Junior guard Maci Morris drives to the basket vs. Louisville earlier this season. Morris led the Wildcats with 22 points in a 74-70 loss at Texas A&M on Thursday night. (Photo by Keyli Chisesi, Go Big Blue Country).
Kentucky junior guard Maci Morris matched a season high with 22 points but it wasn’t enough to outlast No. 19 Texas A&M on the road in College Station. The Aggies shot 47 percent from the field and 53 percent from three-point range to top Kentucky, 74-70.
Matthew Mitchell has been concerned about his teams rebounding effort and the Aggies controlled the glass 34-27. Texas A&M was led in scoring by Khaalia Hillsman, who scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Much of the Aggies three-point success came from Danni Williams, who knocked down 5-of-8 attempts from long range to finish with 19 points.
Overall, Kentucky played much better but it wasn’t enough to prevent their losing streak from reaching seven games. The last time Kentucky emerged victoriously was December 5th vs. Evansville but you can’t place any blame on Maci Morris.
Morris has carried the Wildcats all season but has recently taken her play to another level. The junior hit 9-of-18 shot attempts in 38 minutes of action on Thursday night while chipping in 4 assists and three rebounds.
The Wildcats also got a solid performance from junior Makenzie Cann, who had struggled with her shot in recent games. After shooting 1-of-8 in a loss to Tennessee on Sunday, Cann bounced back with 14 points, including a 4-of-8 performance from three-point range.
Coach Mitchell has to be pleased with his team’s effort. For the first time in a month, it felt like the team was competitive. With that being said, Kentucky needs a lift from junior guard Taylor Murray. Murray has been in a slump during the Wildcats losing streak and she struggled from the floor again on Thursday, hitting only 3-of-9 shots for 7 points.
If you look at the stat sheet, Kentucky shot 44 percent from the floor, 90 percent from the free throw line, and only committed nine turnovers. Yet, they were unable to pull out a victory on the road. If they can sustain that effort moving forward, they can right the ship and start winning some games in the SEC.
Kentucky will look to end their seven-game losing streak when they take on Georgia at Memorial Coliseum on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET.
