LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Jennifer O'Neill and Makayla Epps combined for 22 second-half points and No. 13 Kentucky made 27 free throws to defeat No. 2 South Carolina 67-56 on Sunday and deny the Gamecocks an unbeaten season in SEC play.
The Wildcats shot 32 percent from the field but succeeded in getting to the free-throw line and converting 27 of 35 chances for their biggest victory this season. They also left the Gamecocks tied with Tennessee atop the SEC, although South Carolina earned the No. 1 seed for this week's conference tournament in North Little Rock by beating the Volunteers last week.
Epps led the way with 8-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line and scored 14 points. O'Neill went 7 of 8 and had 15 points, capping a strong effort by Kentucky's seniors in their home finale.
Azia Bishop had 11 points and nine rebounds. Bria Goss added six points for Kentucky (21-8, 10-6).
A'ja Wilson scored 16 points for South Carolina (27-2, 15-1), which also shot 32 percent thanks to a slew of missed layups.
The Gamecocks hurt themselves with 20 turnovers that led to 19 points for Kentucky, especially several down the stretch that thwarted their comeback attempt.
South Carolina managed to make it interesting after trailing 51-30 in the second half.
Aleighsa Welch's three-point play and consecutive three-pointers by Toni Roy helped spur a rally that pulled the Gamecocks to within 53-46 with 6 1/2 minutes left. But South Carolina couldn't make the easy basket it needed while Kentucky took advantage of its many chances at the line, making 10 of 11 down the stretch to close out the victory.
The Wildcats avoided a season sweep and thwarted the Gamecocks' bid for their second consecutive victory in Lexington. Kentucky also won its sixth consecutive senior day game, just the lift it needed after an up-and-down stretch run that featured a three-game losing streak.
Last Monday's loss to Mississippi was especially costly and led to a visit by the Wildcats' seniors to Coach Matthew Mitchell's house to voice concerns. The meeting resulted in more energy than Kentucky had shown over the past month.
Physical play defined the first 10 minutes, which featured more fouls (10) than baskets (seven). South Carolina particularly struggled in missing 10 of its first 11 attempts, although Kentucky was only slightly better at 3 of 19 from the field.
Both teams ended up shooting 9 of 31 in the half (29 percent), but Kentucky scraped out a 27-22 lead by forcing 11 South Carolina turnovers that led to nine points. The Wildcats also went 8 of 12 from the free-throw line, with most coming during their 15-6 run over the final 6 minutes that included a three-pointer by Kyvin Goodin-Rogers.
Kentucky began the second half with even more intensity, going on a 24-7 run for a 51-29 lead that appeared safe. South Carolina was 1 of 11 from the floor.
Sports on 03/02/2015