Tennessee Lady Vols basketball vs. Kentucky: Scouting report, score prediction
Lady Vols basketball has one last regular-season game.
Tennessee (20-10, 12-3 SEC) faces Kentucky (10-17, 2-13) on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Memorial Coliseum. The Lady Vols are coming off a loss to No. 1 South Carolina at home. The Wildcats are looking to bounce back from a road loss to Texas A&M that ties them with the Aggies at the bottom of the SEC standings.
Here's what you need to know about the matchup:
GOOD GAUGE: South Carolina was the measuring stick – here's where Lady Vols basketball has to improve
LADY VOLS RECRUITING: Lady Vols commit Finley Chastain could change women's basketball – and she's only in 8th grade
LADY VOLS GREATS: Why Chamique Holdsclaw, Abby Conklin believe in Kellie Harper as Lady Vols coach
Kentucky has had players in and out
The Wildcats have struggled this season. But their recent SEC stretch has been made more difficult by having players in and out of the lineup.
Maddie Scherr missed Kentucky's losses to Georgia and Vanderbilt because of illness, and leading scorer Robyn Benton missed the Georgia game because of an ankle injury. Both players have returned, but Kentucky lost Nyah Leveretter because of a torn ACL against Vanderbilt. Freshman Kennedy Cambridge hasn't played since Georgia due to coach's decision and illness.
Sunday is also Kentucky's senior day, and it will be an emotional game with fifth-year seniors Blair Green and Benton saying goodbye.
Where Kentucky focuses its offense
Kentucky runs its offense through its guards, and Benton averages 16.6 points per game. Sophomore point guard Jada Walker is right behind her at 12.6 points and Scherr averages 10.7.
All three shoot over 30% from 3-point range and Green has hit 27 3-pointers at 28% shooting. Kentucky gets 20.2% of its scoring from behind the arc.
The Wildcats don't get much production from their post players, and Scherr actually leads the team in rebounding as a guard. With Tennessee's size, it should dominate the paint and rebounding battle.
A chance to polish, gain confidence
Tennessee competed with the undefeated Gamecocks on Thursday, making a late-game push to come within eight points in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Vols have to be more disciplined in multiple areas, like boxing out on every possession and moving the ball better to create their best opportunities. South Carolina showed Tennessee exactly what it needs to work on to make a run in March.
Against one of the teams at the bottom of the SEC, Tennessee needs to be sharp and bring home a confidence-boosting win.
Score prediction
Tennessee 84, Kentucky 65: Before South Carolina, Tennessee was steamrolling teams offensively. I don't expect Thursday's loss to the best defense in the country to change that, especially with time running out for the Lady Vols to prepare themselves for March.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols basketball vs. Kentucky: Scouting report, score prediction
