KENTUCKY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
No. 24 Kentucky vs. (rv) Texas A&M
Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.
Jan. 8, 2017
FINAL SCORE: No. 24 Kentucky 68, Texas A&M 77
Team Records and Series Notes
– Matthew Mitchell is in his 10th season with Kentucky. Mitchell is 258-124 overall as a head coach and 228-95 during his tenure at Kentucky.
– Currently, UK is No. 24 in the Associated Press Top 25. Kentucky has been ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 since week 13 of the 2009-10 season, which is a program-record streak of 141 weeks.
– With today’s loss, Kentucky drops to 4-3 in the overall series record against the Aggies.
o Kentucky now trails the Aggies 2-1 in games played in Lexington.
o Last season, Kentucky earned a 71-58 victory in College Station.
– Kentucky will return to action Thursday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. ET, when the Wildcats head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network+ and on the UK Sports Radio Network in Lexington on 630AM WLAP.
Team Notes
– Kentucky used the starting five of Makayla Epps, Evelyn Akhator, Maci Morris, Alyssa Rice and Taylor Murray.
o UK is 7-4 this season with that starting-five combination.
– With today’s loss, UK falls to 10-6 overall this season.
o In the latest NCAA RPI report, UK has the fourth-toughest schedule in the nation.
o The Wildcats were handed their first loss of the season in Memorial Coliseum, dropping to 10-1 in the historic building this season.
o Today’s loss snapped a 15-game winning streak inside Memorial Coliseum for Kentucky.
– UK is now 1-2 in Southeastern Conference games.
– Despite leading for a majority of the contest (27:12), a 3-pointer from TAMU’s Curtyce Knox with 6:13 remaining in the game would put the Aggies up 60-58 and Kentucky would not lead the remainder of the game.
– The Aggies outrebounded the Wildcats 38-26, including 15-8 off the offensive glass.
– Kentucky made just two of its’ last 10 field goal attempts.
– On the defensive end, Kentucky won in the blocks category 6-2.
– UK once again led its opponent in points in the paint, 40-30
o The Wildcats have led their opponents in the category in 11 of 16 games, in addition to one game in which they tied their opponent 36-36.
Individual Notes
– Makayla Epps led the team in scoring with 20 points.
o Epps also added four rebounds and two assists.
o It was the senior’s sixth 20+ point game of the season and the 25th of her career.
o Epps is just eight points away from moving up to No. 10 all-time at Kentucky in scoring.
o Her 1,479 career points currently ranks 12th in UK history.
– Evelyn Akhator also added 20 points, four rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
o Her 20 points marked just her second career game with at least 20 points after posting 28 in the second game of the season against Albany on Nov. 12.
o The senior led the team in scoring for the third time of the season.
– Taylor Murray poured in 11 points to go along with four rebounds and five assists.
o Her five assists marked a season high for the sophomore point guard.
o Recorded double-digit scoring for the ninth time in her career.
– Maci Morris had six points, two rebounds and one block today.
o Morris did not score a basket after the first quarter.
o Has made a 3-pointer in 13-of-16 games this season.
o Her six points marked her second lowest scoring output of the season.
– Paige Poffenberger posted a career-high five points in just 10 active minutes.
o The freshman also tied a career-high with one steal.
– Alyssa Rice tallied four points, four boards and two blocks.
– Jaida Roper added two points, one board and one steal in 11 minutes of action.
