Kentucky-Tennessee Women's Basketball Postgame Notes

UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY AT TENNESSEE
SUNDAY, JAN. 7, 2023
THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA – KNOXVILLE, TENN.
  

Tennessee 87, Kentucky 69 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes   

• Kentucky is 8-8 overall and 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference in 2023-24, while Tennessee is 9-5 overall and 2-0 in the conference this season. 
• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 50th season. 
  • UK has a 902-596 (.602) all-time record. 
• Kyra Elzy is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 57-48 (.548) overall record. 
• Kentucky trails in the all-time series with Tennessee, 60-16, including 28-4, in Knoxville.  
• Kentucky will play host to Vanderbilt at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. ET. 
  • 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 fifth time this season and the fifth straight game. 
  • • UK is 4-1 when using that starting combination.  
  • The Wildcats lost the opening tip for just the third time this season. 
  • Maddie Scherr was the first player to score for Kentucky for the second time this season. 
  • Saniah Tyler was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky for the fifth time this season. 
• The 49 points scored in the first half against Tennessee ties the school record for most points scored in the first half against UT (Jan. 24, 1986), and it’s the most first half points scored against Tennessee in Knoxville in school history.
• The 49 first half points are the most allowed by Tennessee in a game since Feb. 4, 1997, when Wisconsin scored 50 first half points against the Volunteers.

How It Happened 

• Kentucky led Tennessee through the first seven minutes and five seconds of the game, 18-14, at the first media timeout. 
  • • Scoring was little-to-no issue to start the game, as UK made nine of its first 16 attempts from the field and UT made seven of its first 10 attempts from the field. 
  • Out of the timeout, both team’s turned up on defense, as the score remained the same as the clock winded down in the period. 
  • Kentucky led Tennessee, 18-14, at the end of the first period. 
• Despite UT going on a 5-0 run between the end of the first quarter and into the start of the second quarter, Kentucky maintained its lead over Tennessee through the second quarter media timeout, 31-22, in part because of 3-point shooting.  
  • • The Wildcats went 3-of-3 from the arc up to the second quarter media timeout (6:47), with two from Cassidy Rowe and one from Saniah Tyler, to take their largest lead of the game thus far (+9). 
  • Kentucky’s scoring efforts didn’t let up out of the media timeout, turning what was a 7-0 run before the break into a 16-2 run to take a 40-24 lead (4:47). 
  • For the most part, the Wildcats and the Lady Volunteers had balanced scoring from the field the rest of the way, despite the Vols’ 6-0 run under the three-minute mark, which included going 4-4 from the line. 
  • Tennessee scored a layup at the buzzer to cut it to a 10-point game. 
  • Kentucky led Tennessee, 49-39, at the end of the first half. 
    • The Wildcats had five first-half 3-pointers on eight first-half attempts. 
    • Both teams shot 50.0 percent from the field in the first half. 
    • Kentucky narrowly led Tennessee in paint points, 24-20, in the first half. 
• Ajae Petty had a convincing layup on UK’s first possession in the second half to stretch Kentucky’s lead over Tennessee, 51-39 (9:37). 
  • However, just a few possessions later, Tennessee went on a 7-0 run, forcing Kentucky into a timeout, as UT got within four points of UK, 55-51, with an and-1 opportunity out of the break. 
  • Out of the break, UT turned its 7-0 run into an 11-run, capped with a 3-pointer, to tie the game, 55-55, forcing Kentucky into another timeout (4:33). 
  • UT would end up outscoring UK, 27-11, in the third quarter, as UT shot 46.7 percent from the field and UK shot 23.5 percent from the field in the period.
    • UT went 12-of-15 from the line in the third quarter alone. 
  • Kentucky trailed Tennessee, 66-60, at the end of the third quarter. 
• Kentucky’s attempt to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter wasn’t enough to overcome Tennesse’s hot offense in the final stanza. 
  • The Lady Vols went on a 9-0 run in the last four minutes of the period. 
  • Kentucky lost at Tennessee, 87-69. 

Player Notes 

• Eniya Russell, a senior guard, led Kentucky with 16 points. 
  • It marked the fourth game this season and the fourth game in her career she has led Kentucky in scoring. 
  • It marked the third game this season and the third game of her career she has scored 15+ points. 
    • It marked the eighth game this season and the 12th game of her career she has scored 10+ points. 
  • She added five rebounds, two assists and a steal. 
• Ajae Petty, a senior forward, led Kentucky with 14 rebounds and she added 14 points. 
  • It marked her third straight double-double this season. 
    • She was the last UK player to record three straight double-doubles (Dec. 3-10). 
  • It marked her ninth double-double this season and the 11th of her career. 
  • It marked the 13th game this season and the 23rd game of her career she has scored 10+ points.  
  • It marked the ninth game this season and the 11th game of her career she has collected 10+ rebounds. 
    • It marked the 15th game this season and the 26th game of her career she has led Kentucky in rebounding. 
  • She added two steals. 
    • It marked the eighth game this season and the 13th game of her career she has collected two or more steals. 
• Maddie Scherr, a senior guard, had 13 points. 
  • • It marked the 10th game this season and the 31st game of her career she has scored 10+ points. 
  • She added a team-lead five assists and four rebounds. 
    • She has dished out three-or-more assists in five straight games. 
    • She has dished out three-or-more assists in nine games this season and 54 games in her career.  
    • It marked the sixth game this season and the 24th game of her career she has led Kentucky in assists. 
• Saniah Tyler, a sophomore guard, had 10 points. 
  • • It marked the seventh game this season and the seventh game of her career that she has scored 10+ points. 
  • She added two steals, one rebound and a team-lead / first-career block. 
    • It marked the fourth game this season and the fourth game of her career she has made two-or-more steals. 
    • It marked the first game this season and the first game of her career that she has led Kentucky in blocks.