KENTUCKY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
2017 SEC Tournament Semifinals
No. 20 Kentucky vs. No. 5 South Carolina
Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, S.C.
March 4, 2017
FINAL SCORE: #20 Kentucky 77, #5 South Carolina 89
Team Records and Series Notes
– Kentucky is 21-10 overall, while South Carolina is 26-4 overall.
– The two programs met twice in the regular season with USC winning in both.
o UK lost 75-63 at home on Feb. 17.
o UK lost 95-87 in Columbia on Feb. 26 in its regular season finale.
– South Carolina is the overall No. 1 seed in the event and earned a trip to the semifinals after taking down ninth-seeded Georgia, 72-48.
– The Wildcats still own a 33-28 advantage in the overall series between the two teams.
o Kentucky is 2-2 all-time against South Carolina in the SEC Tournament.
o South Carolina has won the last six games against UK.
– Matthew Mitchell is in his 10th season with Kentucky. Mitchell is now 270-128 overall as a head coach, and 240-99 during his tenure at Kentucky.
– The NCAA Selection Show will air Monday, March 13, 2017 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, the Monday prior to the first round of competition.
o In the latest top 16 released Feb. 20 by the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, Kentucky was projected as a No. 4 seed, 15th overall.
Team Notes
– Kentucky used the starting five of Makayla Epps, Evelyn Akhator, Maci Morris, Alyssa Rice and Makenzie Cann.
o This was the first time Kentucky has used that starting-five combination.
– Although USC got out to an early 8-2 lead, both teams shot well in the first quarter.
o UK went 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) from the floor in the first, while USC went 13-of-18 (72.2 percent), but South Carolina used two 3-pointers to give them a 27-20 lead at the end of the period.
– Despite starting the second quarter just 1-of-11 from the floor, Kentucky made five of its last six attempts in the quarter.
o Makayla Epps had 10 of Kentucky’s 16 second-quarter points.
– Kentucky went on a 13-3 run to end the third quarter with just a 3-point deficit (63-60).
o USC did not make a field goal in the last 4:51 of the quarter.
o The Wildcats outscored USC 24-16 in the quarter.
– The Wildcats were within two with 4:13 left in the game, but Kentucky committed 11 fouls in the quarter, giving the Gamecocks 15 attempts from the line.
o The fouls interrupted UK’s shooting, as the Wildcats went just 5-of-20 from the floor in the final quarter.
– Kentucky won the battle on the boards, outrebounding USC 42-26.
o UK limited USC to just four offensive rebounds, while Kentucky grabbed a season-high 20 offensive rebounds.
o With those offensive boards, UK had 18 second chance points while South Caroline only had six.
– The teams were close to evenly matched in the paint, but USC just slightly outscored UK in the paint, 48-46.
Individual Notes
– Makayla Epps scored a season-high 31 points to lead all scorers.
o The senior also had nine rebounds, including a season-high three offensive boards.
o It was Epps’ second 30-point game of the season, and her 12th game of the season with 20 points or more.
o Epps’ 1,739 career points ranks 5th in UK history.
– Evelyn Akhator had 24 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
o It was her 17th double-double of the season.
o Akhator also led the Wildcats on the boards for the 24th time this season.
– Maci Morris added 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and one block.
o It was her 21st game in double-digit scoring this season.
– Alyssa Rice added important minutes for UK, scoring eight points along with six rebounds.
o Rice was forced out of the game as she picked up her fifth foul with 3:54 left in the contest.
– Makenzie Cann started her fourth career game for UK.
o Cann played all 40 minutes for the Cats.
o Although she scored just three points, she was one of just two players to make a 3 for the team.
