Kentucky-South Carolina Postgame Notes

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023
COLONIAL LIFE ARENA – LEXINGTON, KY.
  

South Carolina 87, Kentucky 69 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes   

• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 49th season with an 892-581 (.606) all-time record.    
  • The Wildcats are now 10-12 overall and 2-8 in the league.  
  • The Gamecocks are now 22-0 overall and 10-0 in the league. 
• Kyra Elzy is in her third season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 47-33 overall record.   
  • She has an 19-22 overall record in the SEC. 
• Kentucky trails South Carolina, 39-35, in the all-time meetings in a series that began in 1979. 
  • UK trails USC, 24-10, in games played in Columbia. 
  • South Carolina has won two straight against Kentucky. 
• The Wildcats will enjoy a bye week this weekend. Kentucky will then play host to Alabama on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+. 
  • It will mark the program’s annual Play4Kay game. 

Team Notes   

• Kentucky has scored the first-and second-most points against South Carolina’s defense in regulation this season (66 on Jan. 12 and 69 tonight).  
  • South Carolina’s defense is holding teams to 46.0 points per game in 2022-23.  
• Tonight is also the most points that Kentucky has ever scored in a true road game against an opponent ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll (previous high was 66 at No. 1 Tennessee on Feb. 25, 1978). 
• Kentucky used the starting combination Jada Walker, Maddie Scherr, Robyn Benton, Blair Green and Nyah Leveretter for the 16th game this season. UK is 7-9 using that starting combination.   
  • South Carolina won the opening tip.  
  • Nyah Leveretter was the first player to score. 
  • Adebola Adeyeye was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky for the 13th time this season. 
• The game was back-and-forth until the first media timeout (2:33), with South Carolina leading Kentucky, 17-16, at the whistle. 
  • The Wildcats opened up on 50.0 percent from the floor on 5-of-10 shooting. Scoring was balanced for the Cats over the first seven minutes and 27 seconds, with five players scoring in that time. 
  • Out of the timeout, the Gamecocks extended their scoring streak to go on a 9-0 run to take their largest lead of the game. 
  • Robyn Benton sliced that run with an attempted drive downhill, drawing a foul and knocking down both free throws. 
    • South Carolina responded with a pair of free throws to close out the period. 
  • South Carolina led Kentucky, 26-18, at the end of the first quarter. 
• The Gamecocks used the first one minute and 39 seconds to go on a 6-0 run to open the second quarter, with one of those scores coming off a turnover, which prompted Kentucky to call a timeout. 
  • Out of the timeout, Kentucky went on an 11-2 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes to get within six points of South Carolina, 29-35. 
  • The two teams shared baskets to go on a 4-4 run, before South Carolina had an 11-2 run for themselves to get back to 15-point lead before halftime. 
  • The Gamecocks led the Wildcats, 50-35, at halftime. 
    • UK shot 40.7 percent from the floor (11-27), making three 3-pointers and knocking down all 10 of its free throws. 
    • USC outrebounded UK, 24-12, in the first two quarters. 
• Kentucky had an 11-2 run to open the third quarter, a series that was capped by a make from long range from Blair Green. That run helped the Wildcats close the gap on the Gamecocks, 46-52, with six minutes and four seconds remaining in the period. 
  • South Carolina responded with a 15-4 run. 
    • Since Kentucky’s 11-2 run to start the period, it didn’t make a field goal the rest of the third quarter, but did score on 4-of-4 from the line.  
  • South Carolina led Kentucky, 67-50, at the end of the third quarter.  
• The Gamecocks used the first three minutes of the fourth quarter to go on an 8-0 run. 
  • The Wildcats answered with an 8-4 run within a minute.  
    • That stretch included a personal foul called on Scherr, followed by a technical foul called on the drawer of that foul, Gamecock Ashlyn Watkins. 
  • After Scherr’s free throws, Kentucky produced a 6-2 run, which included another 4-of-4 series at the line, all of which were made by Benton, then a steal by Ajae Petty and a layup by Jada Walker. 
  • The game concluded with two more runs, first South Carolina, 6-0, then Kentucky 5-0, including a 3-pointer by Eniya Russell. 
  • South Carolina defeated Kentucky, 87-69. 
• The Wildcats shot 30.2 percent from the floor (19-63), while the Gamecocks shot 46.6 percent from the field (34-73). 
  • Kentucky made six 3-pointers in the game, while UK has made at least six 3-pointers in seven of its 10 SEC games.  

Player Notes   

• Graduate guard Robyn Benton led Kentucky with 24 points. 
  • Robyn Benton scored the most points ever by a Kentucky player in a true road game against an opponent ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll. 
  • She has scored in double digits in all 21 games she has played in this season. 
  • She made at least one 3-pointer for the 16th straight game. 
  • She went 13-of-14 from the line, a career high makes and attempts. 
    • Her 13 free throws are the most in a single game since Jennifer O’Neill against Baylor on Dec. 6, 2013.  
  • She added four steals, two rebounds, two blocks and an assist. 
• Junior guard Maddie Scherr had 11 points.  
  • She has scored at least 10 points in eight straight games. 
  • She added one rebound, one assist and one steal. 
    • She leads Kentucky with an active streak of 13 straight games recording at least one steal. 
• Graduate guard Blair Green had 11 points and a career-high eight rebounds. 
  • It marked the ninth game this season she has scored at least 10 points and the second straight. 
  • 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 3-of-4 from the arc, marking the fifth straight game she has knocked down a 3-pointer. 
  • She added one assist and one block. 
• Sophomore guard Jada Walker had eight points. 
  • She added three rebounds, three steals and two assists. 
    • Walker, who leads the conference in steals, has had at least one steal in nine straight games. 
• Junior forward Ajae Petty grabbed six rebounds and scored two points.