Feb. 16, 2012

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Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky falls to 21-5, 10-3 SEC, while Alabama improves to 11-16, 2-11 SEC.
• Kentucky is 22-16 against Alabama all-time, and 9-18 when the game is played in Tuscaloosa.
  • UK head coach Matthew Mitchell is 5-1 against the Crimson Tide.
  • The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak vs. the Crimson Tide. It marks UK’s first loss to Alabama since Jan. 9, 2005 in Tuscaloosa.
• Coach Matthew Mitchell is 137-83 overall and 107-54 at UK.
• Kentucky is 649-469 in 38 years of varsity play.
  • The Wildcats are 142-216 all-time in SEC play, and 45-28 under the direction of Mitchell.
• UK is 4-3 in SEC road games this season.
• Kentucky plays again Monday against Vanderbilt at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

First Half Notes

• Kentucky used the starting lineup of Amber Smith, A’dia Mathies, Bria Goss, Azia Bishop and Samarie Walker for the first time this season. It was the seventh different starting lineup of the season for the Cats.
  • UK has started a freshman in 129-of-161 games in the Matthew Mitchell era, including 96 straight.
• Alabama stretched its nine-point lead to an 18-point lead with a 9-0 run late in the first half to go up 41-23 at the 3:09 mark.
• Junior guard A’dia Mathies scored a team-high eight points, grabbed a team-high tying two rebounds, dished out a team-high two assists and had a team-high three steals in the opening half.
• Kentucky trailed Alabama 28-50 heading into the locker room.
  • The Wildcats are 4-5 this season when trailing at the half, 2-3 in SEC play.
  • Alabama’s 50 first-half points are the most points scored in any half by a UK opponent this season.
  • Kentucky’s 22-point first half deficit was its largest this season.

Second Half Notes

• Trailing 38-59, UK went on a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to eight points at 51-59 with 11:38 to go.
  • The Wildcats held Alabama scoreless for 5:52 spanning from 15:42 to 9:50.
• Kentucky cut the deficit to as few as four on two occasions (70-74, and 72-76) with 34.4 and 7.8 seconds to play, respectively.
• Junior guard A’dia Mathies hit a 3-pointer with one second remaining in the game to cut Alabama’s lead to two at 75-77, but Alabama would inbound the ball and UK couldn’t foul before the clock hit zero.
• Kentucky outscored Alabama 47-27 in the second half.
  • Kentucky’s 47 second-half points mark its highest second-half scoring output in SEC play.
  • UK’s 47 points in the second half is its second highest scoring output in any half in SEC play this season. The Wildcats scored 50 points in the opening half against Mississippi State (1/8/12).

Team/Game Notes

• UK is 44-30 (.595) in games decided by 10 points or less under Mitchell. The Wildcats are 6-3 in such games this season.
• Kentucky forced 30 turnovers in the game.
  • UK has forced double-digit miscues in 108 consecutive games. The Cats are 78-30 during that span.
  • Kentucky has forced an SEC-high 749 turnovers this season (28.81 per game).
  • The Cats are now 56-6 since 1979-80 season when forcing 30 or more turnovers, including now 16-1 in the Matthew Mitchell era.
  • Kentucky has forced at least 10 turnovers in 44 of 52 halves this season.
  • It was the third conference game this season that UK had forced 30 or more turnovers.
• Kentucky won the turnover battle (22-30).
  • UK has forced at least 20 turnovers in 23 of 26 games this season.
• With four made 3-pointers, UK extended its streak of consecutive games with a triple to 283.
• Attendance was 1,156.

Individual Notes

• Junior guard A’dia Mathies scored 26 points, grabbed four rebounds, passed out a team-high five assists and had a team-high six steals.
  • Mathies’ 11 made field goals tie her career high.
  • Mathies’ 26 points give her 1,311 points in her career. She is 15th on the all-time scoring list and is 26 points shy of tying Belitta Croley at No. 14 all-time.
  • Mathies’ six steals give her 234 for her career, the seventh most all-time. Mathies is nine steals shy of tying LaTonya McDole at No. 6 on the all-time steals list.
  • Thursday night’s game was Mathies’ ninth 20-point game of the season.
  • Mathies has recorded at least one steal in 24 of 25 games played this season.
  • Has scored 10 or more points in 20 of the 25 games she’s played this season.
• Freshman guard Bria Goss scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds.
  • It was Goss’ 19th double-figure scoring game of the season, the fourth most in UK freshman history.
  • Goss’ two 3-pointers give her 31 made 3s this season, tied for the fifth most in UK freshman history. Goss is seven 3s shy of moving into a tie for fourth place with Natalie Martinez (1996-97).
• Sophomore forward Samarie Walker scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and had a career-high tying three steals.
• Freshman forward/center Azia Bishop scored eight points and grabbed a team-high six boards to go with her team-high two blocks.
  • It was the first start of Bishop’s collegiate career.
  • Bishop’s two blocks give her 24 on the season, the sixth most in UK freshman history. Bishop is now one block shy of tying Victoria Dunlap (2007-08) at No. 5 on the all-time freshman blocks list.