UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NO. 10 KENTUCKY VS. NO. 5 SOUTH CAROLINA
SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2021
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
 
No. 10 Kentucky 70, No. 5 South Carolina 75 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 9-3, 2-2 in the SEC on the year, while South Carolina is 8-1, 3-0 in the league. 
  • This was Kentucky’s fourth straight game against a top-12 opponent. It is the first time in program history that UK has had four straight games against top-12 teams.
  • The Wildcats are one of two teams in the league currently scheduled to play four straight games against top-15 teams with LSU being the other.
  • This was the second straight game that UK has played a league opponent that has played fewer league games. The same will be the case Thursday at Auburn as well.
• This was the 68th all-time meeting between Kentucky and South Carolina in women’s basketball. This was the fourth meeting between the two teams with both ranked in the AP Top 10.
  • The all-time series in games played in tied 34-34.
  • Kentucky leads the all-time series in games played in Lexington, 20-11.
  • Kentucky has now lost six straight home games to the Gamecocks.
  • South Carolina is now 4-0 in games where both teams are ranked in the top-10 of the AP poll.
• Kyra Elzy is in her first season as interim head coach at Kentucky.
  • Elzy is now 9-3 as head coach of Kentucky. 
• UK is now 854-551 all-time in its 47th year of varsity women’s basketball.
• The Wildcats are 468-160 all-time in Memorial Coliseum, including a 7-1 record this season.
  • This was Kentucky’s first home loss since falling to South Carolina last season on Feb. 23, 2020.
• Kentucky is ranked No. 10 in the latest AP Top 25 and No. 8 in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25.
  • UK is 3-3 this season against ranked teams, defeating then-No. 13 Indiana, No. 12 Mississippi State and No. 10 Arkansas.
  • The other losses have been at No. 24 DePaul and at No. 8 Texas A&M.
• The Wildcats will return to action Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Auburn. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
• In Kentucky’s three losses this season, the Wildcats have led by at least seven each time.

 
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 Olivia Owens.
  • This was the first time this season that UK has used this starting combination. UK is 0-0 with this starting combination.
  • Rhyne Howard scored first for Kentucky in the game – the team-leading fourth time this season she has been the first Wildcat to score.
  • Robyn Benton was the first subs for Kentucky – it was the team-leading eighth time Benton has been the first sub for UK.  
  • South Carolina won the tip, marking the ninth time this season that UK has lost the opening tip.
• Kentucky scored 19 first-quarter points, including 14 in the paint.
  • Both teams combined for 28 paint points in the first quarter out of the 34 total points scored.
  • Neither team hit a 3 in the first quarter, going a combined 0-for-4.
• The Wildcats held a 41-32 lead at halftime thanks to 15 points off turnovers and 19 first-half points from Howard.
  • Howard went 8-of-13 from the field in the first half with four rebounds, two steals, a steal and an assist.
  • Kentucky ended the second quarter on a 6-0 run.
• South Carolina started the third quarter with a 8-2 run forcing two UK turnovers in the opening minutes of the quarter.
• The Gamecocks ended the third quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 57-56 lead into the fourth quarter. It was their first lead in the game since 8-7 in the first quarter.
  • South Carolina outscored Kentucky 25-15 in the third quarter.
  • USC was 10-of-20 from the field, forced four turnovers and had a 15-3 rebounding edge in the quarter.
• Howard ended the run at the start of the fourth quarter with a jumper, but South Carolina followed with a 8-0 run to take control of the game and would never look back.
• South Carolina outscored Kentucky by 14 points in the second half.
• UK went just 5-of-22 from the field in the fourth quarter, including missing each of its last six shots.
• Kentucky hit just three 3s in the game, which was a season-low in 3-point makes for the Wildcats.
• UK had not scored less than 30 points in a second half of a game prior to scoring 29 each of the last two second halves at TAMU and today vs. South Carolina.

 
Player Notes

• Junior guard Rhyne Howard scored a 32 points, going 13-of-25 from the field with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

  • Howard has made 182 career 3s, which ranks fourth most in school history.
  • Howard has 1,362 career points as a Wildcat, which ranks her 17th all-time in scoring at UK.
    • Howard needs 71 more points to tie Jodie Whitaker for 16th all-time.
  • In 69 career games, Howard has …
    • Scored 10+ points in 61 career games, including nine times this season.
    • Scored 15+ points in 50 career games, including seven times this season.
    • Scored 20+ points in 36 career games, including five this season.
    • Scored 25+ points in 20 career games, including twice this season.
    • Scored 30+ points in 4 career games, including twice this season.
    • Led UK in scoring in 43 career games, including five times this season.
• Junior guard Robyn Benton had a season-high five steals in the game.
• Sophomore forward Dre’una Edwards scored 12 points with seven rebounds.
  • Edwards has scored 10 or more points eight games this season.
• Senior guard Chasity Patterson scored 12 points with a team-best four assists adding two 3s.
  • Patterson has led UK in assists in five games.