Nov. 14, 2014

Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery 

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky begins its 41st season of varsity women’s basketball and is now 387-145 (.739).
• Matthew Mitchell is in his eighth season as the head coach of the Wildcats. He already ranks first on UK’s all-time wins list with 171 and a winning percentage of .707 percent.
• This was the first meeting between Kentucky and Appalachian State.
• UK is now 33-8 all-time in season-openers and has won six straight.
• UK is now 37-4 in home openers and has won six straight.
• UK has now won 45 consecutive games vs. non-conference opponents in Memorial Coliseum during the regular season.
• Tonight’s attendance was 4,887.
• Next up: UK will play host to No. 8/9 Baylor on Monday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. ET in Rupp Arena for its annual “Pack the House” game. It will be broadcast on ESPN2 with Beth Mowins and Carolyn Peck calling the action. Monday marks the first game in ESPN’s seventh annual College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon – more than 24 hours of consecutive coverage to mark the start of the 2014-15 season over Monday, Nov. 17 and Tuesday, Nov. 18 – will feature 19 men’s and women’s college basketball games across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. 

First Half Notes

• UK started with the first-time lineup of Jennifer O’Neill, Janae Thompson, Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, Bria Goss and Azia Bishop.
• Kyvin Goodin-Rogers started her first career game after sitting out last season with a pulmonary embolism. She started the game with back-to-back 3-pointers and a block in the first two possessions of the game, and scored eight of the Wildcats’ first 10 points.
• It marked Azia Bishop’s first starting nod since Feb. 2, 2014 in a 63-56 win.
• UK scored the first 10 points before allowing an ASU free throw. Kentucky went the first 2:11 of the game without allowing a point.
• Kentucky had five different players score a point before the first media timeout, with Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, Bria Goss, Jennifer O’Neill, Janee Thompson and Linnae Harper all scoring before the 15:46 TV timeout.
• It took the Mountaineers 4:47 to score their first field goal on the Wildcats’ defense.
• Freshman Alyssa Rice scored her first collegiate points six minutes into the first half on a rebound and put-back.
• Sophomore Linnae Harper scored six-straight points for the Wildcats to push UK’s lead to 38-18 with 9:33 remaining in the opening frame to force the Mountaineers into their timeout. She was the first UK player in double figures, scoring her 10th point with 9:35 to go in the half.
• Freshman Alexis Jennings scored her first-career point on a free throw with 8:25 remaining in the half.
• All 10 players for Kentucky that saw the floor in the first half scored at least two points.
• UK shot 53 percent from the field, making 19 field goals on 36 attempts.  
• Kentucky had 13 assists on 19 made baskets in the first half.
• UK scored 24 points off turnovers in the first half, countered by 17 by ASU.
• The Wildcats held the Mountaineers to 42% shooting from the field and forced 17 turnovers in the first half.
• Kentucky took a 58-42 lead into the locker room.

Second Half Notes

• UK began the second half with the same starting five who started the game.
• The Wildcats scored the first five points of the half thanks to a Jennifer O’Neill 3-point FG, and two Kyvin Goodin-Rogers field goals.
• Kentucky raced out to an 11-4 run to start the second half, forcing an ASU timeout after the Wildcats extended their lead to a game-high 23 points at the time.
• UK held the Mountaineers scoreless for almost five minutes, holding ASU to no points from the 16:41 mark to the 11:58 mark of the second stanza.
• Kentucky went on a 10-0 run to take the game into the under-four media timeout to give UK its largest lead of 34, taking the 101-65 lead, and eclipsing 100 points for the game.
• Jennifer O’Neill led all scorers in the second half with 14 points. It was her fourth-career game scoring 20-plus points. She also has now scored in double-figures in 24 of UK’s last 36 games.
• UK outscored Appalachian State 53-32 in the second half.
• The Wildcats led by as many as 40 points.

Team/Game Notes

• Kentucky moves to 66-3 under Matthew Mitchell when scoring 80 or more points. The Wildcats are also a perfect 31-0 under Mitchell when scoring 90 or more points.
• Tonight marked the 15th time under Mitchell that Kentucky has scored 100 points or more. UK is 15-0 in those games.
• UK has now scored 100 or more points in two of its last four games dating back to postseason play in 2014. (Wright State, March 22, 2014, NCAA Tournament, First Round).
• Kentucky outscored Appalachian State 50-24 in the paint.
• The Wildcats shot 39-of-75 from the field (52 percent).
• UK’s 39 field goals made ties for the ninth-most in a single game.
• UK made nine 3-point field goals.
• Kentucky attempted 38 free throws, making 24 of them. It was the most free throws attempted by UK since it tried 38 from the stripe against Ole Miss on Feb. 13, 2014.
• UK finished with seven players in double figures, led by Jennifer O’Neill who had a team-high 20 points. Janee Thompson (10), Kyvin Goodin-Rogers (11), Makayla Epps (16), Linnae Harper (17), Alexis Jennings (10) and Azia Bishop (14) also were in double figures.
• Ten of the 11 UK players that entered the game scored.
• UK won the turnover battle 31-21 and the Wildcats scored 43 points off turnovers.
• UK had 24 assists on 39 made field goals.

Individual Notes

• Sophomore Kyvin Goodin-Rogers started in her first career game after sitting out last season with a pulmonary embolism, and scored the Wildcats’ first six points.
  • Ended the game with 11 points and six rebounds … Also had an assist and five made free throws (5-6).
• The sophomore class of Makayla Epps, Kyvin Goodin-Rogers and Linnae Harper combined for 44 of Kentucky’s 111 points.
  • Trio also combined for 17 rebounds and eight of UK’s 24 assists
• Fifth-year senior Jennifer O’Neill led all UK scorers with 20 points.
  • Had five free throws and eight rebounds.
  • Fourteen of her 20 points came in the second half.
  • Scored nine of her 20 points from the 3-point line, going 3-5 from beyond the arc.
  • Needs five more to become the 30th member of UK’s 1,000-point club.
• Makayla Epps came off the bench and tied a career-high with 16 points.
  • Also scored 16 points last season against South Carolina on Feb. 20, 2014.
• Linnae Harper, who finished with 17 points just one shy of her career high, was the first UK player to reach double figures, scoring her 10th point with 9:33 to go in the first half
  • Now has double-figure points in 15 career games.