Kentucky-Middle Tennessee State Postgame Notes

Dec. 28, 2011

Recap | Box Score | AP Photo Gallery

Kentucky falls to 11-2 overall, while Middle Tennessee improves to 9-5.
Kentucky is now 10-4 against Middle Tennessee all-time.
- UK head coach Matthew Mitchell is now 2-2 against the Lady Raiders.
- Kentucky has not won at Middle Tennessee since Jan. 8, 1989.
Coach Matthew Mitchell is now 127-80 overall and 97-51 at UK.
Kentucky is now 639-466 in 38 years of varsity play.
Kentucky plays again Sunday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET at Florida in each team’s Southeastern Conference opener. The game will be televised on CSS.

Kentucky used the starting lineup of A’dia Mathies, Bria Goss, Kastine Evans, Samarie Walker and Samantha Drake for the first time this season.
- UK has started a freshman in 116-of-148 games in the Matthew Mitchell era, including 83 straight.
Kentucky held Middle Tennessee scoreless for the opening 5:30, forcing four turnovers during the span.
The Wildcats forced 16 first-half turnovers.
UK’s bench outscored the Lady Raiders’ bench 11-0 in the first half.
Kentucky trailed 22-37 heading into the locker room.
- The Wildcats’ 15-point halftime deficit was their largest halftime deficit of the season.
- It was the largest halftime deficit UK faced since trailing by 16 at Georgia on Feb. 17, 2011.

Kentucky opened the second half on a 12-4 run to cut the MT lead to seven at 41-34 at 14:59.
After committing 18 turnovers in the first half, UK turned the ball over just three times in the second stanza.
The Wildcats cut the Lady Raiders’ lead to five points on three separate occasions in the second half, including at the 5:42 mark when an Azia Bishop jumper made it 48-53, but would get no closer.

Wednesday’s loss to Middle Tennessee was Kentucky’s first loss to an unranked opponent since Feb. 17, 2011 when UK lost to Georgia 69-51.
Kentucky forced 28 turnovers in the game.
- UK has forced double-digit miscues in 95 consecutive games. The Cats are 68-27 during that span.
- Kentucky has forced 427 turnovers this season (32.8 per game).
- Kentucky has forced at least 10 turnovers in 24 of 26 halves this season.
- UK has forced at least 22 turnovers in every game this season.
Kentucky again got a wealth of production from its bench, outscoring Middle Tennessee’s bench 29-0.
UK finished with 15 steals. The Wildcats have charted double-figure steals in 12 of 13 games this season.
With two made 3-pointers, UK extended its streak of consecutive games with a triple to 270.
Attendance was 5,186.

Freshman guard Bria Goss scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed six rebounds.
- Goss has reached double figures in scoring in 11 of 13 games this season.
Junior guard A’dia Mathies had eight points all in the second half to go along with a team-high eight rebounds and three steals.
Sophomore guard Kastine Evans grabbed a season-high tying seven rebounds.
Sophomore forward Samarie Walker, who started her first game as a Wildcat, had eight points, six rebounds, a season-high three steals and two blocks.
Freshman forward/center Azia Bishop came off the bench to score eight points in 13 minutes.
Sophomore guard Maegan Conwright scored seven points, her highest output since scoring seven vs. Nebraska Omaha on Nov. 23.

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