Kentucky basketball holds on vs Liberty in Women's March Madness, advances to second round
LEXINGTON — Fourth-seeded Kentucky women's basketball added to its impressive first season under Kenny Brooks, holding off Liberty for a first-round NCAA Tournament victory, 79-78, at Memorial Coliseum.
The Wildcats (23-7) improved to 3-1 all-time against the Flames, beating them in the first round of March Madness for a second time. With the win, Kentucky advanced the second round of the Big Dance for the first time since 2021. The Wildcats will return to their home court on Sunday to face the winner of Friday afternoon's matchup between 5-seed Kansas State and 12-seed Fairfield.
UK was led by veteran guard Georgia Amoore, who finished the first half with 23 points en route to a game-high 34. With Amoore adding eight assists, she's now three shy of setting a new single-season program record.
Clara Strack, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was a force in the paint, with 10 rebounds and two blocks in the victory before fouling out.
Liberty was led by Emma Hess, who had a team-high 17 points, as the Flames dropped to 2-18 all-time in NCAA Tournament games.
Brooks is now 11-3 against Liberty and its longtime coach, Carey Green. Brooks went 7-2 against the Flames during his time leading James Madison and recorded a 3-1 record versus Green as Virginia Tech's head coach.
Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky vs Liberty in Women's March Madness: Georgia Amoore shines
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