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Kentucky Post Game Notes Following Win Over Southern

Posted at 11:55 PM, Nov 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-11 23:55:51-05

Team Records and Series Notes

  • Kentucky moves to 2-0 on the season while Southern is now 2-1.
    • The Wildcats will return to action Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET inside Rupp Arena when they play host to Virginia. The game will be televised on SEC Network. Darren Headrick will have the call on radio on the UK Sports Network.
  • The Wildcats now lead the all-time series in games played against Southern, 2-0.
    • This was the first meeting between the two since UK earned a 70-44 win over the Jaguars in December 2006 in Memorial Coliseum.
    • Kentucky now leads the all-time series in games played against SWAC teams, 15-0.
  • UK is now 800-532 all-time in program history.
    • Matthew Mitchell is in his 12th year with the Wildcats and holds a 258-117 record. Mitchell is 288-146 overall in 14 years as a head coach.
  • The Wildcats hold an all-time record of 441-156 in Memorial Coliseum, including a 151-27 record under Matthew Mitchell in the historic building.
  • Kentucky is receiving votes in the USA Today/Coaches Preseason Top 25 and is scheduled to play 14 games this season against teams that are currently ranked in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 and/or the Associated Press Top 25.

 

Team Notes

  • Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guard Taylor Murray, senior guard Maci Morris, freshman guard Rhyne Howard, sophomore forward KeKe McKinney and sophomore forward Tatyana Wyatt.
    • Kentucky is now 2-0 this season when it uses this starting combination.
  • The Wildcats started the game with a 17-2 run paced by three-straight 3s from UK with Maci Morris hitting one and Rhyne Howard hitting two from long range. UK ended the first quarter with a 27-11 lead.
    • Part of the strong start was a 11-0 UK run.
    • Kentucky shot 52.9 percent from the field in the first quarter, going 9-of-17 from the field.
    • The Wildcats played great defense early, forcing SU into nine turnovers and scoring 15 points off those miscues in the first 10 minutes. UK had seven steals in the first quarter.
    • Conversely, UK limited the turnovers with just one in the first quarter.
  • Kentucky outscored Southern 23-7 in the second quarter to take a 50-18 lead into halftime.
    • UK ended the second quarter on a 7-0 run.
    • Rhyne Howard scored 10 of UK’s 23 points in the second quarter.
    • The Wildcats had seven assists on eight made baskets in the second quarter.
    • Southern went just 1-for-11 from the field in the second quarter.
  • UK started the third quarter with back-to-back 3s from Taylor Murray and Maci Morris followed by a KeKe McKinney layup to increase the 7-0 run to end the first half to a 15-0 run to take the lead to 40 points.
    • Southern answered with a 6-0 run before a Tatyana Wyatt free throw.
  • Kentucky went 4:48 seconds without scoring from the end of the third quarter until a few minutes into the fourth quarter. SU went on a 9-0 run during that stretch before a layup by Taylor Murray with 7:17 left in the game.
    • Rhyne Howard hit three straight 3s after Murray’s layup to spark a 14-0 UK run and give the Wildcats a 80-35 lead.
  • The Wildcats recorded 22 assists in the game and have posted 22 or more assists in both games this season.
  • Kentucky shot 50 percent from the field and 52 percent from long range with 13 3-pointers.
    • The 13 3s made were tied for the second most 3s made in a game in program history and the first time UK has accomplished that feat since hitting 14 against Mississippi State on Jan. 8, 2012.
    • After hitting 10 3-pointers in the first game, UK has 10 or more 3s in back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 25 and Nov. 28 of 2012. That 2012-13 team went on to set the program record for most 3s in a season with 240.
  • UK scored 41 points off 29 Southern turnovers.
    • In two games, Kentucky has forced 72 turnovers and scored 92 points off turnovers.
  • The Wildcats have won both of their games so far this season by 50 points. It is the first time in program history UK has won consecutive games by 50 or more points.
  • Kentucky has its fewest combined points allowed in the first two games of a season (76) since their inaugural season of 1974-1975 (66).

Player Notes

  • Senior guard Taylor Murray scored 11 points going 4-of-8 from the field with a team-best seven assists.
    • Murray now has 988 career points, needing 12 more to become the 34th player to join the UK 1,000 point club.
    • Murray has 339 career assists and needs 10 more to tie A’dia Mathies for 10th all-time in program history.
    • Murray has now led Kentucky in assists 43 times during her career.
  • Senior guard Maci Morris scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting with two 3s.
    • Morris now has 1,232 career points, which ranks 19th most in program history. She needs 86 more to tie Bria Goss for 18th all-time in school history in points scored.
    • Morris has 182 career 3-pointers made which ranks third in program history. She needs 15 more to tie Jennifer O’Neill for second all-time in program history.
  • Freshman guard Rhyne Howard had a breakout game with a game-high 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 7-of-11 from long range.
    • Howard’s seven 3-pointers in the game tied the program record for most 3s made in a game. Sara Potts previously hit seven twice during her career (vs. High Point in 2004 and vs. Chattanooga in 2005).
    • She becomes only the second player ever to hit seven 3s in a game for UK.
    • Howard is the first ever freshman to hit seven or more 3s in a game for UK.
    • Howard is the first UK freshman to score 25 or more points in a game since Alexis Jennings scored 27 vs. Tennessee State in December of 2014.
    • Howard added four rebounds, four assists and a block.
    • Howard has the second most points scored by a UK freshman in a single game in the Matthew Mitchell era (29). A’dia Mathies scored 32 points vs. Liberty on Mar. 20, 2010.
  • Sophomore forward Tatyana Wyatt had eight points and five rebounds with two steals.
  • Junior guard Jaida Roper had eight points and two assists.