Kentucky Women’s Basketball Postgame Notes
No. 25/25 Kentucky vs. Morehead State
Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
 
No. 25/25 Kentucky 87, Morehead State 57 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky moves to 8-0 on the season while Morehead State is now 6-2. 
  • The Wildcats will return to action next Thursday at 7 or 9 p.m. ET vs. Rhode Island inside Memorial Coliseum. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+ while Darren Headrick will have the call on radio on the UK Sports Network.
• Kentucky is now 31-4 all-time against Morehead State.
  • The Wildcats hold a 21-1 mark against the Eagles in Lexington.
  • UK has won 14 straight meetings in the series.
  • Matthew Mitchell is now 9-0 against his former team.

• UK is now 806-532 all-time in program history.
  • Matthew Mitchell is in his 12th year with the Wildcats and holds a 264-117 record. Mitchell is 294-146 overall in 14 years as a head coach.

• Kentucky is ranked No. 25 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today/Coaches Top 25. The Wildcats entered the rankings this week for the first time since December of 2017.
• UK has started the season with 8-0 record, which is its best start to a season since beginning the 2015-16 season 10-0.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guard Taylor Murray, senior guard Maci Morris, freshman guard Rhyne Howard, sophomore forward KeKe McKinney and sophomore forward Tatyana Wyatt.
  • Kentucky is now 7-0 this season with this starting combination.

• It was a game of runs early as Kentucky started the game on a 7-0 run before five straight points from Morehead State. The Cats answered with a 11-0 run to take a double-digit lead early in the first quarter.
  • The Wildcats hit seven of their first 12 shots, including 2-of-3 from long range.
  • Kentucky shot 63 percent from the field in the first quarter, going 10-of-16.
  • Ten of UK’s 26 first-quarter points were in the paint.
  • The Wildcats had six turnovers in the first quarter, while forcing Morehead State into seven and scoring eight points off those miscues.
• Kentucky repeated its 26-point performance in the second quarter, limiting MSU to just nine points.
  • It was the 10th time this season UK has limited a team to 10 points or less in a quarter.
  • Maci Morris paced UK in the second quarter with 19 points, adding four 3-pointers.
  • UK scored 16 points off seven MSU turnovers in the second quarter alone.
  • MSU went just 2-of-12 from the field in the second quarter.
• UK went on two 10-0 runs or better during the game, including a 11-0 run in the first quarter and 10-0 run in the third quarter.
• Kentucky scored 20 or more points in every quarter but the fourth, which Morehead State won, 22-13.
• UK held Morehead State, the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense, to a season-low 57 points in the game.
• The Wildcats forced 25 turnovers and scored 38 points off those miscues.
  • UK has now forced 212 turnovers in its eight games, scoring 247 points off turnovers.
  • The Wildcats have forced 25 or more turnovers in five of their eight games.
• Kentucky had 18 steals in the game, which is the second most steals this season.
  • The Wildcats have 15 or more steals in four games this season.

 
Player Notes

• Senior guard Maci Morris scored a season-high 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting with four 3-pointers. Morris also added four rebounds, three assists and three steals. 

  • Morris now has 1,337 career points, which ranks 18th most in program history. She needs 2 more to tie Belitta Croley for 17th all-time in school history in points scored.
  • Morris has 199 career 3-pointers made which ranks second in program history. She needs 72 more 3s to tie Sara Potts for most all-time.
  • Morris was impressive in the first half, scoring 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting including 4-of-6 from long range. Morris ended the first half on a personal 8-0 run, including a 3 at the buzzer.
  • In the second quarter alone, Morris made each of her last five shots and scored 19 points. She was 7-for-10 overall in the quarter and 4-of-5 from long range.
  • Morris’ 25 first-half points are the most for any UK player in the first half since at least 1982-83. Single-game, halftime statistics are incomplete past that season.
  • This was the second career 30+ scoring game for Morris.
  • Morris has led Kentucky in scoring twice this season and 27 times in her career.
  • Her 31 points were the most for any UK player since she scored a career-best 35 against South Carolina last season. 
• Senior guard Taylor Murray scored 13 points with a team-best six assists, five steals and three rebounds in the game. 
  • Murray now has 1,083 career points and ranks 27th all-time in points scored. She needs 52 more points to tie Karen Mosley for 26th all-time.
  • Murray has 364 career assists which ranks 10th most in program history. She needs 3 more to tie Tracye Davis for ninth all time. 
  • Murray has scored in double figures in every game this season.
  • Murray has led Kentucky in assists in five games this season and 47 times in her career.

• Freshman guard Rhyne Howard recorded her second consecutive double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, adding four steals and two assists.

  • Howard has scored 10 or more points in every game this season.
  • Howard is the first player since Makenzie Cann last season to record back-to-back double-doubles.
  • This was the third time that Howard has led Kentucky in rebounding this season.
  • Howard has hit at least one 3-pointer in every game this season.
• Junior guard Jaida Roper scored a career-high tying 14 points going 10-of-10 from the free-throw line in the game.
  • Roper also scored 14 points last season at Montana.
  • Her 10-for-10 mark from the charity stripe was the most makes and most attempts in her career.
  • Roper is the first UK player since Taylor Murray vs. Missouri on Jan. 30, 2017 to hit 10 or more free throws in a game. Murray also went 10-for-10 that game.
• Freshman guard Blair Green scored eight points with five rebounds in the game.
  • The five rebounds were a career-high rebounds for Green.
  • Green also played a career-high 32 minutes in the game.
• Junior guard Amanda Paschal had a career-high six rebounds in the game.