Kentucky-Colorado Postgame Notes

UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. NO. 3/4 COLORADO
FRIDAY, NOV. 24, 2023
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGIN ISLANDS SPORTS AND FITNESS CENTER – ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
 

No. 3/4 Colorado 96, Kentucky 53 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes 

• Kentucky is 2-4 in 2023-24, while Colorado is 6-0 this season.
  • UK is 0-2 again Associated Press Top 10 teams this season.
• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 50th season.
  • UK has an 896-592 (.602) all-time record, just four wins away from 900.
• Kyra Elzy is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 51-44 (.537) overall record.
• Colorado leads Kentucky in the all-time series, 2-1.
• Kentucky will play Cincinnati on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 3:15 p.m. ET at the University of Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination Brooklynn Miles, Maddie Scherr, Saniah Tyler, Amiya Jenkins and Ajae Petty for the first time this season.
  • Kentucky is 2-1 when using that starting combination.
    • UK returned to the lineup it used in its first two games, both of which were wins, of the season.
  • The Wildcats won the opening tip.
  • Amiya Jenkins was the first player to score for Kentucky.
  • Emma King was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky.

How It Happened

• Kentucky led Colorado, 9-2, after going 4-of-4 from the field to start the game.
  • The Buffs rallied back to tie the game 9-9, then again at 11-11, as the Cats called their first timeout at 5:20.
  • The game was tied again at 14-14, with just over four minutes remaining in the period.
  • The Buffs went on an 11-0 run down the stretch to lead the Wildcats, 25-14, at the end of the first quarter.
• Both teams went scoreless for more than a minute to start the second quarter, until Eniya Russell made a free throw around the eight-minute mark to make it a 10-point game.
  • It was back-and-forth scoring for much of the second quarter, as Kentucky began to eat away at Colorado’s lead.
  • Kentucky would trail Colorado, 33-25, at the media timeout, with four minutes and 38 seconds remaining in the period.
    • Saniah Tyler later made a 3-pointer at 2:50 to cut Colorado’s lead to just 35-30.
    • Kentucky then made it a three-point game at 1:30 after Ajae Petty knocked down a pair of free throws, as Colorado led, 37-34.
  • However, Colorado ended the half on an 8-0 run, which included a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
  • Colorado led Kentucky, 45-34, at halftime.
    • A player for Colorado was assessed a technical foul after the last play, sending Maddie Scherr to the line for two to begin the third quarter.
    • Kentucky shot 50.0 percent from the field in the first half, and it outrebounded Colordo by one.
• Maddie Scherr made one of her two free throws to make it a 10-point game to start the second half.
  • Colorado would then go on a 12-0 run in the first three minutes and 10 seconds of the third quarter to stretch its lead, 57-35.
  • Eniya Russell made one of two free throws at 6:33, then Ajae Petty broke silence from the field with a strong layup at 6:08.
  • Colorado would respond with back-to-back layups, including the latter one off a turnover, as Kentucky called its third timeout at 5:19.
  • Eniya Russell forced an and-1 play out of the timeout, which spurred an 8-4 run for Kentucky to cut Colorado’s lead to 19 points.
  • Colorado capped the third quarter on another 8-2 run as it took a 73-48 lead at the end of the period.
• The Buffalos held the Wildcats to five points in the fourth quarter, scoring 23 themselves.
  • The Buffalos defeated the Wildcats, 96-53.

Player Notes

• Eniya Russell, a senior guard, led Kentucky with a career-high tying 14 points.
  • It marked the third game this season and the seventh game in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
  • It marked the second straight game and the second game of her career she has led Kentucky in scoring.
  • She added two blocks, one steal and one rebound.
• Maddie Scherr, a senior guard, had 13 points.
  • It marked the third game this season and the 24th game in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
  • She added a team-high three assists and one rebound and one block.
    • It marked the third game this season and the 48th game in her career she has recorded at least three assists.
    • It marked the second game this season and the 20th game in her career she has led Kentucky in scoring.
• Ajae Petty, a senior forward, had 11 points and a team-lead seven rebounds.
  • It marked the fifth game this season and the 14th game in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
  • It marked the fifth game this season the 16th game in her career she has led Kentucky in rebounds.
  • She added two assists, two steals and a block.
    • It marked the second game this season the seventh game in her career she has recorded at least two steals.