Kentucky Wildcats forward Amelia Hassett (32) blocks a shot by Arkansas Razorbacks guard Taleyah Jones (10) during a first-round game in the SEC women’s basketball tournament at Bon Secour Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Clara Strack had 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, Amelia Hassett made six 3-pointers for 18 points, and No. 17 Kentucky opened the SEC women’s basketball tournament with a 94-64 win over Arkansas in Greenville, South Carolina, on Wednesday.
The Wildcats (22-9) were seeded No. 9 in the competitive SEC but cruised through their opener against 16th-seeded Arkansas (12-20). They led 29-10 after one quarter, and even though the Razorbacks cut the halftime deficit to 42-33, a lopsided third quarter allowed Kentucky to go up by as many as 36 points in the fourth.
Tony Morgan had 14 points and 10 assists and Jordan Obi had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Kentucky. Teonni Key had 12 points and Asia Boone added 10. Kentucky controlled the boards 52-27, resulting in 17 second-chance points.
Taleyah Jones scored a game-high 21 points to pace Arkansas. Bonnie Deas added 10 points and eight boards before fouling out.
Florida 86, Mississippi State 68
Liv McGill and Me’Arah O’Neal each scored 22 points and the 12th-seeded Gators never trailed against the 13th-seeded Bulldogs.
McGill edged closer to triple-double territory, adding 10 assists and seven rebounds, while O’Neal canned four of six 3-point attempts for Florida (18-14). An early 12-2 run gave the Gators a double-digit lead, and they never took their foot off the gas from there.
Favor Nwaedozi had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Destiney McPhaul also had 12 points for Mississippi State (18-13). The Bulldogs held Florida to 50 percent shooting overall, while the Gators also benefited from 22-of-28 free throw shooting.
–Field level media
