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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NO. 14 KENTUCKY VS. NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY 
 
No. 14 Kentucky 58, No. 1 South Carolina 67 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 20-6 overall and 9-5 in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina is 27-1 and 14-0 in league play having won 21 straight games.
  • UK is 13-3 at home this season, including 12-2 inside Memorial Coliseum.
• This was the 67th all-time meeting between Kentucky and South Carolina in women’s basketball.
  • Kentucky leads the all-time series in games played against South Carolina 34-33, including a 20-11 mark in games played in Lexington.
  • South Carolina has won five straight games in Lexington and defeated UK earlier this season in Columbia, 99-72.
• Matthew Mitchell is in his 13th season as the head coach of the Wildcats.
  • Mitchell is 331-160 overall in his career and 301-131 during his tenure at Kentucky.
• Kentucky is ranked 14th in the latest AP Top 25 and 16th in the latest USA Today/Coaches Top 25.
• The Wildcats will return to action Thursday when they play host to Georgia for Senior Night inside Memorial Coliseum. The game will tip at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guards Sabrina Haines and Jaida Roper, sophomore guard Rhyne Howard, junior forward KeKe McKinney and senior forward Ogechi Anyagaligbo. 
  • This was the fourth time this season that UK has used this starting combination, sitting 2-2.
  • KeKe McKinney scored first for Kentucky in the game. This was the third time this season that she has been the first Wildcat to score. 
• South Carolina ended the first quarter on a 15-0 run to take a 27-14 lead into the second quarter. The Wildcats led 13-12 at the first media timeout but went the final 5:57 without a field goal the rest of the first quarter.
• The Gamecocks upped their lead to 15 early in the second quarter before the Wildcats went on a 9-0 run to cut into the lead at 31-25 with 3:43 left in the half. Three SC free throws ended the run.
• South Carolina led 40-30 at halftime. SC’s 40 points were the second most UK has allowed in the first half time season with the previous high being 49 by South Carolina in Columbia.
  • UK is 3-4 overall and 1-4 in the SEC when trailing at halftime this season.
• The Wildcats cut the South Carolina lead to nine in the third quarter with Jaida Roper hitting three free throws by the Gamecocks answered by ending the first half on a 10-3 run to take a 59-43 lead into the fourth quarter.
  • UK went the final 5:05 of the third quarter without a field goal.

• UK has 216 3-pointers this season, which ranks third most in program history.
• Kentucky shot 29.6 percent from the field in the game, which was its second-lowest percentage this season. 

• South Carolina’s 67 points scored was its second-fewest points scored in a league game this season.
  • South Carolina did not hit a 3 in the game, which is the first time this season they have been held without a 3-pointer.
• Kentucky has secured a winning record in league play for the 11th time in 13 years under Matthew Mitchell.
• Kentucky has earned another 20-win season under Matthew Mitchell, the 10th in his 13-year tenure.
  • This is the 20th time in 46 seasons that UK has won 20 or more games.

 
Player Notes

• Sophomore guard Rhyne Howard scored a game-high 24 points with 11 rebounds.

  • Howard has 1,057 career points, moving up to a tie for 30th all-time in scoring in program history.
    • Howard needs 14 more to tie for 29^th.
  • Howard has hit 142 career 3-pointers, which ranks eighth most in program history.
    • Howard needs 20 more makes from 3 to tie Jenny Pfeffier for seventh all-time on that list at 162 makes.
  • Howard has hit 68 3-pointers this season, ranking seventh on the UK single-season list.
  • Howard has now scored 20 or more points in 17 games.
  • Howard has scored 20 or more points in 12 of her last 13 games.
  • This was the 18th time this season and 34th time in her career that Howard has led UK in scoring.
  • This was the 12th time this season and 31st career time that Howard has led UK in rebounds.
  • Howard led UK with three assists.
  • In 55 career games, Howard has recorded some impressive numbers:
    • Hit at least one 3 in 49 career games
    • Made three or more 3s in 23 games
    • Made five or more 3s in 9 games
    • Scored 10+ points in 48 games
    • Scored 15+ points in 39 games
    • Scored 20+ points in 27 games
    • Scored 25+ points in 16 games
    • Scored 30+ points in 3 games
    • Led UK in scoring in 34 games
    • Led UK in rebounding in 31 games
• Junior forward KeKe McKinney went 3-of-7 from 3 in the game, tying a career high in 3s made.