NASHVILLE, Tenn -- Kentucky, the No. 7 seed, overcame a slow start to earn a decisive 83-67 win over 10-seed Mississippi State in the second round of the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday night.

Jada Walker led a balanced Kentucky scoring attack with 21 points, while Dre'Una Edwards had a monster game, dominating inside the paint on her way to 18 points and 14 rebounds. Rhyne Howard added 14 points for the Wildcats, while Jazmine Massengill and Robyn Benton each had 12.

JerKaila Jordan had XX points and Catterrion Thompson chipped in with ## for Mississippi State, which fell to 15-14.

Mississippi State actually started the game out well, leading 21-16 after the first quarter. But the Bulldogs could not sustain it.

Howard's 3-pointer gave Kentucky the lead for good, 26-23, with 7:02 left before halftime. And her subsequent layup capped a 10-3 UK run at the start of the second quarter, during which the Wildcats seized control of the game.

By halftime, Kentucky had stretched its lead to 38-30, outscoring the Bulldogs 22-9 in the second-quarter turnaround.

From there, the Wildcats continued to pour it on. They eventually led by as many as 21 points, 73-52, following back-to-back fourth-quarter layups by Edwards, who took over the game late inside the lane.

Up Next

Kentucky (16-11) advances to Friday's 7 p.m. quarterfinal against 2-seed LSU.