KENTUCKY WBB POSTGAME NOTES
California at Kentucky
Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.
Dec. 21, 2017
 
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 52, No. 24 Cal 62
 
Team Records and Series Notes
-Kentucky falls to 8-5 this season, while No. 24 Cal rises to 9-2.
-Matthew Mitchell is in his 11th season as head coach at Kentucky. He is the winningest head coach in program history at 249-105.
-Today’s game was the first ever meeting between the two programs.

• UK is now 7-10 against the current alignment of the Pac-12 Conference.
• This was UK’s second game against a Pac-12 team this season, having defeated Washington State, 73-68, in Pullman on Nov. 19.

-Kentucky will take a week-long break, returning to action Thursday, Dec. 28, as they travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to take on Middle Tennessee State at 7:30 p.m. The game will 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 Keke McKinney.

• UK is 2-2 with that starting-five combination.

-The Wildcats used a 10-1 run in the middle of the first quarter to take a 20-15 lead at the end of the first stanza.

• UK led by as many as seven in the first quarter.

-UK went without a field goal for the final 8:05 of the second quarter, and shot just 2-of-11 from the floor in the period.

• Cal capitalized on the Wildcats’ shooting woes, going 6-of-11 (.545) in the second quarter to take a 30-27 lead into the half.
• Cal’s three-point lead at halftime was its largest of the game at the time.

-A layup from Taylor Murray to start the third quarter sparked a 6-0 run for Kentucky to regain the lead, but Cal responded with a 10-0 run to end the period with a 46-37 lead.
-UK cut the lead to six as Tatyana Wyatt made a 3-pointer to start the period, but Cal answered with a layup and the Cats would come no closer.
-Kentucky recorded its lowest field goal percentage since Dec. 2, 2008, when the Cats shot 21.0 percent at Xavier.

• UK went 18-of-26 (.265) from the floor in today’s game.

-Despite their shooting drought, the Wildcats played aggressively on the defensive end, outrebounding the Bears, 43-31.
-The Wildcats recorded a season-high 25 offensive rebounds.
-UK also led the steals category, with nine steals to Cal’s six.
-Kentucky’s rebounding efforts led to outscoring Cal in second-chance points, 19-8.
 
Player Notes
–Maci Morris led UK in scoring with 21 points to go along with eight rebounds.

• Morris had 10 points in the first half alone.
• It was the 12th time she’s scored in double figures this season, and her fourth game with 20+ points this season.
• The junior has led the Wildcats in scoring eight times this season.
• Her three offensive boards matched her career high.

–Tatyana Wyatt added 10 points and six rebounds off the bench.

• It was her sixth double-digit scoring effort of the season.