Kentucky-Mississippi State Women's Basketball Postgame Notes

UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY AT MISSISSIPPI STATE
THURSDAY, FEB. 25, 2024
HUMPHREY COLISEUM – STARKVILLE, MISS.
 

KENTUCKY 78, MISSISSIPPI STATE 68 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes  

• Kentucky is 11-16 overall and 4-9 in the Southeastern Conference in 2023-24, while Mississippi State is 20-8 overall and 7-6 in the conference this season.
  • UK’s win at MSU marked its first road win of the season.
• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 50th season.
  • UK has a 905-604 (.599) all-time record.
• Kyra Elzy is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 60-56 (.517) overall record.
  • She has a 23-37 overall record in the SEC.
• Kentucky remains the leader in the all-time series with Mississippi State, 31-24.
  • Kentucky leads Mississippi State, 12-11, in Starkville.
• Kentucky will play host to South Carolina for Senior Day on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET.
  • The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination Casidy Rowe, Maddie Scherr, Amiya Jenkins, Emma King and Ajae Petty for the second game this season.
  • UK is 2-0 when using that starting combination.
  • It is UK’s 11th starting combination this season.
• The Wildcats lost the opening tip.
• Emma King was the first player to score for Kentucky.
• Brooklynn Miles, Eniya Russell and Saniha Tyler were the first substitutes off the bench for Kentucky.

• The Wildcats overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Bulldogs.
  • The Cats used a 19-0 run down the stretch to regain the lead and win the game, which tied their largest scoring run of the season and marked their largest scoring run in SEC action.
• Kentucky improved to 8-3 when at least four players score in double digits in 2023-24.
  • UK has produced four double-digit scorers in back-to-back games.
• Two Wildcats scored at least 20 points, including Saniah Tyler (22) and Ajae Petty (20), which marked the third time this season at least two players scored 20 or more points.
  • The Cats are 2-1 in those contests.
• UK shot a season-high 81.8 percent from the free-throw line on 18-of-22.
• The Wildcats’ eight 3-pointers are the second-most on the season and in league action.
• UK led MSU in rebounds, 40-38.
• Kentucky had 39 bench points,  which marked its second-most on the season.
  • That performance comes after recording a season-high tying 42 bench points in its win over Florida last Sunday.

How It Happened

• Kentucky led Mississippi State, 27-22, at the end of the first quarter, the most points it has scored in the first quarter all season.
  • Saniah Tyler went 4-of-4 from the arc in that period, as the Cats shot 52.9 percent from the field.
• The Wildcats maintained their lead over the Bulldogs, 33-24, up to the media timeout in the second quarter (4:49), making three buckets to the Dogs’ one in that timeframe.
  • MSU went on an 8-0 run to close the gap down the stretch.
  • UK led MSU, 35-34, at halftime.
    • Tyler (12 points) and Petty (10 points) led Kentucky in scoring, as the team shot 36.1 percent in the first half.
  • The Bulldogs opened the second half with a 7-0, forming a 15-0 run from the end of the second quarter to the start of the third quarter to take a 41-35 lead.
    • UK used a 10-2 run in the middle of the period to get within one point, 47-48, with four minutes remaining.
    • Mississippi State led Kentucky at the end of the third quarter, 63-54, in part thanks MSU’s 63.2 FG% in that period.
  • The Wildcats jumped out to a 9-5 lead in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to just five points, forcing the Bulldogs into a timeout with five minutes and six seconds remaining.
    • Out of the timeout, UK extended what was a 4-0 lead into an 11-0 run to regain the lead for the first time since the start of the third quarter, 70-68, with just under three minutes remaining.
    • Kentucky ended the game on a 19-0 run to win, 78-68.

Player Notes

• Saniah Tyler, a sophomore guard, led Kentucky with a career-tying 22 points on 7-of-10 from the field, 6-of-8 from the arc and 2-of-2 from the line.
  • She has scored 20+ points in two games this season and in her career.
    • She has scored 15+ points in four games this season and in her career.
    • She has scored 10+ points in 13 games this season and 13 games in her career.
  • She has made at least three 3-pointers in 10 games this season and 10 games in her career.
  • She added a rebound and a steal.
• Ajae Petty, a senior forward, had 20 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
  • It marked her 15th double-double this season and 17th of her career.
    • It marked her third straight double-double.
  • She has scored 20+ points in seven games this season and in her career.
    • She has scored 15+ points in 13 games this season and 15 games in her career.
    • She has scored 10+ points in 21 games this season and 31 games in her career.
  • She has had 10+ rebounds in 16 games this season and 18 games in her career.
  • She added an assist and a steal.
• Eniya Russell, a senior guard, had 14 points, including going d 6-of-8 from the line.
  • She has scored 10+ points in 14 games this season and 18 games in her career.
  • She added seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.
    • She has dished out at least three assists in six games this season and 12 games in her career.
    • She has made at least two steals in six games this season and eight games in her career.
  • Maddie Scherr, a senior guard, had 11 points.
    • She has scored 10+ points in 18 games this season and 39 games in her career.
    • She added seven assists, six rebounds, an assist and two steals.
      • She has dished out at least three assists in 15 games this season and 60 games in her career.
      • She has made at least two steals in 13 games this season and 53 games in her career.
      • She has a team-best streak of seven straight games with at least one steal.