Clara Strack scores 28 as No. 18 Kentucky women beat No. 14 Ole Miss

Tonie Morgan adds 14 points and 9 assists for the Wildcats

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Clara Strack scored 28 points and grabbed 9 rebounds to lead No. 18 Kentucky to a 74-57 victory over No. 14 Ole Miss on Sunday. Tonie Morgan chipped in 14 points and 9 assists for the Wildcats, who never trailed in the game despite a late push by the Rebels.

Why it matters

This was an important SEC matchup between two ranked women's basketball teams. The win keeps Kentucky in the hunt for a top-4 seed in the SEC tournament, while Ole Miss missed an opportunity to move up in the conference standings.

The details

Strack scored 8 consecutive points late in the fourth quarter to help Kentucky pull away after Ole Miss had cut the deficit to 6 points. Asia Boone scored 10 of her 15 points in the second quarter to spark a 19-0 Wildcats run. Cotie McMahon led Ole Miss with 18 points but shot just 4-of-18 from the field.

  • The game was played on Sunday, February 16, 2026.
  • Kentucky led for the entire game after taking a 4-2 lead less than 3 minutes into the first quarter.

The players

Clara Strack

A senior forward for the Kentucky Wildcats who scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.

Tonie Morgan

A junior guard for Kentucky who contributed 14 points and 9 assists.

Cotie McMahon

A sophomore guard for Ole Miss who led the Rebels with 18 points despite shooting just 4-of-18 from the field.

Latasha Lattimore

A junior forward for Ole Miss who recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Asia Boone

A senior guard for Kentucky who scored 10 of her 15 points in the second quarter to spark a 19-0 Wildcats run.

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What they’re saying

“We must continue to play with the same intensity and focus that we showed today if we want to make a deep run in the SEC tournament.”

— Kyra Elzy, Kentucky Head Coach (nbcsports.com)

What’s next

Kentucky will look to build on this win when they travel to face No. 5 Vanderbilt next Sunday. Ole Miss will try to bounce back when they host No. 22 Tennessee on Tuesday.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the depth and talent of the SEC women's basketball conference, with two ranked teams battling it out. Kentucky's ability to withstand Ole Miss' late push and pull away for the victory shows the Wildcats' potential to make noise in the postseason.