UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
NO. 18 KENTUCKY VS. FLORIDA
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2021
EXACTECH ARENA – GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
 
No. 18 Kentucky 88, Florida 80 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 15-5 on the season and 8-4 in the SEC, while Florida is 10-9, 3-8 in the league.
• This was the 59th all-time meeting between Kentucky and Florida in women’s basketball.
  • Kentucky leads the all-time series in games played, 33-26.
  • UK holds a 13-10 mark in the series in games played in Gainesville.
• Kyra Elzy is in her first season as head coach at Kentucky.
  • Elzy is now 15-5 as head coach of Kentucky. 
• UK is now 860-553 all-time in its 47th year of varsity women’s basketball.
• Kentucky is ranked No. 18 in the latest AP Top 25 and No. 18 in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25.
• The Wildcats will return to action Thursday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ET vs. LSU inside Memorial Coliseum.
  • The game will be streamed on SEC Network+ and broadcast on the UK Sports Network.
  • The game will be UK’s annual Play4Kay Pink Game.

 
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 second time this season that UK has used this starting combination, holding a 2-0 record in those games.
  • Chasity Patterson scored first for Kentucky in the game – the fifth time this season she has been the first Wildcat to score.
  • Robyn Benton was the first sub for Kentucky.
    • It was the team-leading 12th time Benton has been the first sub for the Wildcats.
  • Kentucky won the tip, marking the sixth time this season that UK has lost the opening tip.
    • It was the second opening-tip won by Tatyana Wyatt.
• Kentucky started the game with back-to-back 3s to take an early 6-0 lead, but the Gators battled back and the game was tied 13-13 at the first media timeout in the first quarter.
  • UK hit three of its first four 3-pointers in the first 5:35 of the game.
• At the end of the first quarter, both teams were shooting over 50 percent from the field with UK 9-of-18 from the field and UF 9-of-17.
  • Kentucky had six first-quarter assists and three blocks.
  • Florida had 12 paint points and held a 6-0 edge in second-chance points.
  • Kentucky’s 21 first-quarter points was its most in the first quarter since 22 at Auburn at Jan. 21.
• Florida started the second quarter by hitting back-to-back 3s and went on a 10-2 run to take a 29-23 lead at the 7:44 mark and force a UK timeout.
• UK ended the second quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 47-42 lead into the break at halftime. The 47 points were the most the Wildcats have scored in the first half of game since scoring 48 against Wofford back in December.
  • The 47 points is the most points that Kentucky has scored in the first half of an SEC road game since Jan. 2, 2014 at Alabama (50).
  • Florida’s 42 points marked the sixth time they have scored 40 or more in the first half and the first since scoring 44 vs. Arkansas earlier this season.
  • Florida had four turnovers in the final 2:32 of the first half to allow UK to go on its run.
• Kentucky shot 55.3 percent from the field in the first half, going 5-of-11 from 3. Florida shot 53.3 percent from the field and also hit five 3s.
  • Two Wildcats were in double figures in the first half with Howard leading with 12 points and six rebounds, while Patterson had 10 points and hit two 3s.
  • Massengill had six assists in the first half.
• Florida held a 13-2 edge in second-chance points in the first half, but Kentucky had a 20-18 edge in paint points.
• Kentucky continued its run at the start of the third quarter, extending it to 21-3 and grabbing a double-digit lead.
  • UK went 8-of-15 from the field in the third quarter and 2-of-3 from 3.
  • UK’s biggest lead was 16 at the 3:36 mark of the third quarter but the Gators would answer by ending the quarter on a 7-2 run to close it to 70-59 heading into the fourth.
• The run continued for Florida to start the fourth quarter, spreading to 18-5 and cutting the UK lead to 73-70 with 6:45 to go.
• Kentucky responded, ending the game by making five of its last seven field goals and ending the game on a 13-8 run.
• The Wildcats won the battle in the paint, 40-32.
  • This is the second time UK has won the paint points in league play. The other was against Alabama.
  • UK’s 40 paint points was its most since scoring 56 against Wofford in non-conference action.
• UK is 13-2 and 7-1 in the league when it scores over 70 points this season.
• UK is 6-0 this season when it shoots 50 percent or better form the field.
  • The 53.7 percent is the second best this season for Kentucky and its most in league action.
• The 88 points scored by Kentucky is the second most against Florida in Gainesville in school history (scored 89 on Feb. 20, 1982).
  • The 88 points scored are Kentucky’s most against Florida since Mar. 4, 2016 (92)
• Kentucky shot 53.7% from the field tonight, its best shooting performance in an SEC game since Jan. 25, 2018 vs. Alabama (64.7%)
  • It was also it’s best shooting performance in an SEC road game since Jan. 31, 2016 at Florida (58%)

 
Player Notes

• Junior guard Rhyne Howard scored a game-high 31 points, going 12-of-20 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3 with nine rebounds and two steals.

  • Howard is the fourth player in school history to have at least six career 30-point games (Valerie Still, Leslie Nichols, Makayla Epps).
  • Howard is the second player in school history to have at least three 30-point games in consecutive seasons (Valerie Still).
  • Howard is the second player in school history to have at least five career 30-point games against SEC opponents (Valerie Still).
  • Howard is the first player in school history to have three career 30-point games against SEC opponents on the road.
  • Howard has made 196 career 3s, which ranks fourth most in school history.
  • Howard has 1,493 career points as a Wildcat, which ranks her 11th all-time in scoring at UK.
    • She needs 9 more points to tie Sara Potts for 10th all-time.  
  • In 76 career games, Howard has …
    • Hit at least one 3 in 67 career games, including 14 games this season.
    • Made three or more 3s in 34 career games, including eight games this season.
    • Scored 10+ points in 67 career games, including 15 games this season.
    • Scored 15+ points in 54 career games, including 11 games this season.
    • Scored 20+ points in 39 career games, including eight games this season.
    • Scored 25+ points in 21 career games, including three times this season.
    • Scored 30+ points in six career games, including three times this season.
    • Led UK in scoring in 47 career games, including nine times this season.
    • Led UK in rebounding in 41 games career games, including 10 games this season.
• Senior guard Chasity Patterson scored 13 points, going 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3 with three steals.
  • This was the 15th time this season Patterson has scored 10 or more points.
  • She has hit three or more 3s in four games this season and six games in her career.
  • Led UK in steals in 13 games this season, including 17 career games.
• Junior guard Jazmine Massengill neared a triple-double in the game with nine points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
  • This was a season high in assists for Massengill.
  • The seven rebounds were also a season high.
  • She has nine or more points in back-to-back games.
  • She played a season-high 33 minutes.
  • This was the first time that Massengill has led UK In blocks.
• Senior forward KeKe McKinney scored a career-high tying 13 points in the game, adding four rebounds and a steal.
  • The 13 points were a season high for McKinney.
• Senior forward Tatyana Wyatt scored eight points with five rebounds in the game.