Kentucky-South Carolina Postgame Notes

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. NO. 1/1 SOUTH CAROLINA
THURSDAY, JAN. 12, 2023
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
  

No. 1/1 South Carolina 95, Kentucky 66 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes   

• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 49th season with an 890-578 (.606) all-time record.    
  • The Wildcats are now 8-9 overall and 0-5 in the league.  
  • The Gamecocks are now 17-0 overall and 5-0 in the league. 
• Kyra Elzy is in her third season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 45-30 overall record.   
  • She has a 17-19 overall record in the SEC. 
• South Carolina remains the leader in the series with Kentucky, 38-35. 
  • Kentucky remains the leader in the series in games played in Lexington, 20-13. 
• Kentucky will hit the road to face Florida in Gainesville, Florida, on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. 

Team Notes   

• Kentucky used the starting combination Jada Walker, Maddie Scherr, Robyn Benton, Blair Green and Nyah Leveretter for the 11th game this season. UK is 5-6 using that starting combination.   
  • Kentucky won the opening tip.  
  • Jada Walker was the first player to score for Kentucky for the seventh time this season. 
  • Kennedy Cambridge was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky.  
• South Carolina led Kentucky, 18-13, by the first media timeout (2:47). 
  • Jada Walker made eight of the Cats’ first 10 points in the game, while Maddie Scherr was responsible for the other five. 
    • Leading scorer Robyn Benton went to the bench early, with two fouls in the first three minutes of the game. She didn’t return the rest of the half. 
  • Right before the timeout at 2:47, the Gamecocks were preparing for a fastbreak layup, but Maddie Scherr’s one-on-one defense and Nyah Leveretter’s block forced a heldball call and a momentum booster for the Cats. 
  • Out of the timeout, Kentucky went on a 4-2 run, including a 4-0 run to close out the period. 
  • The Gamecocks led the Wildcats, 20-17, at the end of the first quarter. 
• Kentucky stretched its 4-0 run into a 16-0 run to begin the second quarter, as UK led USC, 29-20, at 6:56 in the period. 
  • That scoring run was snapped after one free throw by South Carolina. 
    • However, Scherr was credited with a steal then knocked down a pullup jumper to help UK to its best lead of the game, 31-21, at 5:27 in the period. 
  • The Gamecocks responded with a jumper on the next possession, which was the start of a 16-0 run for them to regain the lead. 
  • Adebola Adeyeye drained a jumper at the buzzer as Kentucky trailed South Carolina, 37-33, at the end of the second quarter. 
• South Carolina outscored Kentucky, 11-8, by the second media timeout in the third quarter (4:37). 
  • Just before the media timeout, Kennedy Cambridge drew a foul to turn the ball over, as the Cats trailed the Gamecocks, 48-41.  
  • Out of the timeout, Robyn Benton went on a 5-0 run with a 3-pointer and a put-back layup to get within two points of South Carolina. 
  • Scoring was back-and-forth toward the end of the third quarter, until South Carolina went 4-of-4 from the line in the final 33 seconds of the third quarter to stretch its lead to 59-51. 
• The two teams traded baskets on the first several possessions in the fourth quarter, before South Carolina went on a 7-1 run. That scoring series prompted Kentucky to call a timeout with six minutes and 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. 
  • Out of the timeout, the Gamecocks went on a 14-2 run, capping the fourth quarter with a 27-9 run. 
  • South Carolina defeated Kentucky, 95-66. 
• The Wildcats led the Gamecocks for more than five minutes in the game and tied the Gamecocks for more than two minutes in the game.  
• Kentucky’s 66 points against South Carolina, the No. 1 defensive team in the nation, are the second-most points the Gamecocks have allowed all season. 
  • Stanford scored 71 points against South Carolina in overtime. 
• The Wildcats shot 42.2 percent from the floor (27-64) and 40.0 percent from the arc (6-15). 
  • The Cats continue to progress from long range, making at least six 3-pointers in four of five SEC games this season. The Cats only accomplished that feat in four of its 12 nonconference games. 
• South Carolina narrowly outrebounded Kentucky, 35-29. 
  • The two teams tied in second-chance points, 17-17. 
• The Gamecocks went to the line 29 times, making 23 of those shots. 
  • The Wildcats went to the line 14 times, making just six free throws.  

Player Notes   

• Junior guard Maddie Scherr reset her career high in points and also lead Kentucky in points for the second straight game, scoring 25 against South Carolina.  
  • She has scored 20-plus points in back-to-back games. Prior to that stretch, she had never scored in the 20s. 
  • She knocked down a career high 10 field goals on 15 attempts. 
  • She drained a career high five 3-pointers on seven attempts. 
    • She had made at least two 3-pointers in four of five conference games this season. 
  • She added six assists, four rebounds and a steal. 
    • She leads Kentucky with an active streak of eight straight games recording at least one steal. 
    • She has dished out at least three assists in 15 games this season. 
      • Her six assists is tied for her most assists in conference action this season. 
• Sophomore guard Jada Walker added 17 points, including nine points in the first quarter. 
  • It marked her 12th game this season she has scored at least 10 points and it marked her seventh game this season she has scored at least 15 points. 
  • She added three rebounds, two steals and one assist. 
    • She has recorded at least two steals in three of the last four games. 
• Graduate guard Robyn Benton had 10 points.  
  • She has scored in double digits in all 16 games she has played in this season. 
  • She made at least one 3-pointer for the 11th straight game. 
  • She added two rebounds and two assists in just 19 minutes of action. 
    • Of her 19 minutes, 17 were played in the second half because of foul issues in the first half. 
• Junior forward Ajae Petty led Kentucky with seven rebounds.  
  • She has led Kentucky in rebounds in eight games this season. 
  • She added three points and two assists.