Kentucky-Furman Postgame Notes

UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. FURMAN
SUNDAY, DEC. 17, 2023
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
 

Kentucky 75, Furman 45 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes 

• Kentucky is 5-7 in 2023-24, while Furman is 7-6 this season.
• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 50th season.
  • UK has an 899-595 (.602) all-time record, just one win away from 900.
• Kyra Elzy is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 54-47 (.535) overall record.
• Kentucky remains the leader in the series with Furman, 2-0, including 2-0 in Lexington.
• Kentucky will play host to Lipscomb on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. ET at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center.
  • The game will be televised on the SEC Network+.

Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination Brooklynn Miles, Cassidy Rowe, Maddie Scherr, Emma King and Ajae Petty for the first time this season.
  • Kentucky has used eight starting combinations in the last 10 games.
    • UK is 1-0 when using that starting combination.
  • The Wildcats won the opening tip.
  • Maddie Scherr was the first player to score for Kentucky.
  • Saniah Tyler and Eniya Russell were the first substitutes off the bench for Kentucky.
• The Wildcats shot a season-high 54.5 percent from the field on 31-of-57.
  • The Cats also shot 41.2 percent from the arc on 7-of-17.
    • Those seven 3-pointers tie for the second best this season.
• Four players scored in double digits.
  • UK improves to 5-0 this season when at least four players score in double digits.
• UK had a season-high 20 assists, with three players dishing out at least three each.
  • Seven players recorded at least one assist.
• Kentucky had a season-high 12 steals.
  • UK forced FU into 25 turnovers, the most UK has forced all season.
• Kentucky narrowly outrebounded Furman, 35-34.
• The Wildcats led the Paladins in points off turnovers (25-11), points in the paint (44-30), fastbreak points (18-4) and bench points (31-20).
  • The Cats had a season-high 30 bench points.
• UK held FU to a season-low 45 points in the game on a season-low 18 field goals and a season-low 31.0 percent from the field.

How It Happened

• The Wildcats led the Paladins, 11-7, at the first media timeout (4:40).
  • The Cats made five of their first eight baskets – including three of those five baskets being fed inside to Ajae Petty – holding the Paladins to 3-of-8.
    • The Cats did turn the ball over twice in the first five minutes, however the Paladins only scored one point off that miscue.
    • Maddie Scherr accumulated two fouls at that point, too, and would eventually sit the remainder of the first quarter.
  • The Paladins climbed back into the game with a couple of 3-pointers under three minutes, despite the two teams going back-and-forth in scoring.
  • Kentucky led Furman, 16-15, at the end of the first quarter.
• Kentucky went on an 8-0 run on 3-of-3 from the field to start the second quarter, helping UK extend its lead over FU, 24-15, at the first media timeout (7:32).
  • • UK’s hot start to the period was thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Maddie Scherr and Saniah Tyler, followed by a steal and score from Ajae Petty.
    • Meanwhile, Furman went 0-4 to start the period.
  • Right out of the timeout, Furman scored its first basket of the period on a layup (7:13).
    • After that, both teams went scoreless for the next four minutes.
  • At last, that drought was capped after a steal and dish from Maddie Scherr and the layup by Eniya Russell (3:39).
    • That helped Kentucky go on an 11-2 run, including a 9-0 run down the stretch, which was on 6-of-6 from the field.
  • Kentucky led Furman, 37-23, at halftime.
• The Paladins went on a little 4-0 run to start the second half, but an Emma King steal and score two minutes and 58 seconds into the period put the Wildcats on the board.
  • Emma King’s bucket started a series where Kentucky went 7-of-7 from the field, which didn’t end until at 1:28.
    • In fact, Kentucky went 9-of-11 to close out the third quarter.
  • Kentucky led Furman, 57-35, at the end of the third quarter.
    • The period was capped by Emma King’s put back at the buzzer.
• The Wildcats created a big enough gap over the Paladins that became too much for the Paladins to overcome in the final stanza.
  • The Wildcats outscored the Paladins, 18-10, in the fourth quarter on 6-of-11 from the field, continuing the balanced scoring the Cats had seen all game. Meanwhile, the Paladins went 4-of-16 from the field in that period.
  • Kentucky defeated Furman, 75-45.

Player Notes

• Saniah Tyler, a sophomore guard, led Kentucky with a career-high 17 points on 6-of-8 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from long range.
  • It marked the second time this season and in her career she has led UK in scoring.
  • It marked the fifth time this season and in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
  • It marked the first time this season and in her career she has scored at least 15 points.
  • It marked the fifth time this season and in her career she has made at least three 3-poiunters in a game.
  • She added two assists, a steal and a rebound.
• Ajae Petty, a senior forward, added 16 points on 7of-12 from the field.
  • It marked 10th time this season and the 20th time in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
  • It marked the eighth time this season and the 10th time in her career she has scored at least 15 points.
  • She added a team-lead nine rebounds, a career-high tying three assists, two steals and one block.
    • It marked the first time this season and the second time in her career she has dished out at least three assists.
    • It marked the fifth time this season and the 10th time in her career she has made at least two steals.
• Maddie Scherr, a senior guard, had 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
  • It marked the second straight game she has made at least three 3-pointers in a game.
    • It marked the third game this season and the eighth game in her career she has made at least three 3-pointers in a game.
  • It marked the seventh game this season and the 28th game in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
  • She added five rebounds, a team-lead eight assists, a team-lead five steals and one block.
    • It marked the fourth time this season and the 50th time in her career she has dished out at least three assists.
    • It marked the fifth time this season and the 15th time in her career she has made at least two steals.
• Eniya Russell, a senior guard, scored 10 points on 4-of-5 from the field.
  • It marked seventh time this season and the 11th time in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
  • She added three assists and two rebounds.
• Cassidy Rowe, a sophomore guard, recorded a career-high seven points on a career-high three made field goals.
  • She added a career-high five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.