Kentucky-Ohio Postgame Notes

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. OHIO
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21, 2022
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
 

Kentucky 95, Ohio 86- FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes  

• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 49th season with an 890-573 (.608) all-time record.   
  • The Wildcats are now 8-4 on the season. 
  • The Bobcats are now 2-8 on the season. 

• Kyra Elzy is in her third season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 45-25 overall record.  
• Kentucky remains the leader in the all-time series with Ohio, 3-1. 
  • UK has won all three contests in Lexington. 
• Kentucky will break for Christmas, before beginning the Southeastern Conference portion of the schedule at Missouri on Dec. 29 at 9 p.m. ET in Columbia, Missouri, on SEC Network.

Team Notes  

• Kentucky used the starting combination Jada Walker, Maddie Scherr, Robyn Benton, Blair Green and Nyah Leveretter for the seventh game this season. UK is 5-2 using that starting combination.  
  • Ohio won the opening tip. 
  • Blair Green was the first player to score for Kentucky. 
  • Adebola Adeyeye was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky. 

• Ohio made six of its first seven attempts from the field, while Kentucky made four of its first 12 attempts from the field, as OU led UK, 10-13, at the first quarter media timeout at 4:59. 
  • The Bobcats went on a 3-0 run out of the timeout thanks to a trio of makes at the line. 
  • The Wildcats answered with a 7-0 run to close out the first quarter, keeping the Bobcats scoreless for the remaining two minutes and 40 seconds of the period. 
    • That scoring run included a steal from Eniya Russell, who then dished it out to Ajae Petty, who made a layup and drew a foul to complete the and-1.
    • Petty was responsible for the last five points of that scoring run to help UK take the lead. 
  • Kentucky led Ohio, 17-16, at the end of the first quarter.  
• Ohio scored on a layup out of the timeout to regain the lead, but Russell answered with a 3-pointer, followed by Petty with a make at the line. 
  • The Bobcats then went on a 7-2 run over the next minute, with the Wildcats’ lone bucket coming from Petty in the paint during that stretch.  
  • Both teams went scoreless for one minute, until Kentucky rallied an 8-0 run by four different scorers over the next three minutes. 
    • Thanks to that scoring run, the Wildcats regained the lead over the Bobcats, 31-25, with three minutes and 34 seconds remaining in the second quarter. 
  • Ohio then went on an 8-2 run to tie the game, 33-33, before halftime. 
    • The Bobcats’ scoring run included a couple of makes from long range. 
    • Both teams were left scoreless for the final two minutes and nine seconds going into halftime.  
• Kentucky went on an 8-0 run out of halftime to reclaim the lead over Ohio, 41-33, as the Wildcats made three of their four attempts from the field to start the second quarter. 
  • The Wildcats’ run prompted the Bobcats to call a timeout at 7:47. 
    • The two teams then went back-and-forth in scoring over the next five minutes until the media timeout at 2:52, as UK continued to lead OU, 56-52.  
      • In that time, the Bobcats made three 3-pointers, while Benton made four 3-pointers on her own thus far in the third quarter. 
    • Out of the timeout, Kentucky led Ohio in scoring, 6-5, down the stretch, as UK made six free throws and OU scored on a jumper and another 3-pointer.  
  • Kentucky remained in the lead at the end of the third quarter, 62-57. 
• Ohio knocked down a pair of free throws to begin the fourth quarter, then Russell went on a 5-0 run with a jumper and a 3-pointer. 
  • The Bobcats scored on a layup, then the two teams took turns recording 6-0 runs, first by the Wildcats, then by the Bobcats.  
    • Kentucky led Ohio, 73-67, after those runs with five minutes and 23 seconds remaining in the game. 
  • The two teams went back-and-forth after that, as neither team went on a run greater than three points until the last 14 seconds of the fourth quarter when Kentucky proceeded to go 4-of-4 from the line. 
  • Kentucky defeated Ohio, 95-86. 
• The Wildcats scored a season-high 95 points. 
  • It marked the first time the Cats have scored at least 90 points since Feb. 27, 2022 against Auburn.  
• Kentucky shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in the second, third and fourth quarters, altogether shooting 47.8 percent from the field on 33-of-69. 
  • It marked the fifth game this season UK shot at least 45.0 percent from the field, while its 5-0 in those contests. 
  • UK’s 33 field goals was also a season high.  
• The Wildcats outrebounded the Bobcats, 36-20, including 20-3 offensive boards. 
  • Meanwhile, the Cats had 20 more second chance points than the Bobcats, 23-2. 
• UK dished out a season-high 25 assists. 
  • The Wildcats have recorded at least 20 assists in four games this season, holding a 3-1 record in those contests. 
• Kentucky forced Ohio to commit 20 turnovers, scoring 25 points off those miscues. 
  • UK has forced eight of its 12 opponents this season to commit at least 20 turnovers. 

Player Notes  

• Kentucky had five players score in double digits for the first time this season. 
• Graduate guard Robyn Benton led the team in scoring with a season-high 22 points. 
  • It marked the fourth straight game she has led the team in scoring. 
  • She has scored in double digits in all 12 games this season. 
  • She made at least one 3-pointer for the seventh straight game. 
    • In fact, all four of her 3-pointers came in the third quarter.  
    • Benton scored 14 points in the third quarter, going 5-of-6 from the field, including 4-of-5 from the arc. 

• • She added two rebounds and four assists. 
• Junior forward Ajae Petty had 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. 
  • She has scored in double digits in seven of her last eight games. 
  • She flirted with her third double-double of the season, adding eight rebounds and three assists. 
• Sophomore guard Jada Walker had 14 points. 
  • She has scored in double digits in two straight games and in nine games this season. 

• • She added five rebounds, eight assists and three steals. 
    • She had just one turnover compared to her eight assists.  

• Graduate guard Blair Green had 14 points. 
  • It marked her fifth game this season she has scored in double digits. 
  • She added three rebounds.  

• Junior guard Eniya Russell had a season-high 14 points on 4-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-3 from the arc.  
  • It marked the third game of her career she has recorded at least 10 points in a game.  
  • It marked the first time in her career she has made at least two three-point field goals in a game.  
  • She added a season-high four rebounds, three assists and a career-high tying two steals in the game.