Kentucky Women’s Basketball Postgame Notes
No. 19/17 Kentucky vs. Auburn
Auburn Arena – Auburn, Ala.
No. 19/17 Kentucky 78, Auburn 68 – FINAL
Team Records and Series Notes
- Kentucky moves to 19-5 on the season and 6-4 in the league while Auburn is now 17-6, 5-5 in the SEC.
- The Wildcats will return to action Monday at Alabama at 7 p.m. ET inside Coleman Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network while Darren Headrick will have the call on radio on the UK Sports Network.
- Auburn leads the all-time series in games played against Kentucky, 26-23, including a 11-10 mark in games played in Auburn.
- Kentucky has won 11 of the last 12 meetings in the series, including five of the last six in Auburn.
- This was the first time in the last four meetings in Auburn Arena that the game has been decided by double digits.
- UK is now 817-537 all-time in its 45 years as a program.
- Matthew Mitchell is in his 12th year with the Wildcats and holds a 275-122 record. Mitchell is 305-151 overall in 14 years as a head coach.
- Kentucky is ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 17 in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25.
Team Notes
- Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guard Taylor Murray, senior guard Maci Morris, freshman guard Rhyne Howard, sophomore forward KeKe McKinney and sophomore forward Tatyana Wyatt.
- The Wildcats are 17-4 with those starting five this season.
- The Wildcats shot 51.9 percent (28-for-54) from the field in the game, which was its best percentage in an SEC game this season. It also broke a streak of four straight games shooting under 40 percent.
- Kentucky is 6-0 this season when it shoots 50 percent or better from the field and 13-0 this season when it shoots a higher percentage than its opponent.
- Kentucky hit six 3s in the first quarter alone with five different UK players knocking down a trey. UK was 6-of-6 from long range in the first quarter while Auburn went 0-for-1.
- UK’s six makes from long range in the first period was the most in the first quarter in program history and tied the most makes in any quarter in program history.
- UK started the game 8-for-8 from long range.
- Kentucky hit 11 3-pointers in the game, which tied the most for the Wildcats in an SEC game this season.
- UK has hit 10 or more 3-pointers in seven games this season.
- The Wildcats shot 56 percent (15-for-27) from the field in the first half, including 75 percent (9-for-12) from long range.
- After a 6-0 run by Auburn at the end of the first quarter and start of the second quarter, UK answered with a 14-0 run to take a 36-20 lead with 5:22 left in the half and force an Auburn timeout.
- UK’s 14-point halftime lead was its second largest in league play this season (16 vs. Vanderbilt).
- UK’s 42 first-half points were the most in the first half of an SEC game this season.
- The Wildcats had 15 assists in the game, which was the second most in a league game this season.
- UK had more turnovers than Auburn, marking only the second time this season the Wildcats have had more turnovers than their opponent. UK is 1-1 in those games.
- The Wildcats are now 12-0 this season on games broadcast on SEC Network+.
- Four of Kentucky’s six wins in conference play have come by double digits this season.
Player Notes
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Senior guard Maci Morris scored eight points and hit two 3s in the game.
- Morris now has 1,580 career points, which ranks eighth most in program history. She needs 18 more point to tie Pam Browning for 7th all-time in school history in points scored.
- Morris has 237 career 3-pointers made which ranks second in program history. She needs 34 more 3s to tie Sara Potts for most all-time.
- Morris has hit at least one 3-pointer in 101 of 120 career games played.
- Senior guard Taylor Murray scored 17 points with four assists and six steals.
- Murray now has 1,253 career points and ranks 20th all-time in points scored. She needs 65 more points to tie Bria Goss for 19th with 1,318.
- Murray has 414 career assists which ranks seventh most in program history. She needs 11 more to tie Amber Smith for sixth all-time in program history.
- Murray has 262 career steals which ranks sixth most in program history. She needs 10 more steals to move into the top five in program history.
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Freshman guard Rhyne Howard scored 19 points with four rebounds, six assists and three steals.
- Howard hit five 3s in the game, going 5-of-7 from long range.
- This was the fifth time this season she has hit five or more 3s in a game.
- Howard has scored 380 point this season which ranks fourth most by a freshman in a season in program history. She needs 33 more point to tie Maria Donhoof for third. She needs 261 more points to tie Valerie Still for the program record.
- Howard has hit 56 3-pointers this season, which is the most ever by a true freshman in a single season in program history.
- She has 50 steals, which ranks sixth most by a freshman in program history.
- Freshman guard Blair Green scored 12 points going 5-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from 3.
- Green added three rebounds.
- Green has scored in double figures in four games this season.