Kentucky rallies to edge South Carolina
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Kastine Evans made a go-ahead layup with 25 seconds remaining and sealed the win at the foul line, as No. 9 Kentucky earned a 78-74 comeback win over No. 16 South Carolina.
Evans broke a 72-72 tie with a bucket inside, and after South Carolina turned it over, Jennifer O'Neill sank two free throws for a four-point lead.
A quick basket by Ashley Bruner made it a one-possession game again, but Evans hit two from the stripe with nine seconds left to clinch the Wildcats' third straight win.
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O'Neill finished with 19 points while A'dia Mathies added 15 for Kentucky (22-3, 10-2 SEC), which dropped a 55-50 decision to South Carolina last month and trailed by 14 at the break before pulling out the win.
The Gamecocks (20-5, 8-4) had five players score in double figures, with Elem Ibiam and Aleighsa Welch checking in with 15 points apiece.
South Carolina turned a three-point deficit into a 26-18 lead in the first half behind a 13-2 run.
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Asia Dozier's 3-pointer just before the buzzer gave the Gamecocks a 44-30 lead at intermission, and they continued to play front-runner until a 9-0 run, capped by a Mathies 3-pointer, gave the Wildcats a 69-68 lead with under four minutes to play.