Kentucky-Georgia Women's Basketball Postgame Notes

UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NO. 12 KENTUCKY VS. NO. 13 GEORGIA
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2024
BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA – GREENVILLE, S.C.
 

1. 12 KENTUCKY 64, NO. 13 GEORGIA 50 – FINAL

   Team Records and Series Notes  

• Kentucky is 12-19 overall, while it went 4-12 in the Southeastern Conference in 2023-24.
  • Georgia is 12-18 overall and went 3-13 in the conference this season.
• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 50th season.
  • UK has a 906-607 (.599) all-time record.
• Kyra Elzy is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 61-59 (.508) overall record.
  • She has an 8-2 record in the SEC Tournament.
• Kentucky still trails the all-time meetings with Georgia, 41-23, in a series that began in 1980.
  • Kentucky still trails Georgia, 7-3, in neutral-site games / in the Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament.
• The Wildcats are 44-43 all-time in the Southeastern Conference.
  • The Cats are 13-11 in the first round.
  • Kyra Elzy is 8-2 at the helm in the SEC Tournament.
    • She has the second-best winning percentage of head coaches all-time in the SEC Tournament (minimum 10 games):
      • .802 69-17 Pat Summit, Tennessee
      • .800 8-2 Kyra Elzy, Kentucky
      • .778 28-8 Dawn Staley, South Carolina
      • .692 18-8 Jim Foster, Vanderbilt
      • .676 23-11 Melanie Balcomb, Vanderbilt
      • .625 10-6 Vic Schaefer, Mississippi St.
      • .625 10-6 Holly Warlick, Tennessee
      • .590 46-32 Andy Landers, Georgia
    • 12 Kentucky will rematch No. 5 Tennessee in the SEC Tournament Second Round (Game 4) on Thursday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
      • The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination Brooklynn Miles, Casidy Rowe, Amiya Jenkins, Emma King and Ajae Petty for the first time this season.
  • UK is 1-0 when using that starting combination.
  • It is UK’s 12th starting combination this season.
• The Wildcats lost the opening tip.
• Ajae Petty was the first player to score for Kentucky.
• Saniah Tyler and Eniya Russell were the first substitutes off the bench for Kentucky.

• Kentucky’s 14-point win is its largest win against a conference opponent in 2023-24.
  • The 14-point win is its largest against a conference opponent since its 15-point win against No. 11 seed Florida in the SEC Tournament First Round.
• The Wildcats have won their first game in the SEC Tournament for five straight seasons.
• UK has won three of its last six games of the season.
• Kentucky held a 14-point lead over Georgia at halftime.
  • The last time it held at least a 14-point lead over an opponent was in its 75-45 win over Furman on Dec. 17 (37-23).
  • The last time Kentucky held at least a 14-point lead over an SEC opponent was in its 77-54 win over Missouri on Jan. 29, 2023 (41-22).
• The Wildcats held the Bulldogs to just 50 points in the game, its fewest opponent points allowed in an SEC Tournament game (5) since March 9, 2013, also against Georgia (38).
• Kentucky held Georgia to 0-of-11 from the arc, the first time it has held an opponent to zero three-point field goals in an SEC Tournament game since March 3, 2012, against LSU.
• UK outrebounded UGA, 41-25.

How It Happened

• Brooklynn Miles began the game with a steal on Georgia’s very first possession, and while that didn’t translate offensively from the start, Kentucky’s shots eventually began to fall.
  • Kentucky trailed Georgia, 8-2, over the first three-and-a-half minutes, not scoring its first field goal until Eniya Russell came off the bench at 6:21.
  • After that, Kentucky ended the quarter outscoring Georgia, 19-6.
  • The Wildcats led the Bulldogs, 21-14, at the end of the first quarter after Eniya Russell made a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
    • The Cats went 3-of-5 from the arch and 2-of-2 from the line in the first quarter.
  • The Wildcats limited the Bulldogs to just eight points on 21.4 percent shooting in the second quarter, outscoring them, 15-8, in that period.
    • Brooklynn Miles hit a wide-open 3-pointer at 6:45 in the second quarter to help UK take a 10-point lead over UGA.
      • That launched a 10-2 run for the Cats, with just 24 seconds remaining in the period.
      • Both teams drew fouls on misses from the field in the final 24 seconds, with UGA knocking down two and UK knocking down one.
    • Kentucky led Georgia, 36-22, at halftime.
      • UK outrebounded UGA, 25-13, at the end of the first half.
    • Kentucky barely trailed Georgia in scoring in the third quarter, 16-15, as the Cats had their best field-goal percentage quarter of the game on 5-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-6 from the arc.
      • The Bulldogs used a 12-2 run in the first four-and-a-half minutes to cut their deficit to just five points.
      • The Wildcats concluded the third quarter on a 12-4 run, including 7-0 run, to take a 51-38 lead into the fourth quarter.
    • The Wildcats continued their scoring streak into the fourth quarter, turning the 7-0 run into a 10-0 run, thanks to a trio of free throws.
      • In fact, Kentucky’s first nine points of the period came off free throws. UK didn’t score its first field goal of the fourth quarter until Eniya Russell’s jumper with 1:20 remaining in the game.
      • The Wildcats ended the game on a 5-0 run.
      • Kentucky defeated Georgia, 64-50.

Player Notes

• Eniya Russell, a senior guard, had a team-high 19 points, including a career-high tying two 3-pointers.
  • She has scored 15+ points in eight games this season and eight games in her career.
    • She has scored 10+ points in 15 games this season and 19 games in her career.
  • She scored off 6-of-12 from the field, 2-of-4 from the arc and 5-of-6 from the line.
  • She added four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
• Ajae Petty, a senior forward, had 11 points and a team-high 14 rebounds.
  • She eclipsed 500 career rebounds in the game, currently sitting at 512.
  • She has recorded a double-double in 17 games this season and 19 games in her career.
  • She has scored 10+ points in 24 games this season and 34 games in her career.
  • She had recorded 10+ rebounds in 18 games this season and 20 games in her career.
  • She added an assist and steal.
• Brooklynn Miles, a junior guard, added 11 points.
  • She has scored 10+ points in seven games this season and eight games in her career.
  • She added five rebounds, five assists and a steal.
    • She has dished out at least five assists in two straight games.
    • She has dished out at least three assists in 19 games this season and in 33 games in her career.
  • Amiya Jenkins, a sophomore guard, added eight points and a season-high tying seven rebounds.
    • She added two assists.
  • Saniah Tyler, a sophomore guard, has made a 3-pointer in 26 of her 31 games this season.
    • She recorded seven points, three rebounds and two steals.