Dec. 28, 2009
Team Records and Series Notes
- Kentucky suffers its first loss of the season to slip to 11-1, while Middle Tennessee improves to 6-4.
- Kentucky falls one win shy of setting the school record for consecutive wins in a season. The 2009-10 squad ties the 1982-83 squad with 11. The school record of wins to start a season ends at 11. The previous mark of 9-0 was achieved by the 1980-81 team.
- Kentucky drops its first regular season non-conference game in 17 contests dating back to a 75-59 setback to Louisville on Dec. 14, 2008.
- The Wildcats have held 10 of 12 opponents under 60 points this season.
- Coach Matthew Mitchell’s career mark moves to 74-62, including a 44-33 record at Kentucky. Mitchell is 1-1 all-time against Middle Tennessee.
- Kentucky’s advantage in the Middle Tennessee series slips to 9-3 all-time, including a 3-2 mark in Murfreesboro. The loss snaps a six-game win streak for UK in the series. Ten of the 12 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.
- UK owns a 586-448 all-time record in 36 years of varsity women’s basketball.
- Up next: Kentucky tips off the 2010 calendar year by playing host to Mississippi Valley State on New’s Year’s Day at Memorial Coliseum. UK’s final non-conference game of the regular season starts at 7 p.m. EST.
Team Game Notes
- Key Run: After Kentucky guard A’dia Mathies made two free throws to even the game at 51-51 with 1:02 remaining, Middle Tennessee scored the final six points of the contest. Jackie Pickel hit a three-pointer with 32 seconds left to give the Blue Raiders a 54-51 lead and Middle Tennessee added three free throws in the closing seconds to wrap up the win.
- The Wildcats forced Middle Tennessee into 23 turnovers. UK has caused its opponents to commit 20 or more miscues in 10 of 12 contests this season.
- After 16 steals tonight, Kentucky has recorded double-digit steal totals in each of the last eight games and nine times this season.
- Kentucky hit two three-pointers against MTSU and has now hit at least one three-pointer in 199 consecutive games, dating back to 2003-04.
- UK committed a season-high 29 turnovers, leading to 27 Blue Raider points.
- The Wildcats shot a season-low 59.4 percent from the foul line, making 19-of-32 attempts. The previous low was 63 percent (17-of-27) against McNeese State (11/28/09).
- Kentucky failed to score as many as 65 points for the first time this season.
- MTSU’s Jackie Pickel hit a three-pointer to give the Blue Raiders an early 3-0 lead 44 seconds into the contest. It marked the first time in more than three games that UK trailed in a game (125 minutes and six seconds of action). Prior to the three-pointer, UK had not trailed in a game since the 4:22 mark of the second half at Cincinnati.
- UK is 22-20 in the Matthew Mitchell era when the game is decided by 10 points or less.
- Victoria Dunlap, Amber Smith, Amani Franklin, Carly Morrow, and A’dia Mathies started the MTSU game. It marked the 11th time in 12 games the group took the floor first for the Wildcats.
Individual Game Notes
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Victoria Dunlap scored 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 8-of-17 shooting from the foul line to go with 16 rebounds, five steals and three blocks.
- The junior forward has posted five 20-point, 15-rebound games during her career. She joins former UK great Valerie Still (1980-83) as the only Wildcats in school history to record four or more 20-15 performances.
- It marks Dunlap’s fifth double-double in 11 games played this season and the 18th of her career.
- She has scored in double figures in 18 consecutive games.
- Dunlap has scored 20 or more points 10 times in her career, including five this season.
- She has recorded at least one steal in 17 consecutive games. She has swiped three or more steals in each of her last seven games.
- Carly Morrow hit her only three-point attempt and has now made at least one three-pointer in 11 of 12 games, including 10 in a row.
- Amber Smith made her team-leading 22nd consecutive start.
- Lydia Watkins tied a career-high with four steals. She also recorded four steals against Florida A&M (12/13/09).
- Rebecca Gray served as UK’s first player off the bench for the 10th time in 12 games.
