KENTUCKY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss
Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.
Jan. 26, 2017
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 89, Ole Miss 57
Team Records and Series Notes
– Matthew Mitchell is in his 10th season with Kentucky. Mitchell improves to 264-124 overall as a head coach, including 234-95 during his 10 seasons at Kentucky.
– Mitchell earned his 97th Southeastern Conference win tonight, which is the 10th most in league history.
– Mitchell improves to 8-3 over the Rebels.
– UK improves to 17-22 all-time against Ole Miss.
– UK has now won five straight SEC games for its longest winning streak of the season.
– Kentucky will return to action on Monday, Jan. 30 against Missouri. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network. The game also will be broadcast live on the UK Sports Network with Neil Price.
Team Notes
– Kentucky used the starting five of Makayla Epps, Evelyn Akhator, Maci Morris, Alyssa Rice and Taylor Murray.
o UK is now 12-4 this season with that starting-five combination.
– With today’s win, UK improves to 15-6 overall this season.
o UK is now 6-2 in Southeastern Conference games.
– UK is now 14-1 overall, 6-0 in league play when leading at the half this season.
– After Ole Miss scored the first two points, Kentucky went on went on an 8-0 run to force a Rebel timeout in the opening quarter.
o Kentucky led 24-12 at the end of the first period, with 20 of its 24 points coming in the paint.
o UK held Ole Miss to just 33.3 percent (5-of-15) shooting in the quarter.
– Kentucky then held the Rebels to just six points in the second stanza, extending its lead to 46-18.
o This was the 15th quarter in which the Wildcats have held their opponents to single digits this season.
– The Wildcats extended their lead to 59-22 (37) by the midpoint of the third period by starting the quarter on a 13-4 run.
o Ole Miss fought back with a 7-0 run, but UK would hold onto a 71-36 command at the end of the quarter.
– Ole Miss had its highest scoring quarter of the game in the fourth stanza with 21 points, but UK would win the game 89-57.
o Kentucky’s 89 points marked its highest total in SEC play this season and its second highest overall this season (92 vs. New Hampshire, 11/07/16).
o The win was also UK’s largest margin of victory in league play this season, winning by 32 points.
o It was the first time Kentucky has won an SEC game by more than 30 points since Feb. 13, 2014, also against the Rebels (108-78).
– Overall, the Wildcats held its opponent to just 37.7 percent shooting (23-of-61).
– UK had 23 assists in the contests, which marks the second time the team has had 20 or more assists this season and the first time in SEC play.
– UK outscored the Rebels in the paint 44-36 and outrebounded them 38-23.
Individual Notes
– Evelyn Akhator had a game-high 28 points and 13 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season.
o Akhator’s 25 career double-doubles is in sole possession of fourth in UK history in the category.
o Tonight was her sixth 20-point game of the season and the eighth in her career.
o She has posted 20 or more points in five of the last six games.
– Makayla Epps scored 20 points to go along with six assists.
o She now has 1,554 career points, which ranks eighth on UK’s all-time scoring list.
o With six assists tonight, Epps now has 372 career assists which moves her up to No. 8 on UK’s all-time list.
– Maci Morris posted 17 points on 5-of-9 three-point shooting.
o Morris’ five made 3-pointers marks a season high, and ties her career high (vs. Eastern Michigan, 11/25/15).
o In the last two games, the sophomore has combined for nine made shots from beyond the arc.
– Taylor Murray dished out a career-high eight assists in the contest.
o Her previous career high was just six, and her season high just five.
o She also added eight points and five rebounds.
– Jaida Roper tied her career-high scoring mark with seven points.
o It was the third time this season she’s scored that total.
o She also posted her second-highest assist total of the season with five dimes.
