Kentucky-Mississippi State Postgame Notes

March 7, 2015

Kentucky wins its fourth straight game to improve to 23-8 overall, while Mississippi State falls to 26-6.
Kentucky moves to 735-494 (61.4) all-time in 41 seasons of varsity women’s basketball.
Matthew Mitchell, UK’s all-time winningest coach, improves to 223-108 overall, 193-79 at UK.
- Mitchell is now 12-7 in SEC Tournament games in his tenure.
UK is advancing to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the 13th time in school history, including seventh time in eight seasons of the Matthew Mitchell era and sixth in a row.
UK improves to 13-12 in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
Kentucky is now 31-35 in the SEC Tournament.
UK now leads the all-time series with Mississippi State 26-17, including 5-2 in the SEC Tournament.
- Kentucky has now won nine straight over the Bulldogs.
Tonight’s attendance for the night session was 4,189.
Next up: UK will face No. 2 seed and fifth-ranked Tennessee Saturday, March 7 in the SEC Tournament semifinals. The game will tip at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET and be shown live on ESPNU with Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck and Cara Capuano.

UK started with the lineup of Jelleah Sidney, Makayla Epps, Bria Goss, Jennifer O’Neill and Azia Bishop.
- This lineup is now 2-0.
Kentucky trailed by as many as 10 points at 30-20 before cutting the MSU lead to four at 41-37 to close the half.
Makayla Epps led UK with 16 points and two rebounds.
Jennifer O’Neill also was in double figures with 12 points, including two 3-pointers.
Kentucky shot 13-of-28 from the floor for 46 percent.

UK opened the second half with Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, Bria Goss, Jennifer O’Neill, Makayla Epps and Azia Bishop.
Kentucky outscored Mississippi State 39-26 in the second half.
Makayla Epps scored 15 of her 31 points in the second half.
UK went on a 30-6 run after trailing by 15 points with 15:08 to play in the second half.
- Kentucky held Mississippi State without a field goal for 10:13 minutes.
UK took its first lead on a 3-pointer by Kyvin Goodin-Rogers with 7:27 to go to give the Wildcats a 61-58 lead.
Kentucky hit 8-of-10 from the free-throw line down the stretch, led by Bria Goss who went 6-of-6 within the final five minutes of the game, including two one-and-one opportunities.

UK improves to 6-5 vs. ranked teams this season. The Wildcats have knocked off four top-15 teams.
Kentucky trailed 15 points in the second half with 15:18 to go.
- Ties the 10th-largest comeback in school history and the second-longest in the Matthew Mitchell era.
- Marks UK’s sixth and largest second-half comeback of the season.
- Kentucky also trailed by double digits in the second half in wins over No. 8/9 Baylor and No. 7/7 Louisville.
UK won the rebounding battle 38-33 for the second-straight game, including a 31-23 edge on the defensive glass.
The Wildcats outscored MSU 35-20 in paint points, winning the battle in the paint for the second straight game.
Kentucky made 21 free throws and moves up to fifth on UK’s single-season list with 545 this season.
UK shot 49.0 percent from the field (25-of-51), the second-highest mark of the season.

Sophomore point guard Makayla Epps led UK in scoring with a game-high 31 points, scoring in double figures for the second time in the last three games, and 24th of the season.
- With a career-high 42 points in the first meeting with MSU, Epps has combined for 73 points in the last two meetings against the Bulldogs.
- Marks her sixth game this season with 20 or more points, her second with 30 or more.
- Hit 12-of-21 from the floor, including a key 3-pointer to give the Wildcats a two-possession lead for the rest of the game.
- Second-most points in an SEC Tournament game behind Valerie Still’s 34 points vs. LSU on Feb. 27, 1982.
Senior guard Jennifer O’Neill scored 18 points her seventh straight game with double figures and 26th in 30 games.
- Also added four rebounds and two assists.
Senior guard Bria Goss scored eight points in the game, all eight coming from the free throw line.
- Has made a school-record 30 consecutive free throws over the last eight games.

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