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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NO. 17 KENTUCKY VS. NO. 2 SOUTH CAROLINA
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
COLONIAL LIFE ARENA – COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
 
No. 17 Kentucky 55, South Carolina 76 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 15-6 on the season and 8-5 in the SEC, while South Carolina is 18-3, 13-1 in the league.
• This was the 69th all-time meeting between Kentucky and South Carolina in women’s basketball.
  • South Carolina leads the all-time series 35-34.
  • The Gamecocks have won 13 of the last 14 meetings in the series.
  • South Carolina leads the series 20-11 in games played in Columbia.
• Kyra Elzy is in her first season as head coach at Kentucky.
  • Elzy is now 15-6 as head coach of Kentucky. 
• UK is now 860-554 all-time in its 47th year of varsity women’s basketball.
• Kentucky is ranked No. 17 in the latest AP Top 25 and USA Today/Coaches Top 25.
• The Wildcats will return to action Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. ET vs. Georgia inside Stegemen Coliseum.
  • The game will be televised on SEC Network.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guard Chasity Patterson, senior forwards Tatyana Wyatt and KeKe McKinney and junior guards Jazmine Massengill and Rhyne Howard.
  • This was the third time this season that UK has used this starting combination, holding a 2-1 record in those games.
  • Chasity Patterson scored first for Kentucky in the game – the sixth time this season she has been the first Wildcat to score.
  • Dre’una Edwards was the first sub for Kentucky.
    • It was the eighth time Edwards has been the first sub for the Wildcats.
  • South Carolina won the tip, marking the 15th time this season that UK has lost the opening tip.
• Both teams struggled offensively in the opening quarter with UK shooting 5-of-15 form the field, while South Carolina was 4-of-19.
  • South Carolina attempted 11 free throws in the first quarter, going 5-of-11 from the charity stripe.
  • There was a combined 31 rebounds in the first quarter with SC leading in that area 19-12.
  • The Gamecocks had 10 offensive rebounds in the first quarter and turned it into seven second-chance points.
  • UK lead 6-4 in points in the paint after the first quarter and had four blocks.
• Kentucky started the second quarter with a 3-pointer by Massengill to take a brief 15-14 lead but South Carolina responded by going on a 8-0 run to force a UK timeout at 7:08.
  • The run continued with SC hitting two free throws out of the timeout before a Robyn Benton jumper.
  • Ten of the first 11 fouls of the game were called on Kentucky, leaving with the Wildcats with three players with two fouls early in the second quarter.
• The Wildcats ended the first half on a 9-2 run thanks to two 3s by Rhyne Howard and a 3 by Jazmine Massengill at the buzzer. The run cut the Gamecocks lead to 34-30 at the break.
• South Carolina attempted 18 free throws in the first half, while Kentucky attempted two. SC’s 18 free-throw attempts in the first half is more than UK has had in 14 games this season.
  • The foul count at halftime was 12 on Kentucky and five on South Carolina.
• The Gamecocks had a 31-19 rebounding edge at halftime, including a 15-3 edge in offensive rebounds.
  • SC had 14 second-chance points in the first half, while Kentucky had none.
  • SC led 16-8 at halftime in paint points.
• South Carolina outscored UK 25-42 in the second half.
• The Gamecocks ended the game with a 49-30 rebounding edge and a 46-20 edge in points in the paint.

 
Player Notes

• Junior guard Rhyne Howard led Kentucky with 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks, hitting two 3s.

  • Howard has made 198 career 3s, which ranks third most in school history.
  • Howard has 1,503 career points as a Wildcat, which ranks her 10th all-time in scoring at UK.
    • She needs 60 more points to tie Sara Potts for 9th all-time.  
  • In 77 career games, Howard has …
    • Hit at least one 3 in 68 career games, including 15 games this season.
    • Scored 10+ points in 68 career games, including 16 games this season.
    • Led UK in scoring in 48 career games, including 10 times this season.
    • Led UK in rebounding in 42 games career games, including 11 games this season.
• Junior guard Jazmine Massengill scored six points with a  team-best five assists.