Kentucky Women’s Basketball Postgame Notes
No. 18/18 Kentucky vs. Western Carolina 
Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
 
No. 18/18 Kentucky 99, Western Carolina 39 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky moves to 11-1 on the season while Western Carolina is now 2-9.   
  • The Wildcats will return to action Friday at Noon ET vs. Murray State inside Memorial Coliseum. The game will be streamed on the SEC Network+ while Darren Headrick will have the call on radio on the UK Sports Network.
• The Wildcats are in the midst of a five-game home stand. This was the second game.
• This was the first all-time meeting between Kentucky and Western Carolina in women’s basketball.
  • UK now leads the all-time series, 1-0.

• UK is now 809-533 all-time in program history.
  • Matthew Mitchell is in his 12th year with the Wildcats and holds a 267-118 record. Mitchell is 297-147 overall in 14 years as a head coach.

• The Wildcats hold a 446-156 all-time record in Memorial Coliseum, including a 155-27 mark under Coach Mitchell.
• Kentucky is ranked No. 18 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today/Coaches Top 25.

 
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 10-1 this season with this starting combination.

• The Wildcats held a 27-11 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to shooting 60 percent from the field with 14 paint points.
  • UK forced nine first quarter turnovers and scored 13 points off those miscues.
• Kentucky went on a 17-0 run in the second quarter, which was its second longest run of the season for the Wildcats.
  • UK’s season-best run was 19-0 against Alabama State.
  • The run put Kentucky in control of the game with a 30-point lead midway through the second quarter.
• UK outscored Western Carolina 29-9 in the second half to take a 56-20 lead into the break.
  • UK’s 29 points in the second quarter was the second most the Wildcats have scored in a quarter this season.
  • The Wildcats shot 12-of-17 from the field in the second quarter for 70.6 percent.
  • The 56 points were the most UK has scored in a half this season. The previous high was 52 in the first half vs. Morehead State.
• Between the end of the first half and the start of the second half, UK went on a 16-0 run. UK scored the final five points of the first half and the first 11 points of the second half.
• Kentucky limited Western Carolina to 10 points or less in two quarters.
  • UK has limited its opponents to 10 points or less in 13 quarters this season.
• The Wildcats shot a season-best 58.6 percent from the field.
• UK has shot 50 percent or better from the field in consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 8, 2014 when it accomplished the feat against LSU and Missouri.
• The Wildcats had a season-high 27 assists in the game.
• Kentucky hit 11 3-pointers in the game.
  • UK has hit 10 or more 3s in four games this season.

 
Player Notes

• Senior guard Maci Morris scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with two 3s.

  • Morris now has 1,404 career points, which ranks 16th most in program history. She needs 29 more to tie Jodie Whitaker for 15th all-time in school history in points scored.
  • Morris has 208 career 3-pointers made which ranks second in program history. She needs 63 more 3s to tie Sara Potts for most all-time.
  • Morris has hit at least one 3-pointer in 25 straight games.
• Senior guard Taylor Murray had an incredible stat line with 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting with seven assists and five steals.
  • Murray now has 1,135 career points and ranks 27th all-time in points scored. She needs 10 more points to tie Karen Mosley for 26th all-time.
  • Murray has 380 career assists which ranks ninth most in program history. She needs 20 more to tie Rita Adams for eighth.  
  • Murray has led UK in assists seven times this season and 49 times in her career.

• Freshman guard Rhyne Howard led Kentucky with 18 points adding eight rebounds and three assists.

  • Howard has scored in double figures in every game but one this season.
  • Howard has led Kentucky in scoring six times this season.
• Sophomore forward Tatyana Wyatt scored 10 points in the first quarter, securing her first double-figure scoring game of the season.
  • Wyatt ended the game with a season-best 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting with six rebounds.
• Freshman guard Jaida Roper had 12 points with seven assists and hit two 3s.
  • Her seven assists were a career high.
  • Roper has scored 10 or more points four times this season.