Kentucky Women’s Basketball Postgame Notes
No. 18/18 Kentucky vs. Murray State 
Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.
Friday, December 21, 2018
 
No. 18/18 Kentucky 88, Murray State 49 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky moves to 12-1 on the season while Murray State is now 4-6.    
  • The Wildcats will break for the holidays and return to action Saturday, Dec. 29 at 11:30 a.m. ET vs. Sacred Heart 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 third game.
• This was the 14th meeting all-time between Kentucky and Murray State in women’s basketball.
  • UK now leads the all-time series, 14-0.

• UK is now 810-533 all-time in program history.
  • Matthew Mitchell is in his 12th year with the Wildcats and holds a 268-118 record. Mitchell is 298-147 overall in 14 years as a head coach.

• The Wildcats hold a 447-156 all-time record in Memorial Coliseum, including a 156-27 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 11-1 this season with this starting combination.

• Murray State started the game 7-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-3 from long range and held a 16-10 lead midway through the first quarter.
• The Wildcats and Racers were tied 20-20 at the end of the first quarter after UK ended the stanza on a 6-0 run.
  • UK went 8-of-17 from the field for 47 percent to start the period, while MSU shot 8-of-12 for 67 percent.
• Kentucky ended the first half on a 8-0 run as part of a 12-2 run to grab its first double-digit lead of the game at 42-28.
  • UK went 8-of-15 from the field and 3-of-5 from long range in the second quarter, while Murray State cooled off from the field going just 3-of-12 from the field in the second quarter.
  • The Racers were held scoreless for the final 2:59 of the second quarter.
  • Murray State had 18 turnovers in the first half and the Wildcats scored 18 points off those miscues.
  • The Wildcats had 12 steals and nine assists in the first half.
• UK scored the first nine points of the second half to continue its run from the end of the first half to 17-0.
  • Rhyne Howard was a key to the run, scoring nine of UK’s first 11 points of the second half. In all, Howard had 17 of Kentucky’s 26  points in the third quarter going 6-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-5 from long range.

• UK outscored MSU 22-8 in the second quarter and 26-9 in the third quarter. It marked the 14th and 15th time this season that UK has held an opponent to 10 points or less in a quarter.

• Kentucky shot 50.7 percent from the field in the game and have hit 50 percent or better in three straight games.
  • It marks the first time UK has accomplished that feat since the 2013-14 season vs. Lipscomb (11/21), Middle Tennessee (11/24) and Bradley (11/27).

• The Wildcats had 20 assists in the game, marking the fourth time this season UK has had 20 or more assists in a game.
• UK had 15 steals in the game, marking the sixth time this season UK has had 15 or more steals in a game.
• Kentucky hit 10 3-pointers and have hit 10 or more 3s in four games this season.
• UK forced Murray State into 27 turnovers and scored 25 points off those miscues.
• The Wildcats won the rebounding battle, 39-29, including 15-8 on the offensive board.

 
Player Notes

• Senior guard Maci Morris scored 13 points and went 3-of-5 from long range.

  • Morris now has 1,417 career points, which ranks 16th most in program history. She needs 16 more to tie Jodie Whitaker for 15th all-time in school history in points scored.
  • Morris has 211 career 3-pointers made which ranks second in program history. She needs 60 more 3s to tie Sara Potts for most all-time.
  • Morris has hit at least one 3-pointer in 26 straight games.
• Senior guard Taylor Murray had 12 points with six assists and three steals.
  • Murray now has 1,147 career points and ranks 26th all-time in points scored. She needs 23 more points to tie Jocelyn Mills for 25th all-time.
  • Murray has 386 career assists which ranks ninth most in program history. She needs 14 more to tie Rita Adams for eighth.  

• Freshman guard Rhyne Howard led all scorers with 25 points, going 9-of-13 from the field and 5-of-11 form long range. She also had four rebounds and two assists.

  • Howard has scored in double figures in every game but one this season.
  • Howard has led Kentucky in scoring seven times this season.
  • Scored 17 of her game-high 25 points in third quarter.
  • This was Howard’s fifth 20-point scoring game this season.
  • Howard has hit at least one 3-pointer in every game this season but one.
• Junior forward Ogechi Anyagaligbo recorded UK career high 10 rebounds. 
• Freshman guard Jaida Roper scored a career high 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting with six assists. 
  • Roper has scored 10 or more points in five games this season.
  • This was the third time this season Roper has posted six or more assists.