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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
No. 1 KENTUCKY vs. MURRAY STATE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMEBER 25, 2020
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.  
 
No. 11 Kentucky 86, Murray State 60 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 1-0 on the year, while Murray State is 0-1. This was the season opener for both teams.   
  • UK is now 102-17 all-time against teams making up the current alignment of the OVC.
• This was the 15th all-time meeting between Kentucky and Murray State in women’s basketball.
  • Kentucky leads the all-time series 15-0, including a 7-0 mark in neutral-site games.
  • This was the third meeting between the two schools since 1994 with UK holding a 3-0 record.
• Kyra Elzy is in her first season as interim head coach at Kentucky.
  • This was Elzy’s first win as a head coach.
• UK is now 39-8 all-time in season openers, including winning 12 in a row.
• The Wildcats are now 43-4 all-time in home openers, including winning 12 in a row.
• Kentucky has had great success playing in Memorial Coliseum, holding a 462-159 all-time record. UK is 1-0 this season and 1-0 under Coach Elzy in the historic building.
• Kentucky is ranked 11th in the latest AP Top 25 and 12th in the latest USA Today/Coaches Top 25.
• Kentucky will return to action Sunday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. ET vs. Belmont. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network and Darren Headrick will have the call on the UK Sports Network.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior forward KeKe McKinney, senior guard Chasity Patterson, sophomore forward Dre’una Edwards, junior guard Blair Green and sophomore guard Emma King.
  • UK is now 1-0 using this starting combination this season.
  • Chasity Patterson scored first for Kentucky in the game.
  • This was the first career start for Emma King and Dre’una Edwards.
• After Murray State grabbed a 3-0 lead to start the game, Chasity Patterson took over for the Wildcats scoring UK’s first nine points including a 3-pointer to start a 11-0 UK run.
  • At the conclusion of the 11-0 run, UK held a 17-5 lead.
• Kentucky ended the first quarter with a 30-14 lead, shooting 64.7 percent from the field and going 3-of-5 from 3.
  • The 30 points was just five off the most points UK has ever scored in the first quarter.
• The Wildcats continued their strong play in the second quarter, outscoring Murray State 21-12 to take a 51-26 lead into the break.
  • UK was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line in the first half, including Chasity Patterson going a perfect 9-of-9.
• Although UK was outrebounded in the first half 21-18, the Wildcats outscored the Racers 11-0 in fast-break points and nine of their 17 made field goals were assisted.
• All four of Kentucky’s post players had two fouls in the first half with Edwards picking up two in the first few minutes of the game.
• Kentucky had their best free-throw shooting performance in a season opener (min. 20 att.) (81.8%) since Nov. 13, 2009 vs. Boston (86.2%, 25-29).
• UK forced Murray State into 32 turnovers, marking the first time UK has forced a team into 30 turnovers or more since Dec. 11, 2019 vs. Winthrop.
• Prior to the game, interim head coach Kyra Elzy announced a three-game suspension for Tatyana Wyatt for violation of team rules and a two-game suspension for Rhyne Howard for not upholding the standards of the program.

 
Player Notes

• Senior guard Chasity Patterson scored a game-high 30 points in the game, finishing one-point shy of the school record for points scoring a season-opener by a Wildcats. 

  • Patterson was lights out in the first half, going 5-of-6 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3 and 9-of-9 from the free-throw line for 21 first-half points.
    • She also had four rebounds, two assists and three steals.
  • She is the third player in school history to score at least 30 points in a season opener (31, Leslie Nichols vs. Marshall, Nov. 22, 1985; 30, Valerie Still vs. UT-Chattanooga, Nov. 30, 1981).
  • Patterson ended with a career-high six rebounds and eight steals.
  • This was the 12th time in her career she has scored 10 or more points and the second 30-point scoring game of her career.
  • Patterson went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line in the game.
  • This was the eighth time in her career she has had two or more steals.
  • This was the third time Patterson has led UK in scoring.
  • This was the sixth time she has led UK in assists and steals.
• Sophomore guard Blair Green started and went 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3 for 13 points.
  • This was the third time in her career she has hit three or more 3s, tying a career high.
  • This was the 11th time Green has scored 10 or more points in a game.
  • Green added four rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.
• Junior forward KeKe McKinney scored six points with three rebounds, two blocks and four steals.
  • McKinney’s two blocks move her up to 87 career blocks, which ranks 10th all-time at UK. She needs six more to tie Alyssa Rice for ninth all-time.
  • McKinney’s four steals ties a career high.
• Freshman guard Treasure Hunt scored 12 points in the game going 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-5 from 3 in 13 minutes.
  • Hunt’s 12 points ties the 11th most points scored by a UK player in their varsity debut.