UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
#16 KENTUCKY VS. MERRIMACK
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2021
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
 
No. 16 Kentucky 90, Merrimack 56 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 6-1 this season, while Merrimack is 2-5.  
  • This was the first all-time meeting between Kentucky and Merrimack College in women’s basketball.
• Kentucky is in its 48th season with a 869-558 (.608) all-time record.
• The Wildcats are currently ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 18 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches’ Top 25.
• Kyra Elzy is in her second season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 24-10 overall record.
  • Elzy is 17-2 at home, including a 15-2 record inside Memorial Coliseum and 2-0 mark inside Rupp Arena.
  • Elzy is 11-0 at home against a non-conference opponent with all 10 wins coming in Memorial Coliseum.
• Kentucky is 506-178 all-time at home. UK is 476-161 at Memorial Coliseum and 30-19 at Rupp Arena.
  • The losses are off by two because UK has played two games inside those two venues that are not allowed to be considered “home games” per NCAA Tournament rules.
• Kentucky will be back in action Thursday vs. DePaul inside Rupp Arena. The game will tip at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network and the UK Sports Network.  
  • The game is set to be Matthew Mitchell Night as the program honors the winningest head coach in its history.

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guards Jazmine Massengill, Robyn Benton and Rhyne Howard, junior forward Dre’una Edwards and sophomore wing Treasure Hunt.
  • UK is 5-1 this season with those starting five. These five have started each of the last six games.
  • Jazmine Massengill scored first for Kentucky in the game. It is the first time this season she has scored first.
  • Jada Walker was the first sub for Kentucky. It was the fifth time she has been the first Wildcat off the bench.
  • UK won the opening tip. It was the fifth time this season UK has won the opening tip and the fourth time Edwards has claimed it.
• After both teams traded baskets to start the game, Kentucky opened things up with a 14-0 run midway through the first quarter.
  • During the run, Merrimack went just 1-of-8 from the field.
  • Merrimack answered the run by scoring five straight points as the Wildcats went 3:12 without a field goal.
  • The Warriors ended the first quarter on a 7-2 run as UK led it 21-12 at the end of the first quarter.
• Kentucky started the second quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 27-12 lead with 8:26 to go in the half.
  • Merrimack answered the run again by going on a 8-0 run as part of a 10-2 run to cut UK’s lead to 29-22 with just over seven minutes to go in the half.
  • Ten of Merrimack’s first 21 shots were from the 3 as the Warriors made four of them.
  • Howard ended the run with an and-one to give UK a double-digit lead.
• Kentucky outscored Merrimack 25-19 in the second quarter and made five of its last seven shots to take a 46-31 lead into the break at halftime.
  • UK was 18-of-33 form the field in the first half, while Merrimack was 13-of-33.
  • The Warriors were 5-of-14 from 3, while UK was 3-of-9.
  • UK led in rebounds at the half 21-15 and had a 10-2 edge in second-chance points.
  • The Wildcats had 24 paint points in the first half, while MC had 12.
  • UK forced MC into 12 first-half turnovers and scored 17 points off those miscues.
  • Conversely, UK had nine first-half turnovers and MC scored just four points off those errors.
• Fourteen of Kentucky’s 18 first-half field goals were assisted.
• Kentucky ended the third quarter on a 8-0 run, hitting each of its last three field goals.
  • Merrimack ended the quarter missing on its last four shots with four turnovers in the final 3:33 of the quarter.
• UK outscored Merrimack 25-13 in the fourth quarter, going 10-of-17 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3 in the final 10 minutes.
• Kentucky had 30 assists in the game, which is the most assists for a Kentucky team in a single game since having 32 vs. Morehead State on Nov. 18, 2015.
  • UK has recorded 20 or more assists in back-to-back games for the first time this season. UK has had 20 or more assists in four games this year.
• UK went 36-of-67 from the field for 53.7 percent.
  • The Wildcats have shot over 50 percent in four games this season.
• Kentucky is now 10-0 all-time under Kyra Elzy when it shoots over 50 percent.
• UK is 22-3 now under Elzy when it scores over 70 points and 12-1 now when it scores over 80 points in her tenure.
• The Wildcats are now 15-0 when they hold an opponent to 60 point or less under Elzy and 20-1 when an opponent scores 70 or less points.
• Four Wildcats scored in double figures in the game, marking the fifth time this season UK has had four or more in double figures.
  • UK is 5-0 in those games.
• The Wildcats were 12-of-16 from the free-throw line in the game, which was its best shooting percentage from the charity stripe this season.
• This was the third time this season UK has scored over 90 points in a game.

 
Player Notes

• Senior guard Rhyne Howard moved up two spots on the all-time scoring list and flirted with a quadruple-double scoring 21 points with six rebounds, six steals and seven assists.

  • For her career, Howard has scored 1,799 career points sitting fourth in UK history in points scored. Howard needs 47 more points to tie Victoria Dunlap for third.
  • Howard ranks second in school history in career scoring average at 20.0, while she is seventh in field-goals made with 625, third in career 3s made with 230 and third in career 3-point field-goal percentage at 38.3. She is also fourth in UK history in steals per game at 2.388.
  • In 90 career games, Howard has …
    • Hit at least one 3 in 79 career games, including six times this season.
    • Made three or more 3s in 39 career games, including twice this season.
    • Made five or more 3s in 13 career games, including once this season.
    • Scored 10+ points in 81 career game, including seven times this season.
    • Scored 15+ points in 66 career games, including seven times this season.
    • Scored 20+ points in 49 career games, including five times this season.
    • Scored 25+ points in 27 career games, including once this season.
    • Scored 30+ points in 7 career games.
    • Led UK in scoring in 58 career games, including four times this season.
    • Led UK in rebounding in 48 career games, including three times this season.
    • Led UK in assists in 32 career games, including three times this season.
    • Led UK in steals in 37 career games, including six times this season.
    • Led UK in blocks in 34 career games, including three times this season.
    • Has 19 career double-doubles, including two this season.
    • Has 1 triple double.
• Redshirt junior forward Dre’una Edwards recorded her third straight double-double in the game with 17 points with 11 rebounds, adding three assists.
  • This was the sixth double-figure scoring game for Edwards this season. It was also the sixth game she has scored 15 or more points.
  • Edwards has three double-doubles on the year and 14 for her career.
  • This is the third time she has led UK in rebounding.
• Senior guard Jazmine Massengill scored a season-best 13 points, going 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from long range.
  • Massengill added eight assists and led UK in that category for the fourth time this season and 10th time in her career.
  • The three 3s tied a career-best for Massengill, who also hit three last season against Tennessee at Rupp Arena.
  • She has three or more assists in five games this season.
• Senior guard Robyn Benton scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting with one 3.