Kentucky-Arkansas Postgame Notes

UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. ARKANSAS
THURSDAY, JAN. 4, 2023
CLIVE M. BECK CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
  

Kentucky 73, Arkansas 63 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes   

• Kentucky is 8-7 overall and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference in 2023-24, while Arkansas is 12-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference this season. 
  • The Wildcats won their first Southeastern Conference opener since defeating then-No. 15 Georgia, 84-76, on Jan. 6, 2022.  
  • The Wildcats moved to 19-23 in conference openers. 
• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 50th season. 
  • UK has a 902-595 (.602) all-time record. 
• Kyra Elzy is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 57-47 (.548) overall record. 
• Kentucky remains the leader in the series with Arkansas, 27-15, including 17-4 in Lexington. 
• Kentucky will play at Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Sunday, Jan. 7 at noon ET. 
  • The game will be televised on the SEC Network. 

Team Notes   

• Kentucky used the starting combination Brooklynn Miles, Cassidy Rowe, Maddie Scherr, Emma King and Ajae Petty for the fourth time this season and the fourth straight game. 
  • • UK is 4-0 when using that starting combination.  
  • The Wildcats won the opening tip for the 13th time this season. 
  • Emma King was the first player to score for Kentucky for the third time this season. 
  • Saniah Tyler was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky for the fourth time this season. 
• Kentucky led Arkansas, 26-14, at halftime. 
  • The last time UK held a SEC opponent to 20 points or less in the first half was when it held Missouri to 18 on Jan. 31, 2021. 
  • The last time UK held any opponent to 20 points of less in the first half was when it held USC Upstate to 19 on Nov. 11, 2023. 
    • UK is 2-0 this season when it has held its opponent to under 20 points in the first half. 

• Kentucky scored 73 points in the triumph over Arkansas. 
  • UK is 8-0 – all eight of its wins – when it has scored 70-or-more points. 
• UK did not score a 3-pointer in the game, which marked the first game UK did not make a 3-pointer since vs. DePaul on Dec. 9, 2021 (which was also in Rupp Arena). 
• The Wildcats had 46 paint points, tying their most previous game for their second most this season. 
• Despite UK shooting 20.0 percent in the first quarter, it scored above 45.0 percent in every quarter after that, including going above 50.0 percent in the second and fourth quarters. 
• Kentucky outrebounded Arkansas, 45-38, which marked a season-high rebounds for UK. 

How It Happened 

• Kentucky trailed Arkansas, 6-2, at the first media timeout (4:58), with UK going just 1-of-7 from the field and UA going just 2-of-8 from the field to start the game.  

• • • UK had three turnovers in this time, too, with UA scoring two points off those miscues. 
  • Both teams continued defensive intensity, making it hard for either team to score the rest of the first quarter, as Kentucky trailed Arkansas just 8-6 at the end of the period. 
    • The Wildcats went 3-of-15 from the field, while the Razorbacks went 2-of-15 from the field in the third quarter, but also went 4-of-6 from the line. 
• Kentucky turned defense into offense in the second quarter, going on an 8-2 run to start the period, which included a 6-0 run that led Arkansas to call a timeout (5:41).  
  • • Kentucky shot 4-of-5 from the field in those four minutes and 19 seconds, holding Arkansas to 1-of-5. 
  • UK’s scoring efforts continued in the second quarter, ultimately outscoring UA, 20-6, in the period on 9-of-17 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line.  
  • Kentucky led Arkansas, 26-14, at halftime. 
• The Wildcats maintained a narrow lead over the Razorbacks, 32-25, at the second media timeout of the third quarter (4:55), despite the Cats experiencing a scoring slump to begin the period. 
  • • The Cats made just two buckets from the field up to this time, as the Backs picked up their scoring effort, making four of their six attempts. 
  • Shortly after the timeout, Maddie Scherr received her fourth foul, taking her out of the rest of the period.  
  • Arkansas used a series of three 3-pointers to take a one-point lead, 37-36, at 2:08. 
  • The lead changed three more times after that, including after Amiya Jenkins’ layup at the buzzer to put Kentucky ahead of Arkansas, 44-43, at the end of the third quarter. 
• It was back-and-forth scoring for most of the fourth quarter, until Kentucky crafted a 9-4 run, which lasted for three minutes, as it took a 61-55 lead with exactly three minutes remaining in the game. 
  • • Arkansas called a timeout at this time. 
  • The Razorbacks had the ball out of the timeout, as Maddie Scherr clocked her fifth foul to foul out of the game on their possession. 
  • Both teams traded baskets, each scoring four points, out of the timeout, before Arkansas began fouling under one minute. 
    • Kentucky went 8-of-8 at the line down the stretch. 
  • The Wildcats defeated the Razorbacks, 73-63. 

Player Notes   

• Ajae Petty, a senior forward, led Kentucky with 22 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. 
  • • She was one rebound shy of being the first player since Valerie Still (42 points / 20 rebounds) to have a 20 / 20 double-double when she did so on Dec. 19, 1982 against Charleston.  
  • It marked her eighth double-double this season and the 10th of her career. 
    • It marked her fourth 20 / 10 double-double of her career. 
      • It marked her second straight game recording a 20 / 10 double-double. 
    • It marked her second 20 / 15 double-double of her career.  
  • It marked the fourth game this season and the fourth game of her career she has scored at least 20 points. 
    • It marked the 10th game this season and the 12th game of her career she has scored at least 15 points. 
    • It marked the 12th game this season and the 22nd game of her career she has scored at least 10 points. 
  • It marked the eighth game this season and the 10th game of her career she has collected 10+ rebounds. 
    • It marked the 14th game this season and the 25th game of her career she has led Kentucky in rebounding. 
  • She added a team-high and a career-high tying three assists and one steal. 
    • She has made at least two assists for four straight games. 
    • It marked the second game this season and the third game of her career she has recorded three or more assists. 
    • It marked the first game this season and the first game of her career she led Kentucky in assists. 
• Brooklynn Miles, a junior guard, had 12 points. 
  • It marked the fourth game this season and the fifth game of her career that she has scored in double digits. 
  • She added three rebounds, one assist and one steal. 
• Emma King, a graduate guard, had 10 points. 
  • It marked the second game this season and the third game of her career that she has scored in double digits. 

• • She added three rebounds, a team-high two steals, and two assists. 
    • It marked the second game this season and the third game of her career that she led Kentucky in steals.