Kentucky-Middle Tennessee State Postgame Notes

Dec. 13, 2014

Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery

Kentucky improves to 9-1, while Middle Tennessee falls to 4-3.
Kentucky improves to 721-487 (61.6) all-time in 41 seasons of varsity women’s basketball and 188-89 (80.4) in the month of December.
- UK has now won 17 of its last 18 games in the month of December.
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 179 and winning percentage of .719.
This was the 17th meeting between the programs since UK became a varsity sport in 1974-75.
- Kentucky now leads the all-time series 13-4 overall and is now 8-1 in Lexington.
- UK has won the last three meetings, including seven in a row vs. MT in Memorial Coliseum.
Kentucky improves to 390-144 all-time in Memorial, including a 100-16 record under Matthew Mitchell.
- UK has now won 48 straight regular-season non-conference games at Memorial Coliseum, dating back to Dec. 19, 2008.
- This was UK’s eighth-straight win at home which ties the 10th-longest home winning streak in program history.
UK is now 43-17 all-time against teams in the current alignment of Conference USA.
Tonight’s attendance was 4,671.
Next up: UK will face Belmont at Memorial Coliseum Sunday night at 6 p.m. ET. The game also will be televised on the SEC Network.

UK started with the lineup of Jennifer O’Neill, Janee Thompson, Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, Bria Goss and Alyssa Rice.
- It was the first time Mitchell has used this lineup, marking the second starting five of the season.
UK went on an 18-2 run to give UK an 11-point lead at 27-16 after trailing 14-9.
Freshman Alexis Jennings scored the final nine points of the half, including her second-career 3-pointer to give UK a 41-26 lead into the break.
- Her 11 points and six rebounds in the first half set new career highs.
UK outrebounded MTSU 26-12 including a 16-5 edge on the defensive glass.
Makayla Epps went 4-for-4 from the floor in the first half, scoring eight points.
UK shot 51.6 percent on 16-of-31 from the floor.
Kentucky is 66-0 under Matthew Mitchell when leading by at least 11 points at halftime.

UK began the second half with Makayla Epps replacing Kyvin Goodin-Rogers from the original starting five.
Jen O’Neill scored 18 of her 22 points in the second half.
UK went 14-for-31 (45.2) from the floor.
Kentucky had 21 rebounds in the second half to MTSU’s 19.

Kentucky forced 25 turnovers and has now forced 20 or more in nine of 10 games this season.

UK had three players score in double figures.
The Wildcats had 31 bench points, more than doubling the Blue Raiders’ 10.
- The 31 bench points are the most since UK had 56 vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 28.
UK went 13-of-18 from the free throw line for 72.2 percent.
- Marked the second-highest FT percentage for a single game this season (72.2)
Kentucky went 30-of-62 from the floor, shooting 48.4 percent.
- Marked the second-highest percentage of the season.

Senior Jennifer O’Neill had 22 points and four rebounds in the game.
- Now has 1,137 career points and needs three more to tie her teammate Bria Goss for No. 22 all-time (1,140).
- Scored 18 of her 22 points in the second half.
- Has scored in double figures in nine of 10 games this season, including two straight.
  - Has scored 15 or more points in seven games.
Sophomore Makayla Epps came off the bench for 12 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting night.
- Has scored in double figures in nine of the 10 games, including seven straight.
- Had six steals, a new season high and just one shy of her career high.
- Kentucky was +23 when she was on the floor, the highest of any UK player in the game.
Freshman Alexis Jennings charted career highs in points (11), rebounds (7) and blocks (2).
- Marks her second-career double-figure scoring game.
- Had two blocks, setting a new career high in that category.
Sophomore Linnae Harper came off the bench and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
- Marked her fourth game with at least eight boards, including second straight.
- Ranks second on the team in rebounding average with 6.5 rpg.

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