Kentucky-Tennessee Postgame Notes

UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS – GAME 10
#14 KENTUCKY VS. #3 TENNESSEE
FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2023
BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA – GREENVILLE, S.C.
  

Tennessee 80, Kentucky 71- FINAL

 
Team Records and Series Notes   

• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 49th season with an 894-587 (.603) all-time record.    
  • The Wildcats end their season with a 12-19 record.  
  • The Lady Volunteers are now 22-10 overall and will advance to the semifinals of the tournament against second-seeded LSU on Saturday.  

• Kentucky has a 43-43 all-time record in the SEC Tournament. 
  • UK trails UT, 3-8, in all-time meetings in the SEC Tournament.  
  • UK has a 17-16 all-time record in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals. 
  • UK has advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament 15 straight years, which is the longest active streak in the league.  
• Kyra Elzy is in her third season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 49-40 overall record.   
  • She has a 7-2 all-time record in the SEC Tournament. 

• • • Her 7-2 start is the best start for a UK head coach to their tournament tenure in program history.  
    • She is 1-1 against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. 
  • She has a 19-28 overall record in the SEC as a head coach.  
• Tonight’s loss ends Kentucky’s SEC Tournament winning streak at six, which was the longest streak in program history.  

• • The six straight wins was the eighth longest winning streak in tournament history.  
• Kentucky trails in the all-time series with Tennessee, 59-16. 
  • UK went 0-2 against the Lady Volunteers in 2022-23. 

 Team Notes   

• Kentucky used the starting combination sophomore guard Jada Walker, junior guard Maddie Scherr, graduate guard Robyn Benton, graduate guard Blair Green and graduate forward Adebola Adeyeye for the ninth time this season.  
  • UK is 5-4 this season when using this starting combination.  
• Tennessee won the opening tip, marking the 23rd time this season that the Wildcats have lost the opening tip.  
• Maddie Scherr was the first Wildcat to score in the game, marking the fifth time this season she has been the first in the box score for Kentucky.  
• Ajae Petty and Eniya Russell were the first subs off the bench for Kentucky.  
  • It was Petty’s 10th time to be the first sub and Russell’s third.  

• Tennessee started the game on a 6-0 run – with all six points coming in the paint – forcing a UK timeout just 2:04 into the game.  
  • UK started 0-of-4 from the field before Scherr started the scoring for UK.  
  • Tennessee took a 10-point lead at 17-7 with 4:25 to go in the first quarter, but UK answered with an 8-0 run to make it 17-15.  
  • The Lady Vols quickly answered with a 10-0 run to get the lead to 12 at 27-15 before a Ajae Petty steal and score to cut it to 27-17 at the end of the first quarter.  
  • Tennessee was 10-of-17 from the field in the first quarter, including 3-of-4 from 3.  
  • Kentucky was 7-of-19 from the field in the first quarter and 1-of-3 from long range.  
  • UK forced UT into six turnovers in the first quarter and scored 12 points off those miscues.  
• Kentucky started the second quarter with a score from Amiya Jenkins, but Tennessee went on a 7-0 run following forcing four straight UK turnovers to up its lead to 34-19 and forcing a UK timeout.  
  • UK stayed ice cold out of the break as Tennessee continued its run to 9-0.  
  • Maddie Scherr finally stopped the drought for Kentucky with a 3, ending a 6:20 scoring drought. The 3 got Kentucky going offensively as the Wildcats used it to end the half on an 11-2 run. Blair Green followed with a 3 to force a Tennessee timeout, followed by a Petty layup and a Walker 3 to make it 11-0.  
  • The half ended with two Tennessee free throws to give the Lady Vols a 38-30 halftime lead.  
  • UK had six second-quarter turnovers and Tennessee scored five points off those miscues.  
  • UT was just 4-of-17 from the field in the second quarter, while UK was 5-of-13. 
  • Tennessee was called for just four fouls in the first half, while Kentucky was called for 11.  
  • The Lady Vols outrebounded UK 24-12 in the first half.  
• The two teams went back-and-forth to start the third quarter with Tennessee leading 46-36 at the media timeout in the third quarter.  
  • Kentucky won the third quarter 18-15 and would have had a larger margin but allowed a wide-open jumper as time expired, allowing Tennessee to take a 53-48 lead into the fourth quarter.  
  • Kentucky was 6-of-17 from the field in the third quarter and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.  
  • Tennessee was 7-of-12 from the field in the third quarter, but had seven turnovers that allowed UK to keep the margin close.  
  • Twelve of Tennessee’s 15 points in the quarter came in the paint, while 11 of Kentucky’s 18 points in the quarter came off turnovers.  

• Tennessee won the fourth quarter 27-23 to clinch the victory and advance to the quarterfinals.  
  • Kentucky cut the lead to 51-55 with eight minutes to go but a disqualifying foul on UK’s Petty gave Tennessee two free throws and the ball, which they made two more free throws to up its lead back to eight at 59-51 and never look back.  
  • UK closed the lead to four again at 75-71, but Tennessee made its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.  
• Tennessee was called for just 18 fouls in the game, while UK was called for 26.  
  • That led to Tennessee attempted 14 more free throws than Kentucky and going 24-of-26 from the line, while UK was 9-of-12.  
• Tennessee scored 50 points in the paint on Kentucky last weekend to conclude the regular season, but UK limited that number to 38 Friday, while scoring 30 for itself.  
• UK forced UT into 22 turnovers and scored 38 points off those miscues.  
• The Lady Vols won the rebounding margin, 43-25, including a 8-6 advantage on the offensive glass.  
• Kentucky hit eight 3s in the game, going 8-of-23 from long range with four players each hitting two 3s.  

Player Notes   

• Graduate guard Robyn Benton led Kentucky with 20 points. 
  • It marked the 14th time she has led Kentucky in scoring this season.  
  • She has scored at least 10 points in 25 games this season and 64 games in her career.  
  • She has scored at least 15 points in 17 games this season and 25 games in her career.  
  • She has scored at least 20 points in eight games this season and 10 games in her career. 
  • She added one rebound, two assists, one block and one steal.  
• Sophomore guard Jada Walker scored 12 points with four rebounds, two assists and four steals. 
  • Walker has scored 10 or more points in 21 games this season, including 38 times in her career.  

• • This was the 16th time this season Walker has led UK in steals.  
  • Walker has scored 10 or more points in four straight games and has had three or more steals in four straight games.  

• Junior guard Maddie Scherr scored 13 points with four rebounds, five assists, three blocks and four steals in 34 minutes.  
  • Scherr has scored 10 or more points in each of her last five games.  
  • Scherr has scored 10 or more points in 17 games this season, including 21 times in her career.  
  • Scherr has three or more assists in 22 games this season.  

• • Scherr has led UK in 19 times this season and steals 11 times this season.   
• Junior forward Ajae Petty came off the bench and played 23 minutes, scoring 11 points with four rebounds and two steals.  
  • Petty has scored 10 or more points in nine games this season.  
  • She led UK in rebounds and has led the Wildcats in boards in 12 games this season.