropped three straight games by at least 24 points, the Wildcats returned to Lexington looking for a bright spot. And, for Thursday’s game — the program’s first time ever facing Boston College — Kentucky’s depth chart was even thinner than usual.

Ahead of tipoff, UK Athletics released a statement saying sophomores Amiya Jenkins and Zennia Thomas would be unavailable. Jenkins, who Elzy later clarified is day-to-day, is dealing with a shoulder injury. Thomas, however, is suspended indefinitely “for a disciplinary matter that is being handled internally.” Elzy did not provide further detail when asked after the game.

Kentucky took the court with nine available players, only seven of whom saw action, with the 6-foot-3 Petty the only post player in the group.

“We weren’t going to play perfect,” Elzy said. “We were going to make some defensive mistakes, but just fly around and make plays and they did that. You know, we talked about our littles. I was like, ‘Listen, you just gotta get down there and battle. We’re gonna try to bring you some help. Make them score over you, make them make tough shots.’ And we had just enough stops to win so we’ll take it.”

In addition to Russell and Petty, two other Wildcats scored in double figures. Tyler added 11 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals. Maddie Scherr contributed 13 points, two rebounds, three assists and two blocks before she exited the game with a head injury late in the third quarter after a hard fall on defense. She did not return.

After Boston College (3-5) ended the first quarter with a four-point advantage, it was Scherr and Russell who shouldered a lot of the offensive weight to keep the Wildcats in it. Scherr gave UK its one-point lead at halftime after scoring nine points in the final five minutes of the second quarter.

“It’s always devastating to see Maddie or any other player go down,” Elzy said. “Our medical staff will continue to evaluate her. Haven’t had a chance to see her and we’re praying for a great verdict there.”

UK also benefited from the grit and hustle of starters Miles and Emma King, each of whom scored nine points. Miles, who Elzy described as “steady and tough,” added one rebound, one block, four steals and a game-high six assists. King, who Elzy praised for her versatility and toughness, finished with a career-high seven rebounds, plus three assists and one block.

Five Eagles scored in double figures, led by Waggoner and T’yana Todd with 16 points each. JoJo Lacey contributed 15 points, including three baskets from long range. Andrea Daley and Teya Sidberry added 14 points each.

Kentucky finished with five season highs: 51.6 percent shooting from the field, 50 percent from three-point range, 19 assists, 10 steals and five blocked shots.

ACC/SEC Challenge

After losing four of Wednesday’s five opening-night games in the ACC/SEC Challenge, the Southeastern Conference bounced back by winning six of Thursday’s nine contests.

Just like in the inaugural men’s ACC/SEC Challenge earlier this week, that left the women’s competition tied 7-7.

Eleven of the 28 teams that participated were ranked in this week’s Associated Press Top 25. Of those teams, six were defeated — No. 9 Virginia Tech, No. 15 Florida State, No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 20 Tennessee, No. 21 Mississippi State, No. 24 North Carolina.

Nine of the 14 games were decided by less than 10 points, including two that went to overtime. Top-ranked South Carolina escaped Thursday night with a 64-58 win over No. 24 North Carolina.

ACC/SEC Challenge scores

Wednesday

▪ No. 5 North Carolina State 70, Vanderbilt 62

▪ No. 18 Notre Dame 74, No. 20 Tennessee 69

▪ No. 22 Louisville 64, No. 19 Ole Miss 58

▪ Miami 74, No. 21 Mississippi State 68

▪ Florida 68, Georgia Tech 58

Thursday

▪ No. 1 South Carolina 65, No. 24 North Carolina 58

▪ No. 7 LSU 82, No. 9 Virginia Tech 64

▪ Arkansas 71, No. 15 Florida State 58

▪ Duke 72, Georgia 65 (OT)

▪ Virginia 87, Missouri 81 (OT)

▪ Syracuse 79, Alabama 73

▪ Auburn 83, Clemson 53

▪ Texas A&M 81, Wake Forest 57

▪ Kentucky 83, Boston College 81

UK’s next game

Tennessee Tech at Kentucky

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

Where: Transylvania’s Clive M. Beck Center in Lexington

TV: SEC Network+ (online only)

Radio: WLAP-AM 630

Records: Tennessee Tech 2-4, Kentucky 3-5

Series: Kentucky leads 9-6

Last meeting: Kentucky won 82-54 on Dec. 3, 2017, in Lexington