Kentucky-Auburn Postgame Notes

Jan. 8, 2015

Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery

Kentucky improves to 14-2, 3-0 SEC, while Auburn falls to 9-7, 0-3 SEC.
Kentucky moves to 726-488 (63.7) all-time in 41 seasons of varsity women’s basketball and 191-158 (55.8) in the month of January.
Matthew Mitchell, UK’s all-time winningest coach, improves to 214-102 overall, 184-73 at UK.
- Mitchell is now 74-37 in SEC play and 9-2 vs. Auburn.
Kentucky improves to 394-144 all-time in Memorial, including 104-16 under Matthew Mitchell.
- This was UK’s 12th-straight win at home which is the seventh-longest home winning streak in program history.
This was the 44th meeting between the programs since UK became a varsity sport in 1974-75.
- Auburn leads the all-time series 25-19.
- Kentucky has won seven in row over Auburn and five straight in Memorial Coliseum.
Kentucky is 3-0 in SEC play for the first time since the 2012-13 season and the third time under Mitchell.
Tonight’s attendance was 4,587.
Next up: UK will travel to Columbia, S.C., to take on No. 1 South Carolina Sunday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be shown on ESPN2 with Pam Ward and Carolyn Peck calling the action.

UK started with the lineup of Janee Thompson, Alexis Jennings, Linnae Harper, Makayla Epps and Azia Bishop for the first time this season.
- Marked UK’s fifth different starting five this season.
- Freshman Alexis Jennings’ first career start.
Sophomore Linnae Harper led UK with nine points to go along with three rebounds, an assist and a block.
UK forced Ole Miss into nine turnovers. Kentucky scored 12 points off of the Tigers’ turnovers. Auburn only managed to score two points off of UK’s six turnovers.
Kentucky had the lead from the tip and never trailed in the first half. There was one tie at 2-2.
UK went on a 10-0 run midway through the first half to extend its lead from 12-10 to 22-10. UK would match its 12-point half-time lead when Makayla Epps hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give UK a 37-25 lead going into the break.
- Marked UK’s largest halftime lead since leading 47-35 (+12) vs. Tennessee State on 12/28/14.
Kentucky shot 46.7 percent from the floor, going 14-of-30 in the opening half, including 3-of-8 (37.5) from 3-point range.
Auburn’s 25 points were the second-lowest this season for a UK opponent in the first half. Morehead State scored 24 vs. Kentucky on Nov. 19.
The Wildcats went 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.
UK is now 6-0 when leading at the half. It marked UK’s first half-time lead in SEC play this season.

UK began the second half with the same starting five it began the game with, Janee Thompson, Linnae Harper, Makayla Epps, Azia Bishop and Alexis Jennings.
After Auburn scored the first two points of the half, Kentucky then scored the next eight, sparked by four straight points from Alexis Jennings.
After Auburn closed the UK lead to 10 points with under four minutes to go, UK went on a 14-4 run to close the game, with Makayla Epps scoring five in that stretch.
Kentucky had 10 assists on 14 made baskets.
UK went 14-of-35, shooting 40.0 from the floor in the second half.
UK outscored Auburn 41-32 in the second half.

The 21-point win marks the largest margin of victory over an SEC opponent since defeating Ole Miss last season, 108-78.
UK held Auburn to 57 points, tying the second-lowest point total by an opponent this season.
Kentucky forced 25 turnovers and has now forced 20 or more in 15 of 16 games this season, including nine straight.
- UK scored 23 points off the turnovers.
- UK is now 13-1 this season when forcing double-digit turnovers.
The Wildcats outscored Auburn 28-18 in bench points.
UK charted 10 steals, the fifth straight game with double-digit steals.
Tonight was UK’s third win by 20 or more points (Appalachian State, 37 and Morehead State, 29).

Senior guard Jen O’Neill scored 17 points off the bench.
- Hit a career high tying five 3-pointers, accounting for 15 of her 17 points in the game.
- Also had four assists, just one shy of her season high mark.
- Moved up to No. 17 on UK’s all-time scoring list with 1,199 points in her career.
  - Needs 17 more to overtake Stacy McIntyre (1989-92, 1,199).
  - With 169 career 3-pointers, now needs six more to move up to No. 4 on UK’s all-time 3-pointers made list Stacey Reed (1991-95, 175).
Sophomore guard Linnae Harper scored 15 points, while grabbing five rebounds.
- Marks her 11th double-figure scoring game this season and second straight.
- Tied her career high with one block in the game.
Sophomore guard Makayla Epps scored 12 points for her fourth-straight game in double figures.
- Now has 12 or more points in 11 games this season.
- Had a season-high tying six assists, just one off her season high.
- Has four or more rebounds the last three games.
Freshman forward/center Alexis Jennings scored 12 points in her first career start
- Marked her sixth career game with double figures, including sixth in the last seven games.
Senior center Azia Bishop had impressive game with eight points, a game-high 10 rebounds and a team-high high five blocks and four steals.
- Marked her 11th career game with double-figure boards, her fourth this season.
- Now has 129 career blocks and needs 27 more to tie Valerie Still (1979-83, 156) at No. 3 on UK’s all-time blocks list.

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