Kentucky, Florida Rematch in SEC Tournament First Round

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The 14th-seeded University of Kentucky women’s basketball program will rematch No. 11 Florida in the 2023 Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament First Round on Wednesday, March 1 at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network, with Eric Frede and Tamika Catchings on the call.

Kentucky concluded the regular season with a 10-18 overall record and a 2-14 Southeastern Conference record. Robyn Benton, a graduate guard from Conyers, Georgia, led Kentucky and wrapped up the season ranked fifth in the league in both points per game (16.7) and points per game in conference action (17.1). In Kentucky’s previous game against Florida on Jan. 15, Benton scored a career-high 29 points, including 17 points in the fourth quarter, to lead the Wildcats to victory.

Junior Maddie Scherr (14.9) and sophomore Jada Walker (12.1) are also averaging double-digit scoring in conference action.

Walker ended the regular season as the SEC leader in steals (68), while Scherr ended the regular season as one of only two players in the league that has at least 110 assists (110) and 55 steals (55). Kentucky also boasts the first-, second- and third-best free-throw shooters in the conference, including Scherr (1st, 91.8%), Walker (2nd, 83.0) and Benton (3rd, 82.5).

Darren Headrick will have the call on the UK Sports Network on 630AM WLAP in Lexington for the sixth straight season. Free live audio will be available online at UKathletics.com and live stats will be available online at KentuckyStats.com.

Kentucky in the SEC Tournament

• Kentucky has a 41-42 all-time record in the Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament.
  • Kentucky leads the all-time meetings with Florida, 7-2, in the SEC Tournament.
  • Kyra Elzy leads the all-time meetings with Florida, 1-0, in the SEC Tournament.
  • Kentucky has an 11-11 all-time record in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
• The Wildcats are coming off a historical run last season, claiming the 2022 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament title as the No. 7 seed, defeating the top-ranked team in the nation South Carolina, 64-62, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, last March.
  • In fact, UK became the first team in the history of the tournament to defeat the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds en route to the tournament title.
• The last time Kentucky came into the SEC Tournament as the last-place seed was in 2002, with UK going 1-1 that week.

Last Time Against Florida

• Kentucky had a huge road win at Florida, 81-75, on Jan. 15 to snap a five-game losing streak and earn its first win in the Southeastern Conference this season.
• The Wildcats, who were down 16 points in the second quarter and six points at halftime, only led the game for 10 minutes and 33 seconds.
  • It marked Kentucky’s largest deficit overcome in a win against an SEC opponent in program history (16 points).
  • It marked the fourth comeback of 16 points in a win against an SEC opponent in program history, most recently on Feb. 14, 2013 against South Carolina.
  • It tied Kentucky’s largest deficit overcome in a win in an SEC road game (16 points). Kentucky also came back from 16 points down at Ole Miss on Feb. 8, 2007 in a victory.
• For the first time this season, three Cats scored at least 15 points.
  • Robyn Benton led UK with a career high 29 points, while she scored 17 of those 29 points in the fourth quarter alone. Benton also went 10-of-10 from the line.
  • Jada Walker added 19 points, while Maddie Scherr contributed 18 points.
• The Wildcats forced the Gators to commit 24 turnovers, while committing just 15 themselves, while the Cats outscored the Gators, 28-13, in points off turnovers.
  • Kentucky made a season-high 17 steals in the game.