UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
#19 KENTUCKY VS. USC UPSTATE
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2021
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
 
No. 19 Kentucky 67, USC Upstate 44 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 7-3 this season, while USC Upstate 8-3.   
  • This was the third all-time meeting between Kentucky and USC Upstate in women’s basketball.
  • UK owns the all-time record 3-0.
  • All three games have been played inside Memorial Coliseum.
• Kentucky is in its 48th season with a 870-560 (.608) all-time record.
• UK is 507-179 all-time at home, including a 477-161 record in Memorial Coliseum and 30-20 record in Rupp Arena.
  • The losses are off by two because UK played two NCAA Tournament games at home that cannot be considered home games by the NCAA.
• Kyra Elzy is in her second season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 25-12 overall record.
  • Elzy is 18-3 at home during her UK tenure, including a 16-2 mark inside Memorial Coliseum.
• Kentucky will be back in action Thursday, Dec. 30 at Auburn inside Auburn Arena. The game will tip at 8 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ and the UK Sports Network.  

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guards Jazmine Massengill and Rhyne Howard, redshirt junior forward Dre’una Edwards, sophomore wing Treasure Hunt and freshman guard Jada Walker.
  • This is the first time UK has used this starting combination this season.
  • Jada Walker scored first for Kentucky in the game. It is the first time this season she has scored first.
  • Olivia Owens was the first sub for Kentucky. It was the second time she has been the first Wildcat off the bench.
  • Kentucky won the opening tip. It is the seventh time this season that UK has won the opening tip and the fifth time for Edwards.
• Upstate started the game on a 7-0 run and dominated the first quarter by leading 14-5 after the first 10 minutes.
  • Kentucky was just 2-of-15 from the field in the first quarter. The Wildcats missed their last eight shots and made just one of its last 12.
  • UK did not make a field goal for the final 5:20 of the first quarter. UK didn’t score for the final 3:07 of the quarter.
    • UK hit a layup the first minute of the second quarter making the scoreless streak 3:47 in total and without a field goal for 6:00.
  • UK was 0-of-6 from 3 in the first quarter.
  • The Wildcats had four first-quarter turnovers and USC Upstate scored four points off those miscues.
  • The Spartans had eight second-chance points in the first quarter.
  • Upstate led UK 8-2 in paint points in the first quarter.
  • Kentucky’s five first-quarter points tied the lowest points in a first quarter in program history. UK also had five against LSU on Feb. 4, 2018.
  • The five points ties the lowest point total for UK in any quarter in program history.
• Kentucky won the second quarter 21-9 to take a 26-23 lead at the break at halftime.
  • The 26 first-half points were a season low for Kentucky.
  • UK was 11-of-34 from the field in the first half, including 1-of-9 from 3.
  • Kentucky forced nine second-quarter turnovers from Upstate and scored 12 points off those miscues.
• Kentucky took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Spartans 28-7.
  • UK ended the quarter on a 23-2 run. In that was a 18-0 run thanks to the strong play of Rhyne Howard.
  • Howard went on a 7-0 run by herself and scored 13 of 15 points at one point.
  • UK was helped by the free-throw line in the third quarter going 11-of-14.
• Upstate won the fourth quarter 14-13, but it was too little, too late as the Wildcats won 67-44.
• Kentucky shot 50 percent from the field in the second half, going 14-of-28, including 2-of-3 from long range and 11-of-14 from the free-throw line.
• Kentucky forced 27 turnovers in the game and scored 38 points off those miscues.
  • The 27 turnovers were a season high for the Spartans.
• UK won the rebounding battle 39-30 and had a 12-8 advantage in second-chance points.
• The Wildcats won the points in the paint battle, 38-36, and had a 12-0 advantage in fast-break points.
• Kentucky had 19 assists on 25 made field goals in the game.
  • All 19 of those assists came from the second quarter on as UK had no assists in the first quarter.
• Kentucky limited USC Upstate to just 44 total points in the game, which was a season low point total for the Spartans.
• UK is now 15-0 under Elzy when it scores more points in the paint than the opposing team.
• Under Elzy, Kentucky is now 9-2 after a loss.

 
Player Notes

• Senior guard Rhyne Howard scored a game high 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting with six steals, four assists and three rebounds.

  • For her career, Howard has scored 1,844 career points sitting fourth in UK history in points scored. She needs 4 more to tie Victoria Dunlap for third.
  • Howard ranks second in school history in career scoring average at 19.8, while she is seventh in field-goals made with 639, third in career 3s made with 232 and tied for fourth in career 3-point field-goal percentage at 37.7. She is also fourth in UK history in steals per game at 2.409.
  • Kentucky is 5-1 this season when Howard scores 20 or more points.
  • In 93 career games, Howard has …
    • Hit at least one 3 in 81 career games, including eight 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 83 career game, including nine times this season.
    • Scored 15+ points in 67 career games, including eight times this season.
    • Scored 20+ points in 50 career games, including six 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 59 career games, including five times this season.
    • Led UK in rebounding in 48 career games, including three times this season.
    • Led UK in assists in 33 career games, including four times this season.
    • Led UK in steals in 38 career games, including seven times this season.
    • Led UK in blocks in 35 career games, including four times this season.
    • Has 19 career double-doubles, including two this season.
    • Has 1 triple double.
• Redshirt junior Dre’una Edwards scored 11 points with 12 rebounds in the game, adding four assists and a 3.
  • This was the fifth consecutive double-double for Edwards. It is also her fifth double-double of the season.
  • She is the first player since Evelyn Akhator to record five straight double-doubles for Kentucky. Akhator did it with her last game in the 2015-16 and her first four games in 2016-17.
  • She is the first player to record five straight double-doubles in the same season since Eleia Roddy had seven straight in 2008-09.
  • The school record for most consecutive double-doubles is 10 by All-American Valerie Still.
• Senior guard Jazmine Massengill scored 11 points with three assists and four steals.
  • This is the second game this season she has recorded 10 or more points.
  • The four steals tied a career best and marks the second time this season she has recorded four or more steals in a game.
• Freshman guard Jada Walker scored 13 points with three rebounds, three assist and three steals.
  • Walker has scored in double figures in seven games.
  • She has three or more assists in five games.
  • She has two or more steals in five games.
• Redshirt junior post Olivia Owens scored seven points with eight rebounds in the game, adding a block, assist and steal.
  • The eight rebounds were a season high for Owens.
• Senior guard Robyn Benton did not play in the game due to an ankle injury. She is listed day-to-day.