Tag: Clara Strack

Kentucky women blowout Queens in a return to form

Kentucky women’s basketball got a blowout victory over Queens on Monday night.

The Kentucky women’s basketball team lost to North Carolina in their last outing, and didn’t look like the same team from November. The Tarheels dominated the matchup from start to finish, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the year.

On Monday night, Kentucky faced Queens University in a game that was expected to be one-sided, and it turned out that way. The Cats led 52 – 18 at the half, and coasted in the second half to a 87 – 45 victory.

Related: Kentucky gets a huge victory over Gonzaga on Saturday

Georgia Amoore led the way for Kentucky, with 20 points and 4 assists. Emerging star Clara Strack added 16 points and 6 rebounds, while Amelia Hassett posted 19 points. Teonni Key had a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards.

Up next for Kentucky is the Purdue Boilermakers out of the Big Ten. They are 5 – 4 this season and coming off a loss to Maryland.

The Wildcats are now 8 – 1 on the season, and hopefully are back on track after a bounce back victory.

Kentucky center Clara Strack is one of the game’s rising stars

Kentucky center Clara Strack has been a star for the Wildcats so far this season.

When Kenny Brooks was hired as the new head coach of Kentucky women’s basketball, one of his first moves was to bring over a couple of his former players at Virginia Tech. Star point guard Georgia Amoore was the headliner, but Clara Strack decided to join her former coach as well.

Strack was a top 100 recruit, and rated four stars out of high schools. She chose Virginia Tech and Coach Brooks.

As a Freshman, Strack didn’t start, but did show flashes of what she could do. She averaged 4.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and more than a block per game during the regular season.

Related: Kentucky prepares to face tough December schedule

Forced into a starting role for the NCAA Tournament, she showed her potential, averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the two postseason games.

This season, she earned the starting center job for the Wildcats, and has been terrific to say the least. Through seven games, she is averaging 18 points, 11, rebounds, 4 assists, and nearly 3 blocks per game.

She has recorded a double-double four times, and has scored 20 points or more three times, including the two games that earned her the MVP award at the Music City Classic.

Strack has been a huge part of a Wildcats defense that is one of the nation’s best, and her offensive game has developed nicely. She is one of the key’s to the team’s early success for sure and is a star in the making. By the end of the season, she could find herself named among the country’s elite.

Kentucky center Clara Strack named Music City Classic MVP

Kentucky center Clara Strack was named the Music City Classic MVP.

Clara Strack has been hooping all season. Thus far, the Kentucky women’s basketball center has averaged a double-double, putting up 18.3 points and 11 rebounds per game.

That’s momentum she carried into the Thanksgiving break, as the Wildcat big was named MVP of the Music City Classic in Nashville.

The 14th-ranked Wildcats ran through the six-team tournament, finishing 2-0. Kentucky beat Arizona State 77-61 on Tuesday and wiped 19th ranked Illinois 76-53 the following day.

Related: Five things Kentucky fans should be thankful for

“You’ve gotta come play every day,” Strack said after the win against Illinois. “We knew this was going to be a really big game for us. We knew this could be another statement game for us, so I think we all just came to play.”

No individual was better than Strack, the 19-year-old transfer from Virginia Tech. The 6’5″ center averaged 24.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3 assists and two blocks per game in Nashville. She had a double-double in each game, bringing her season tally up to four in just seven contests.

Strack’s pick-and-roll teammate, senior point guard Georgia Amoore, was named to the Music City Classic All-Tournament Team as well. And like Strack, Amoore had a strong run in both games as well, averaging 14 points, 8.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per contest.

Kentucky dominated the fourth quarter to pull away from Illinois

Kentucky women dominate in the fourth quarter to beat Illinois on Wednesday night.

After defeating Arizona State on Tuesday night, the Kentucky women’s basketball team had to face a ranked Illinois team on Wednesday at the Music City Classic. Illinois, like the Wildcats, came into the game without a loss. Kentucky would hand them their first.

Illinois jumped out to a lead in the first quarter after closing it on a 7 – 0 run. Kentucky would tie it before halftime, however, and it would be 28 – 28 at the break.

Related: Kentucky men defeats Western Kentucky

The Cats would lead by six after three, and it would be a four-point game early in the fourth. Kentucky would then heat up.

In the fourth quarter, the Wildcats would outscore Illinois 26 – 9 and pull away. The final would be 76 – 53.

Clara Strack was the star of the game and posted another double-double with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Teonni Key also had a double-double with 12 and 10. Georgia Amoore struggle shooting the ball, but did dish out 8 assists. Dazia Lawrence scored 15 points.

Kentucky’s next game is a big one. The Cats take on North Carolina in the SEC/ACC Challenge on December fifth.

Kentucky women beat Arizona State behind a Clara Strack double-double

Kentucky women’s basketball got a win over Arizona State behind another big night from Clara Strack.

Sophomore center Clara Strack has been terrific for Kentucky women’s basketball so far this season, and had another huge game on Tuesday. She posted a double-double as the Wildcats downed Arizona State 77 – 61.

Strack led the way for the Cats with 24 points and 10 rebounds, but preseason All-SEC point guard Georgia Amoore also had a big day with 20 points and 9 assists. Teonni Key also recdorded a double-double, with 16 points and 13 boards.

Related: Kentucky ranked 8th in new coaches poll

Kentucky jumped out to a 42 – 23 halftime lead, and looked like they would run away with it. Arizona State battled back in the third quarter, though, outscoring the Cats 23 – 15 in the third quarter. The lead was single digits in the fourth quarter, but Kentucky pulled away late and held on for the win.

Coach Kenny Brooks’ squad is now 6 – 0 on the season. They’ll get another test on Wednesday, when they take on Illinois, who is currently ranked 19th in the nation.

Kentucky women’s basketball goes to 2 – 0 with another blowout win

Kentucky women’s basketball blows out Northern Kentucky 70 – 41 on Thursday night.

On Thursday night, coach Kenny Brooks and the Kentucky women’s basketball team played their second game of the new era. After dominating SC Upstate 98 – 43, the Wildcats faced off against Northern Kentucky, and it was another convincing win.

Kentucky started slow, and only led by six points halfway through the second quarter. They pulled ahead by 13 at the half, though, closing things out on a 10 – 3 run, including a Georgia Amoore three-pointer with eight seconds left.

Related: Georgia Amoore named a top 100 player by ESPN

The second half, particularly the fourth quarter, belonged to the Cats. In the final quarter, Kentucky outscored NKU 17 – 6, and the game’s final would be 70 – 41.

Freshman Clara Silva led the Wildcats in scoring with 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Center Clara Strack was also strong once again. She was just short of a triple-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists. Georgia Amoore had 13 points and 8 assists.

The 2 – 0 Wildcats will take on Wofford next. That will take place on November 12th at 6:00 PM ET.

Clara Strack shines as Kentucky women’s basketball opens the season with a win

Kentucky women’s basketball begins their season with a win over SC Upstate 98 – 43.

Mark Pope wasn’t the only new Kentucky coach to make his debut on Monday. Kenny Brooks began his career as the Kentucky women’s basketball coach as well, and his team was equally impressive against SC Upstate, winning 98 – 43.

All eyes were on Georgia Amoore, the All-SEC point guard, and she played as well as expected, with 11 points and 10 assists. She added six rebounds as well, and was the leader on the floor.

Related: Georgia Amoore named a top 100 player by ESPN

The other Virginia Tech transfer, Clara Strack, was the star of the game, however. The Sophomore was 7-of-11 from the floor and scored 22 points to lead the Wildcats. She also had six rebounds.

In all, five of Kentucky’s players scored in double figures. Defensively, they held SC Upstate to just 29% shooting, and no player in double digits in points.

Kentucky will play Northern Kentucky next. That will be on November seventh at 6:00 PM.

Georgia Amoore and Clara Strack transfer to Kentucky to follow Kenny Brooks

Kentucky women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks lands transfers Georgia Amoore and Clara Strack

New Kentucky Wildcats women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks didn’t take long to begin making his mark on the team. On Thursday, former Virginia Tech players Georgia Amoore and Clara Strack announced they will be joining their former coach in Lexington.

Amoore was one of the nation’s best players last season, averaging 18.8 points and 6.8 assists per game. She was honored as a third-team All-American as well as first-team All-ACC. Her ability to both score and pass made her one of the best transfer signings of the year.

Strack is a 6’5″ center who was a Freshman with the Hokies last season. A former top 100 recruit, she averaged 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game off the bench. However, in the NCAA Tournament, she averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, along with 3 blocks in two games as a starter.

Both players chose to follow Brooks from Virginia Tech to Kentucky, and both will likely figure heavily into the team’s plans next season. They’re great additions to the team, and fans should be excited to have them.

The Kenny Brooks era has only just begun, but it’s off to a great start, and things should only get better.