UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NO. 9 KENTUCKY vs. SAMFORD
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2020
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.  
 
No. 9 Kentucky 88, Samford 54 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 6-0 on the year, while Samford is 1-5.   
  • This was final game of a three-game home stretch for Kentucky. 
  • This is the fourth straight season that UK has started the year 6-0 or better.
  • Kentucky is now 18-1 all-time against teams that make up the SoCon. UK is scheduled to play one other SoCon team this season, hosting Wofford next Saturday at Memorial Coliseum.
• This was the fourth all-time meeting between Kentucky and Samford in women’s basketball with UK owning a 4-0 record
  • All four meetings have come inside historic Memorial Coliseum in Lexington.
  • This is the first time the two teams have met back-to-back seasons.
• Kyra Elzy is in her first season as interim head coach at Kentucky.
  • Elzy is now 6-0 as head coach of Kentucky. 
  • Elzy now has the second-best start for a head coach in his/her first season with the Wildcats in program history. Terry Hall holds the program record with a 9-0 start in her first season in 1980-81.
• UK is now 851-548 all-time in its 47th year of varsity women’s basketball.
• The Wildcats have had great success in Memorial Coliseum, sitting 466-159 overall in the historic building
  • Kentucky has won 28 straight non-conference home games inside Memorial Coliseum dating back to December of 2017 when it lost back-to-back games to UofL and Cal.
• Kentucky is ranked No.9 in the latest AP Top 25 and USA Today/Coaches Top 25. This is Kentucky’s highest ranking since 2015-16.
  • UK is 18-6 all-time as the No. 9 team in the nation.  
• Kentucky will return to action Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. ET at No. 24 DePaul. The game will be streamed through the DePaul Live Stream. A link will be available at UKathletics.com.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guard Chasity Patterson, senior forward KeKe McKinney, junior guards Blair Green and Rhyne Howard, and sophomore forward Dre’una Edwards.
  • This was the third time this season that UK has used this starting combination. UK is 3-0 with this starting combination.
  • KeKe McKinney returned to the starting lineup after missing Wednesday’s game vs. Marshall with a shoulder injury.
  • Rhyne Howard scored first for Kentucky in the game – the second time this season she has been the first Wildcat to score.
  • Olivia Owens was the first Wildcat sub in the game – the third time this season she has been the first Wildcat sub.
• Kentucky scored 50 first-half points for the second time this season, leading 50-31 at halftime.
  • UK was 19-of-38 from the field and 6-of-16 from 3 in the first half.
  • The Wildcats had 14 assists in the first half.
• UK forced Samford into 11 first half turnovers and scored 15 points off those miscues.
• Kentucky started the second half with three straight 3-pointers, getting makes from Green, Howard and Patterson.
• UK went 9-of-14 from the field in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 73-41 entering the fourth quarter.
  • It was a 5-0 run by Patterson to end the third quarter. The guard hit a floater in the paint, then got a steal and completed an and-one.
• The Wildcats ended the game with 23 assists marking the second straight game that UK has recorded 20 or more assists. This is the first time that UK has recorded 20 or more assists in back-to-back games since December of 2018 vs. Western Carolina and Murray State.
• UK scored a season-high 88 points in the win.
• Kentucky had a season-high 18 second-chance points in the win.
• UK had 10 or more steals for the third time this season.
• Four Wildcats scored in double figures for the third straight game.

 
Player Notes

• Junior guard Blair Green scored 10 points with three assists.

  • Green has scored 10 or more points in three games this season and 13 career games.
  • Green hit a 3 in the game and has hit a 3 in every game but one this season.
• Junior guard Rhyne Howard scored 14 points with three 3s, adding seven rebounds, six assists and two steals.
  • Howard’s seven rebounds and six assists were both season highs.
  • Howard has made 167 career 3s, which ranks seventh most in school history.
  • Howard has 1,215 career points as a Wildcat, which ranks her tied for 21st all-time in scoring at UK.
    • Howard is tied with Stacy McIntyre. She needs 103 points to tie Bria Goss for 20th.
  • In 63 career games, Howard has …
    • Hit at least one 3 in 56 career games, including three times this season.
    • Made three or more 3s in 29 career games, including three times this season.
    • Made five or more 3s in 11 career games.
    • Scored 10+ points in 55 career games, including three times this season.
    • Scored 15+ points in 44 career games, including once this season.
    • Scored 20+ points in 32 career games, including once this season.
    • Led UK in assists in 18 career games, including twice this season.
    • Led UK in blocks in 23 career games, including twice this season.
    • Led UK in rebounds in 33 career games, including once this season.
• Sophomore forward Dre’una Edwards scored 16 points with six rebounds, adding four assists and a block.     
  • Edwards has scored 10 or more points in five games this season.
• Junior guard Robyn Benton scored nine points and hit a three in the game.  
  • Benton has hit a 3 in every game but one this season.
• Senior guard Chasity Patterson scored a game-high 16 points, adding four assists and seven steals.
  • Patterson has scored 10 or more points in five games this season.
  • Patterson has scored 15 or more in two games this season.
  • This is the fourth time that Patterson has led UK in steals this season and the ninth time in her career.