The college basketball season is approaching its midpoint, where the unbeaten teams are now finding it challenging to maintain their strong start to the season. The latest team that saw the unbeaten run snapped is LSU, as Tonie Morgan scored a clutch game-winner.
The Tigers had one of the top prospects of the WNBA draft, Flau’jae Johnson, who aims to elevate performance in her final season. But the night belonged to the Wildcat’s guard, who silenced the crowd at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Tonie Morgan Becomes The Difference Maker For Kentucky Wildcats
The game was close, with both sides having a strong start to the season and a roster capable of staying calm in the closing moments. The final possession went to the Kentucky Wildcats, who were trailing by a point and needed a bucket to win. A transfer from Georgia Tech didn’t hesitate to take the range shot and banked it to win the game for her side.
It was her third shot from beyond the arc, and she made them all, scoring 24 points in total and dishing out 12 assists. Her fourth double-double in the season was an iconic one, handing LSU their first loss in the season and also the loss in the opening game in the SEC.
TONIE MORGAN VS NO. 5 LSU:
— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) January 2, 2026
24 PTS
12 AST (0 TOs)
7-10 FG
3-3 3P
GAME-WINNER
NO. 11 KENTUCKY WINS, 80-78! 😱✨ pic.twitter.com/VoL2Vhh7Js
The player even impressed Kim Mulkey, who praised the guard in the press conference. The LSU coach said, “You take her off that team, they’re a different team. She makes them go. And it’s not just the fact that she had 24 and 12. She had no turnovers. She makes them go. And it’s only fitting that she would be the one to hit the great shot at the end. She’s really a good player and she really plays well within the system. She makes everybody else on the team better.”
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While her analysis was spot on, there are other key factors – players who are making buzz for the Wildcats in the 5-26 season who now move to a 14-1 record.
Kentucky Wildcats With Key Transfer Decisions In Offseason
ESPN ranked Morgan as the ninth impactful transfer in the season, but for the Wildcats it’s one of four transfers that handed them a strong roster in 2025-26. Talking about the game against LSU, another player that stood out was Teonni Key, who impressed with a 17-point, 16-rebound double-double. Clara Strack also recorded 15 points and nine rebounds.
No. 11 Kentucky WBB and No. 5 LSU are knotted up at 41 at the half.
— KSR (@KSRonX) January 2, 2026
Both teams are dealing with some foul trouble. Teonni Key is on the cusp of a double-double (9 PTS, 10 REBS) after missing the last two games with injury.
GAME THREAD: https://t.co/SCqHqcCpsA pic.twitter.com/lCQHC5cYUV
Two additional transfers that made a difference were Jordan Obi and Asia Boone, who provided strong support off the bench, keeping the side in the game. While UCLA is poised to shatter the WNBA draft record with six Bruins projected in the 2026 class, the Kentucky side also has a versatile and deep roster to challenge for the NCAA championship this season.