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LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - DeNesha Stallworth scored 15 second-half points and Jennifer O'Neill hit a critical jumper with 40.8 seconds left, rallying No. 7 Kentucky from a 14-point deficit to beat No. 4 Louisville 69-64 on Sunday.
Kentucky (8-0) also erased a big lead last year in a 48-47 win in Louisville. This time, the Wildcats were down 36-27 at halftime but went up 51-45 with 9:42 left behind Stallworth, O'Neill and Bernisha Pinkett, who sank two 3-pointers in the run.
Louisville (7-1) bounced back to tie the game three times and trailed just 64-62 with 2:14 to go. Stallworth made a free throw, then O'Neill's jumper from the top of the key sealed the Wildcats' third straight win over the Cardinals in the 50th meeting between the schools.
Kentucky won its 16th straight over Louisville at Memorial Coliseum and 43rd consecutive nonconference home game.
Stallworth's 16 points led the Wildcats, who were 8 of 17 on 3-pointers. Janee Thompson added 13.
In the second half, Kentucky forced 10 of its 24 turnovers while holding the Cardinals to 28 percent shooting and out-rebounding Louisville 26-21.
Stallworth had eight rebounds, while Azia Bishop had seven.
Shoni Schimmel scored 17 points and Sara Hammond 12 for Louisville, which struggled with foul trouble in the second half.
Hammond fouled out soon after bringing the Cardinals within a basket late in the game.
Louisville came in with Top 25 wins over LSU and Oklahoma en route to the preseason WNIT title, while Kentucky steamrolled its nonconference schedule in preparation for its first ranked opponent of the season.
Thompson decided last year's game with a 3-pointer in the final seconds for the one-point win.
Louisville missed its first nine shots of the second half as Kentucky closed within 42-40 at the 13:55 mark.
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