Nov. 25, 2011

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Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky improves to 6-0 overall, while Sam Houston State falls to 2-2.
  • This is Kentucky’s best start to a season since the 2009-10 season when Kentucky started 11-0.
• Kentucky is now 2-0 against Sam Houston State all-time, and 1-0 against the Bearkats in Memorial Coliseum.
  • This was Matthew Mitchell’s first matchup against Sam Houston State.
• Coach Matthew Mitchell is now 122-78 overall and 92-49 at UK.
  • With the win, Coach Mitchell moves into third place all-time at Kentucky in wins.
  • Mitchell is the second fastest coach to reach 92 wins at Kentucky (141 games).
• UK has won 26 consecutive nonconference games at home dating back to the 2008-09 season.
  • UK is 35-2 at Memorial Coliseum over the past three seasons.
  • UK is 55-12 at Memorial Coliseum under the direction of Mitchell.
• Kentucky is now 634-464 in 38 years of varsity play.
• Kentucky plays again Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against Mississippi Valley State at Memorial Coliseum. The game will be televised by the UK IMG Sports Network and Fox Sports South.

First Half Notes

• Kentucky used the starting lineup of Amber Smith, A’dia Mathies, Bria Goss, Kastine Evans and Samantha Drake for the second straight game.
  • Kentucky is 2-0 with this lineup.
  • UK has started a freshman in 109-of-141 games in the Matthew Mitchell era, including 76 straight.
• Kentucky closed the half on a 6-0 run.
• Kentucky forced 12 first-half turnovers, with 11 of them coming from Wildcat steals.
• Kentucky led 35-28 heading into the locker room.

Second Half Notes

• Key run: Kentucky went on an 18-4 run, spanning 8:16, to take a 61-39 lead. The Bearkats made just one field goal during the run.
  • Kentucky led by at least 19 points for the remainder of the game.
• The Wildcats outscored Sam Houston State 38-24 in the second half.

Team/Game Notes

• Kentucky forced Sam Houston State into 26 turnovers and has forced double-digit miscues in 88 consecutive games. The Cats are 63-25 during that span.
  • Kentucky is 30-1 when forcing 25-plus miscues.
  • Kentucky has forced 214 turnovers in the first six games of the season (35.7 per game).
  • Kentucky has forced at least 10 turnovers in every half this season.
  • Twenty of the 26 turnovers forced against Sam Houston State came from steals.
• Kentucky won the turnover margin by +12 (26-14).
• UK outscored Sam Houston State 31-14 in points off turnovers.
• UK outrebounded Sam Houston State 51-41, and 25-6 on the offensive glass. UK has won the rebounding battle in all six games this season.
• Kentucky got good production from its bench, outscoring the Bearkats’ bench 34-3.
• With five made 3-pointers, UK extended its streak of consecutive games with a triple to 263.
• Four Wildcats reached double figures in scoring.
• Attendance was 4,164.

Individual Notes

• Senior guard Keyla Snowden scored a team- and season-high 19 points, including four 3-pointers.
  • It was the 13th game in Snowden’s UK career that she has hit at least four 3-pointers.
• Sophomore center Samantha Drake had a double-double, scoring a season-high 11 points to go along with a career-high tying 13 rebounds.
  • It is the second double-double of Drake’s career. Drake’s last double-double came against Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 30, 2010.
  • Drake is averaging 10 points and 11 rebounds over the last two games.
• Junior guard A’dia Mathies recorded six steals to go along with 10 points and five rebounds.
  • Mathies’ six steals move her up to No. 10 on UK’s career steals list (193).
  • Mathies has 21 steals over the last three games (7 spg).
  • Mathies is now two points away from tying Sandy Hardin (1983-1987) at No. 27 on UK’s all-time scoring list.
• Freshman guard Bria Goss reached double figures in scoring for the fifth straight game, netting 10 points against Sam Houston State.
• Senior guard Amber Smith scored six points and dished out a season-high six assists to go with a career-high tying four steals.
  • Smith is averaging 4.3 assists per game.
  • Smith is now eight assists away from tying Tracye Davis (1987-1991) at No. 7 on the all-time assists list.
• Sophomore guard Kastine Evans grabbed a season-high six rebounds.