Kentucky-Missouri Postgame Notes

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. MISSOURI
SUNDAY, JAN. 29, 2023
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
  

Kentucky 77, Missouri 54 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes   

• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 49th season with an 892-580 (.606) all-time record.    
  • The Wildcats are now 10-11 overall and 2-7 in the league.  
  • The Tigers are now 14-8 overall and 3-6 in the league. 
• Kyra Elzy is in her third season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 47-32 overall record.   
  • She has a 19-21 overall record in the SEC. 
• Kentucky leads the all-time meetings over Missouri, 11-5, in a series that began in 1989. 
  • Missouri has never defeated Kentucky on the road, holding a 0-7 record in Lexington. 
  • The Wildcats and the Tigers split in the regular season, 1-1. 
• The Wildcats will hit the road to play the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina, on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network. 

Team Notes   

• The last time Kentucky won an SEC game by 20 or more points was against Auburn (90-62) on Feb. 27, 2022, inside Memorial Coliseum. 
  • Kentucky is 6-3 this season when a game is decided by at least 16 points. 
  • Kentucky is 1-3 this season when a SEC game is decided by at least 16 points.  
• Kentucky used the starting combination Jada Walker, Maddie Scherr, Robyn Benton, Blair Green and Nyah Leveretter for the 15th game this season. UK is 7-8 using that starting combination.   
  • Missouri won the opening tip.  
  • Robyn Benton was the first player to score for Kentucky for the fifth time this season. 
  • Adebola Adeyeye was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky for the 12th time this season. 
• Kentucky led Missouri, 11-7, at the first media timeout (4:49), hitting 55.6 percent from the floor on 5-of-9 shooting, including 1-of-1 from the arc.  
  • The Tigers committed four turnovers in the first five minutes and 11 seconds of the game, allowing the Wildcats to score six points off those miscues.  
  • Out of the media timeout, Kentucky went on an 11-2 run to close out the first quarter. 
  • Kentucky led Missouri, 22-9, at the end of the first quarter. 
• Missouri had the first possession of the second quarter, but Maddie Scherr stole the ball and dished it out to Robyn Benton for a 3-pointer. On UM’s next possession, Jada Walker stole the ball, then Scherr drained a second-straight 3-pointer. Kentucky took a 28-9 lead over Missouri after that run, with eight minutes and 36 seconds remaining in the second quarter. 
  • The Tigers called a timeout, then went on a 10-2 run out of the break, including going 4-of-4 from the line. 
  • The Wildcats closed out the first half on an 11-2 run, which included a 9-0 series over the last two minutes and 39 seconds. 
  • Kentucky led Missouri, 41-22 at halftime. 
    • Twenty of Kentucky’s 41 points came off turnovers.  
• Robyn Benton scored on a jumper to open the second half, then the Tigers responded with a 3-pointer. 
  • On Kentucky’s next possession, Scherr dished it out to Walker for a 3-pointer. UK stretched that into a 6-0 series after Scherr knocked down three free throws on a fouled jumper behind the arc. 
  • UK and UM traded baskets over the next five minutes, before Kentucky would use the final two minutes and 37 seconds of the third quarter to produce an 8-0 run. 
  • Kentucky led Missouri, 69-42, at the end of the third quarter. 
• Scoring was back-and-forth in the fourth quarter, with neither team going on a run greater than two scores.  
  • The Wildcats were outscored by the Tigers, 12-8, in the final stanza. 
  • Kentucky defeated Missouri, 77-44. 
• The Wildcats shot 51.8 percent from the field on 29-of-56 shooting, while going 8-of-15 from behind the arc.  
  • The Wildcats have made at least six 3-pointers in six of their nine conference games this season. The Cats only accomplished that feat in four of their 12 nonconference games in 2022-23. 
  • Kentucky’s four starting guards scored in double digits this afternoon.  
    • UK improves to 3-1 when at least four players score in double digits this season. 
    • UK improves to 1-1 when at least four players score in double digits in SEC action this season.  
• Kentucky forced Missouri to commit 22, scoring 28 points off those miscues. 
  • Meanwhile, the Cats only turned the ball over 13 times, giving up just eight points from those errors.  
  • The Wildcats have won or tied the turnover battle in 15-of-21 games this season. 
  • The Wildcats have forced 13 of their 21 opponents into at least 20 turnovers.  

Player Notes   

• Sophomore guard Jada Walker led Kentucky with 18 points, while 10 of her 18 points came in the third quarter. 
  • It marked the sixth instance this season she has led UK in scoring.  
  • It marked the 16th game this season she has scored at least 10 points. 
  • It marked the 10th game this season she has scored at least 15 points. 
  • She added five assists, two rebounds and three steals. 
    • Walker, who leads the conference in steals, has had at least one steal in eight straight games. 
• Graduate guard Blair Green had 14 points and five rebounds. 
  • It marked the eighth game this season she has scored at least 10 points and the first since Jan. 1. 
  • The five rebounds are her most since grabbing seven at Minnesota on Dec. 7. 
    • It marked the fourth game this season she has grabbed at least five rebounds.  
  • She went 1-of-3 from the arc, marking the fourth straight game she has knocked down a 3-pointer.  
• Graduate guard Robyn Benton had 13 points. 
  • She has scored in double digits in all 20 games she has played in this season. 
  • She made at least one 3-pointer for the 15th straight game. 
  • She went 3-of-5 from long range, marking the third time this season she has made at least three 3-pointers in a game. 
  • She added four steals, all of which were in the first quarter, a career-high three blocks, two rebounds and two assists. 
• Junior guard Maddie Scherr had 13 points.  
  • She has scored at least 10 points in seven straight games. 
  • She added five rebounds, eight assists, three steals and one block. 
    • She leads Kentucky with an active streak of 12 straight games recording at least one steal. 
    • She has dished out at least three assists in 19 of 21 games this season. 
      • She has dished out at least eight assists in four games this season. 
    • She has blocked at least one shot in four straight games. 
• Junior forward Nyah Leveretter led Kentucky with six rebounds, including three offensive rebounds and three defensive rebounds. 
  • She added eight points, on 3-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line, and one block. 
  • She has made at least six rebounds in seven games this season, including the last two straight.