KENTUCKY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Kentucky vs. Georgia
Stegeman Coliseum – Athens, Ga.
Feb. 9, 2017
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 66, Georgia 56
Team Records and Series Notes
– Matthew Mitchell is in his 10th season with Kentucky. Mitchell rises to 266-126 overall as a head coach, and 236-97 during his tenure at Kentucky.
– UK improves to 18-36 in the overall series against Georgia.
o Georgia still leads the series 17-6 in games played in Athens.
o This is the second times the two teams have met this season, with UK earning an 82-61 victory over the Lady Bulldogs on Jan. 15 in Lexington.
o The Wildcats have now three of the last four games in Athens.
o Overall, UK has won six of the last eight meetings in the series.
– The Wildcats will have a week-long break, returning to action on Thursday, Feb. 16 as they travel to Arkansas. The game will tip off at 8 p.m. ET on SEC Network+. The game also will be broadcast live on the UK Sports Network with Neil Price on the call.
Team Notes
– Kentucky used the starting five of Makayla Epps, Evelyn Akhator, Maci Morris, Alyssa Rice and Taylor Murray.
o UK is now 14-6 this season with that starting-five combination.
– With today’s victory, UK advances to 17-8 overall this season.
o UK is now 8-4 in Southeastern Conference games.
– Despite a five minute scoring drought in the middle of the first quarter, Kentucky held on to a 19-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.
o In the last contest between the two programs earlier this season, UK outscored Georgia 23-4 in the first period.
– Kentucky extended its lead to two possessions by halftime, leading 36-31.
o The Wildcats went 4-of-11 from the 3-point line in the first half.
– The Wildcats stretched the lead to as many as ten, but both teams put up 12 points in the third quarter.
– A huge breakaway layup from Makayla Epps with 2:25 left, followed by a 3-pointer from Maci Morris with 53 seconds to play helped UK stretch the lead to 10.
o The Wildcats outscored the Lady Bulldogs 18-13 in the final stanza.
o UK held the its opponent to just 26.7 percent shooting in the final quarter.
– With help from Evelyn Akhator’s season-high 17 rebounds, the Wildcats won the battle on the boards, outrebounding the Lady Bulldogs 40-35.
o Before tonight, UGA was averaging 37.5 rebounds per game.
– Even though Georgia only had 10 turnovers, the Wildcats capitalized on those by posting 12 points off turnovers.
– The Wildcats also utilized the free throw line, making 18-of-21 shots from the line, while UGA only got to the line nine times, going just 3-of-9.
Individual Notes
– Makayla Epps led the team in scoring with 16 points.
o Epps’ 1,636 career points ranks 5th in UK history.
o The senior has now led the team in scoring in 24 of 25 games this season.
o Epps entered the game scoring 20 or more points in four straight games.
– Evelyn Akhator posted her 13th double-double of the season with 11 points and 17 boards.
o Akhator’s 17 rebounds mark a season high for the senior.
o She has also led the Wildcats on the boards in 18 of 25 contests.
o Akhator’s 13 double-doubles ties for the fourth most in a season in program history.
– Maci Morris also scored in double digits with 15 points.
o Morris was spotless from the free throw line (8-of-8).
o With a huge 3 in the fourth quarter, Morris has made at least one 3-pointer in 20 of 25 games.
– Taylor Murray led the team in assists with four dimes.
o She also added nine points, two rebounds and two steals.
– Jaida Roper scored a career-high eight points tonight.
o She also made a career-high two 3-pointers, going 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
