LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Clara Strack delivered a dominant performance with 18 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks, while Tonie Morgan tied a program record by dishing out 16 assists to go along with 11 points, leading No. 23 Kentucky to a commanding 90-30 victory over South Carolina Upstate on Wednesday night.
Morgan set the assist record when she found Amelia Hassett for a 3-pointer with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, tying Patty Jo Hedges’ mark from 1982 and capping the scoring in a 60-point blowout.
South Carolina Upstate’s 30 points were the fewest allowed by Kentucky since 2015, when Jackson State finished with 24. Hassett led Kentucky with 20 points, while Asia Boone added 12 off the bench. Jordan Obi scored 12, and Teonni Key contributed 10 points.
Strack, coming off a career-high 27 points in her homecoming game at Buffalo, was highly efficient, going 8 of 12 from the field.
For South Carolina Upstate (1-3), Cassie Gallagher was the only starter to score, finishing with a team-high seven points. The Spartans started with 11 points in the first quarter but were held to single digits in every quarter thereafter.
Kentucky (4-0) dominated early, outscoring USC Upstate 21-4 in the second quarter to take a 46-15 lead at halftime. Strack secured a double-double in the first half with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Hassett added 10 points of her own.
In the third quarter, Kentucky used two separate 10-0 runs to extend the lead to 71-22, as South Carolina Upstate managed just seven points in the frame.
Looking ahead, South Carolina Upstate returns home to face South Carolina State on Monday, while Kentucky visits Marshall on Saturday.
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