Kentucky-Minnesota Postgame Notes

UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. MINNESOTA
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 6, 2023
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
 

Minnesota 76, Kentucky 57 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes 

• Kentucky is 4-6 in 2023-24, while Minnesota is 8-1 this season.
• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 50th season.
  • UK has an 898-594 (.602) all-time record, just two wins away from 900.
• Kyra Elzy is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 53-46 (.535) overall record.
• Minnesota leads the all-time series with Kentucky, 2-1.
  • The Gophers lead the series in Lexington, 1-0.
• Kentucky will play Louisville on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. ET at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
  • The game will be televised on the ACC Network.

Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination Brooklynn Miles, Saniah Tyler, Eniya Russell, Emma King and Ajae Petty for the first time this season.
  • Kentucky has used seven different starting combinations through the last eight games this season.
    • UK is 0-1 when using that starting combination.
  • The Wildcats won the opening tip.
  • Eniya Russell was the first player to score for Kentucky.
  • Janae Walker was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky.
• Kentucky shot 39.6 percent from the field (21-of-53).
  • UK shot 33.3 percent from long range (4-of-12).
• The Wildcats and the Gophers tied in rebounds, 33-33.
• UK narrowly led in paint points, 28-26, and second-chance points, 15-14.

How It Happened

• Minnesota led Kentucky, 8-4, through the first five minutes and 30 seconds (4:30).
  • Both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket to start the game, which would not end up being the case the rest of the first half.
    • Despite Minnesota going 0-5 to start the game, it made its last 3-of-3 from the field before the media timeout to take its 8-4 lead at that time.
  • Kentucky scored three straight out of the media timeout, including Eniya Russell’s successful and-1, spurring a 7-0 run to retake the lead and gain some momentum, 11-10 (3:08).
  • It was balanced scoring the rest of the way, despite Kentucky making extra baskets to balance out Minnesota’s 3-pointers to close out the first quarter.
  • The Wildcats led the Gophers, 17-16, at the end of the period.
• Saniah Tyler scored first in the second quarter on a free throw to stretch Kentucky’s lead over Minnesota to two points.
  • Then, Minnesota went on an 11-2 run to take its largest lead of the game, 27-20 (6:16).
  • However, Jordy Griggs checked in, knocked down a 3-pointer before the five-minute mark to snap Minnesota’s scoring run, as Kentucky began to make its comeback.
    • Her 3-pointer launched a 6-0 for the Cats, helping UK get within one point of UM (26-27, 4:36).
  • It was back-and-forth scoring over the next couple of minutes, until Kentucky ended on a 7-2 run, a series that included Saniah Tyler’s first 3-pointer of the game.
    • The game was tied, 36-36, with one minute remaining. Minnesota had back-to-back layup opportunities to take the lead, but Eniya Russell’s defensive rebound and dish out to Emma King for a layup gave Kentucky the edge in the final 15 second of the first half.
  • The Wildcats went 4-of-4 down the stretch, as Kentucky led Minnesota, 38-36, at halftime.
    • UK shot 53.3 percent from the field in the second quarter (8-of-15) and 100.0 percent from long range (2-of-2).
• The Gophers went 5-of-7 to start the third quarter to go on a 11-0 run and take a nine-point lead (6:30).
  • Eniya Russell capped their scoring run with a jumper at 6:03.
    • That would become one of just three field goals for UK in the third quarter, going 3-of-11 from the field in that period. Meanwhile UM enjoyed its best shooting period of the game, making 7 of its 11 shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, for 63.6 percent.
  • Minnesota led Kentucky, 56-49, at the end of the third quarter.
• The Gophers opened up the fourth quarter on a 16-1 run through the first five minutes and 34 seconds.
  • Emma King snapped the drought from the field on a 3-pointer at 3:26.
  • Minnesota defeated Kentucky, 76-57.

Player Notes

• Ajae Petty, a senior forward, led Kentucky with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
  • It marked her second straight game scoring 20+ points.
    • She became the first player to have back-to-back, 20+ point games since Robyn Benton in January 2023.
  • It marked her second straight double-double, her fifth this season and the seventh in her career.
  • She has led Kentucky in scoring five times this season and in rebounding nine times this season.
  • She added two steals.
    • It marked the second straight game she has made a steal.
• Eniya Russell, a senior guard, scored 15 points.
  • It marked her sixth game this season and 10th game of her career she has scored 10+ points.
  • It marked her second game this season and second of her career she has scored 15+ points.
  • She added seven rebounds, a career-high tying five assists, one steal and one block.
    • It marked her third straight game she has made a steal.
    • It marked her third straight game she has dished out at least three assists.
• Saniah Tyler, a sophomore guard, had eight points.
  • She has made a 3-pointer in all 10 games this season.
  • She added a career-high tying four rebounds.
• Brooklynn Miles, a junior guard, had five points, five assists, one rebound and one steal.
  • It marked her third straight game she has dished out at least three assists, and her seventh time this season
• Jordy Griggs, played a career-high nine minutes and scored her first career points on a timely 3-pointer.