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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NO. 18 KENTUCKY VS. NO. 6 MISSISSIPPI STATE
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
 
No. 18 Kentucky 73, No. 6 Mississippi State 62 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 19-5 (8-4 SEC), while Mississippi State is 22-4 (10-2 SEC).      
• Kentucky is 842-545 all-time, while it is 460-158 all-time in Memorial Coliseum.
  • UK is 13-2 at home this season, including 12-1 at Memorial Coliseum. 
• This was the 49th all-time meeting between Kentucky and Mississippi State in women’s basketball.
  • UK leads the all-time series 28-21, including 13-9 in games played in Lexington. 
  • Kentucky’s win snapped a four-game winning streak in the series for the Bulldogs.
• Matthew Mitchell is in his 13th season as the head coach of the Wildcats.
  • Mitchell is 330-159 overall in his career and 300-130 during his tenure at Kentucky.
  • Mitchell is the only UK WBB coach to win 300 games as the head coach of the Wildcats.
• Kentucky is ranked 18 in the latest AP Top 25 and No. 19 in the latest USA Today/Coaches Top 25.
• The Wildcats will return to action Thursday when they travel to play at Ole Miss. The game will tip at 8 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.   

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guards Sabrina Haines and Jaida Roper, sophomore guard Rhyne Howard, junior forward KeKe McKinney and senior forward Ogechi Anyagaligbo. 
  • This was the second time this season that UK has used this starting combination, sitting 1-1.
  • Ogechi Anyagaligbo scored first for Kentucky in the game for Kentucky. This was the third time this season that she has been the first Wildcat to score. 
• Mississippi State started fast with back-to-back layups followed by a jumper in the paint to take a quick 6-0 lead that led to a UK timeout with 8:31 to go in the first quarter.
  •  Out of the timeout, Kentucky’s went on a 12-0 run that was just the start of a 19-3 run to end the first quarter and take a 19-9 lead into the second quarter.  
• Kentucky held Mississippi State to just nine first-quarter points which was a season-low in first-quarter points for the Bulldogs and tied the lowest they have scored in any quarter this season.
• Mississippi State outscored Kentucky 23-16 in the third quarter thanks to ending the first half on a 6-0 run and holding UK scoreless for the final 2:48 of the half.
• Kentucky won the third quarter 22-9 ending the stanza on an 8-0 run to take a 57-41 lead into the final 10 minutes.
  • This was the first time this season that Mississippi State scored single digits in two quarters in the same game.
• The Wildcats scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to take a 61-41 lead with 9:18 to go in the game, but Mississippi State responded with a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 61-47 with 7:28 to go.
• Kentucky held Mississippi State to 62 total points in the game, which tied a season low for the Bulldogs.
  • MSU entered the game averaging over 80 points per game.
• The Wildcats went on two runs of 10-0 or better in the game.
• UK’s 11-point win over State was the Bulldogs biggest in league play this season.
• Kentucky has won four of its eight league games by 10 points or more.
• UK is now 5-0 this season after a loss and 83-34 under Matthew Mitchell after a loss.
• The win vs. No. 6 Mississippi State marks Kentucky’s first over a top-10 team since taking down Mississippi State 78-75 in overtime on Feb. 23, 2017.
• Kentucky led in the game for 36:21 after the big run in the first quarter.
• UK scored 20 points off turnovers, marking the 19th time this season the Wildcats have scored 20 or more points off turnovers.
• This is Kentucky’s 14th all-time win against an opponent ranked in the top 6 of the AP Poll, with eight of those wins coming under Matthew Mitchell.
• This is Kentucky’s eighth all-time SEC home win against an AP Poll top 6 team, the fourth such win under Matthew Mitchell.
• This ties the second largest margin of victory for Kentucky against an AP Poll top 6 opponent in school history, 11 points, and the largest since defeating No. 3 South Carolina by 11 points on Mar. 1, 2015.
• This was the 54th win for Kentucky over a ranked foe under Matthew Mitchell.

 
Player Notes

• Sophomore guard Rhyne Howard scored a game-high 26 points adding 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

  • Howard surpassed 1,000 career points in the game becoming the second-fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Valerie Still accomplished 1,000 points in 44 games.
  • This was Howard’s fifth double-double this season and ninth of her career.
  • Howard has now scored 20 or more points in 15 games and 25 or more points in 10 games.
  • Howard has scored 20 or more points in 10 of her last 11 games.
  • This was the 16th time this season and 32nd time in her career that Howard has led UK in scoring.
  • This was the 10th time this season and 29th career time that Howard has led UK in rebounds.
  • This was the 11th time this season that Howard has hit three or more 3s.
  • In 53, career game Howard has recorded some impressive numbers:
    • Hit at least one 3 in 47 career games
    • Made three or more 3s in 23 games
    • Made five or more 3s in 9 games
    • Scored 10+ points in 46 games
    • Scored 15+ points in 37 games
    • Scored 20+ points in 25 games
    • Scored 25+ points in 16 games
    • Scored 30+ points in 3 games
    • Led UK in scoring in 32 games
    • Led UK in rebounding in 29 games
• Junior guard Chasity Patterson scored 15 points in the game, going 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. 
  • Patterson has scored 10 or more points in seven games this season, including 15 or more in five games.
  • Patterson has scored 10 or more points in five straight games.

• Senior guard Jaida Roper scored 14 points in the game, going 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.

  • Roper was 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
  • Roper has scored 10 or more points in nine games this season and 23 games in her career.
  • Roper has scored 10 or more points in five of the last seven games.
  • Roper had a team-best five assists in the game and has led UK in assists 10 times this season and 29 times in her career.
• Junior forward Tatyana Wyatt scored eight points with six rebounds in the game.
  • This is the first time Wyatt has scored eight or more points with six or more rebounds in a game since 10 points with six rebounds vs. Winthrop back in December.