Kentucky-Texas A&M Postgame Notes

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY AT TEXAS A&M
THURSDAY, FEB. 23, 2023
REED ARENA – BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
  

Texas A&M 74, Kentucky 67 – FINAL

 
Team Records and Series Notes   

• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 49th season with an 892-585 (.603) all-time record.    
  • The Wildcats are now 10-17 overall and 2-13 in the league.  
  • The Aggies are now 7-18 overall and 2-13 in the league. 
• Kyra Elzy is in her third season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 47-38 overall record.   
  • She has a 19-27 overall record in the SEC. 
• Kentucky trails the all-time series with Texas A&M, 5-9, in a series that began in 2013.  
  • TAMU leads the series in games played in College Station, 5-3.  
  • TAMU has won three straight meetings in the series.  
• Kentucky will conclude its regular-season schedule Sunday when it plays host to Tennessee at 2 p.m. ET inside Memorial Coliseum.  
  • Sunday’s game will be Senior Day as the Wildcats honor their seniors for all their contributions to the program.  
  • Sunday’s game will also be the last game for Kentucky in historic Memorial Coliseum as the venue is set to begin a major reinvention over the next couple of years.  

Team Notes   

• Kentucky used the starting combination sophomore guard Jada Walker, graduate forward Adebola Adeyeye, graduate guard Blair Green, senior guard Emma King and junior guard Maddie Scherr for the first time this season.  
  • UK is 0-1 this season when using this starting combination.  
  • This is the fourth straight game that Kentucky has used a different starting combination. This is the sixth different starting combination for Kentucky this season.  
• Texas A&M won the opening tip, marking the 19th time this season that the Wildcats have lost the opening tip.  
• Jada Walker was the first Wildcat to score, hitting a floater in the paint on UK’s first possession.  
  • It was the 11th time this season that Walker has been the first UK player to score.  
• Eniya Russell was the first sub off the bench for Kentucky, marking the second time this season she has been the first sub for Kentucky.  
• Texas A&M closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 21-16 lead into the second quarter. It was a 3-pointer by Patty as time expired that gave UK its biggest deficit of the quarter.  
  • UK shot just 37.5 percent in the first quarter, going 6-of-16 from the field and 2-of-8 from long range.  
  • TAMU was 9-of-22 from the field for 40.9 percent and was 2-of-7 from deep. The Aggies had three and-ones in the first quarter as UK fouled six times.  
  • The Aggies had a 5-to-1 advantage in offensive rebounds in the first quarter that led to six second-chance points for TAMU.  
  • Twelve of TAMU’s 21 points in the first quarter came in the paint. UK did score five points off four TAMU turnovers in the first quarter, while allowing no points off turnovers.  
• Kentucky erased the TAMU five-point deficit quickly to start the second quarter thanks to two free throws by Scherr and a 3-pointer by Walker.  
  • The Aggies responded by going on a 6-0 run, holding Kentucky scoreless for 4:16 of the quarter before a Benton layup ended the draught.  
  • TAMU got its lead to 10 with 1:32 to go in the second quarter, forcing a UK timeout.  
    • UK scored twice quickly out of the timeout and help TAMU scoreless the rest of the half to go into the locker room down 36-30.  
• The Aggies – which average 36 percent from the field in conference play entering the game – shot 45.7 percent from the field in the first half.  
  • UK shot just 36.7 percent from the field and was 3-of-12 from long range.  
  • TAMU outrebounded UK 23-20, including a 7-5 edge in offensive rebounds.  
  • Both teams limited turnovers with UK having seven and TAMU eight. UK had seven points off those miscues.  
• Texas A&M started the third quarter on a 8-2 run, starting 4-of-6 from the field with six of the eight points in the paint. UK started just 1-of-4 from the field with a turnover.  
  • TAMU worked its lead to 12, forcing a UK timeout as the Wildcats went nearly four minutes without a bucket. That drought was stopped by a 3-pointer from Benton with 5:09 to go in the quarter.  
  • Kentucky cut the lead to five points at 47-42 with 3:28 to go in the quarter, but TAMU ended the third on a 8-3 run to take the lead back to 10 at 55-45 to start the fourth quarter.  
  • Ten of TAMU’s 19 points in the third quarter came in the paint, while they went 7-of-11 from the free-throw line. UK did not attempt a free throw in the third quarter.  
• Kentucky won the fourth quarter 22-19, but it was too little, too late.  
• The Aggies scored 74 points, which was their third highest scoring total in a league game this season. TAMU scored 79 points against Vanderbilt and 75 points against Georgia.  
  • TAMY shot 49.2 percent from the field in the game, which was its highest field-goal percentage since shooting 51.6 percent against Vanderbilt on Jan. 29.  
• TAMU outrebounded Kentucky 46-29, including a 14-7 advantage in offensive rebounds.  
  • Texas A&M had a 12-9 edge in second-chance points.  
• TAMU had a 38-24 edge in paint points, which tied its most paint points in a league game this season.  
• Kentucky is 1-14 this season, including a 1-10 record in league play when it trails at the half.  
  • UK is 6-28 under Kyra Elzy when trailing at halftime.  

Player Notes   

• Graduate guard Robyn Benton had a team-high 21 points with four rebounds, four assists and a steal. 
  • Benton went 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-8 from deep.  
  • The four 3s made tied the most in a game this season.  
  • Benton has scored 10 or more points in 24 games this season, including 63 games in her career.  
  • Benton has scored 15 or more points in 16 games this season, including 24 games in her career.  
  • Benton has scored 20 or more points in seven games this season, including eight times in her career.  
• Junior forward Ajae Petty had 10 points with seven rebounds and four steals.  
  • The four steals were a career high.  
  • It was the eighth time this season she has scored 10 or more points and the first time she has accomplished the feat in conference play.  
• Junior guard Maddie Scherr returned to action for the first time since UK’s game at Ole Miss on Feb. 13.  
  • Scherr scored 18 points in the game with six rebounds, two assists and three steals.  
  • Scherr hit three 3s in the game, marking the fourth time this season she has hit three or more 3s.