KENTUCKY WBB POSTGAME NOTES
Sacramento State at Kentucky
Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.
Attendance: 4,313
Nov. 10, 2017
 
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 101, Sacramento State 70
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Matthew Mitchell is in his 11th season as head coach at Kentucky. He is the winningest head coach in program history at 242-100.
• Tonight’s season opener began the 44th season of varsity women’s basketball at Kentucky.
  • UK has an all-time record of 784-152 overall, including a 431-152 mark all-time in Memorial Coliseum.
• Kentucky has won nine straight home/season openers.
• Tonight’s game was the first ever meeting between Sacramento State and Kentucky in women’s basketball.
  • It was also the first time UK has played against any team in the current alignment of the Big Sky Conference.
• The Wildcats enter the season receiving votes in both the USA Today/Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 and The Associated Press Top 25. UK has been receiving votes or ranked in both preseason listings each of the last eight years.
• Kentucky will be back in action this Sunday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. ET against Gardner Webb inside Memorial Coliseum. The game can be streamed live on the SEC Network+. The game will also be broadcast live on the UK Sports Radio Network with Darren Headrick calling the action.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior Alyssa Rice, senior Makenzie Cann, junior Taylor Murray, junior Maci Morris and freshman Dorie Harrison.

  • UK is 1-0 with that starting-five combination.
• Cann made a 3-pointer with 7:54 to go in the first quarter to give the Wildcats an 8-5 lead, and Kentucky would not trail again in the contest.
• The Wildcats scored a program-record 31 first-quarter points.
  • The previous first-quarter scoring record was 27 points (vs. Morehead State, 11/18/15; vs. Tennessee State, 12/28/15).
• Kentucky ended the first half on an 11-2 run, taking a 14-point lead (56-42) into the break which was its largest lead at the time.
• UK’s 56 first-half points were the second-most points scored in the first half of a season opener in the Matthew Mitchell era (58 vs. Appalachian State, 11/14/14).
• UK stretched its lead to as many as 25 points in the third quarter, outscoring the Hornets 22-13 in the period.
• UK would reach its largest lead of the night at 32 points with just 1:26 remaining in the contest.
• Kentucky maintained control the entire game, outscoring its opponent in all four periods.
• All four of Kentucky’s newcomers scored in their career debuts for the Blue and White.
• Five UK players recorded double-digit scoring performances in the game.
• The Wildcats’ bench outscored Sacramento State’s, 36-11.
  • Kentucky’s 36 bench points surpassed its highest bench production of all last season.
  • The most bench points scored in the 2016-17 season was 35, vs. New Hampshire (11/17/16).

 
Player Notes

• Taylor Murray paced the Wildcats’ scoring efforts with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting.

  • The junior also added five boards, three assists, one block and one steal.
  • Murray’s 22 points mark the third-highest of her Kentucky career.
  • It was the fourth 20-point game of her career, with all three previous 20-point games coming in her sophomore campaign.
  • It was just the third time in her career she’s recorded a block.
• Makenzie Cann posted 17 points in the contest, going 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
  • Cann also added six rebounds and one assist in the game.
  • She tied a career high with three offensive boards.
  • It was her highest point production since Nov. 17 of last season, where she scored a career-high 20 points vs. New Hampshire.
• Freshman Tatyana Wyatt added 13 points in just 15 minutes of play in her collegiate debut.
  • Wyatt went 5-of-6 from the floor, and 2-of-3 from the charity stripe in the contest.
  • She also added two rebounds and one steal.
• Maci Morris had 12 points to go along with four rebounds and two dimes.
  • The junior was 2-of-3 from long range.
• Dorie Harrison was one rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine boards in the game.
  • The freshman center took control in the second half, scoring all of her 10 points after the break.
  • She also had three assists and one block.
• Jaida Roper scored a career-high nine points to go along with three assists.
• Senior Alyssa Rice contributed seven rebounds and four points in the win.