TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021
ALAMODOME – SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
No. 18 Kentucky 72, RV Iowa 86 – FINAL
Team Records and Series Notes
- Kentucky ends its season 18-9 overall, while Iowa moves to 20-9 and will advance to the Sweet 16 vs. UCONN or Syracuse.
- The Wildcats were the No. 4 seed in the River Walk Region.
- UK is 22-16 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- UK is 6-4 all-time as a four seed in the event with this being its 11th time UK has earned a top-four seed.
- UK is 5-7 all-time in the second round.
- This is the third straight tournament appearance for Kentucky that has ended in the second round.
- This was the second all-time meeting between Kentucky and Iowa in women’s basketball.
- Iowa leads the all-time series 2-0.
- Kyra Elzy completes her first season as the head coach of Kentucky with an 18-9 record.
- UK is now 863-557 all-time in its 47th year of varsity women’s basketball.
- Kentucky finished the season ranked No. 18 in the final AP Top 25. UK is currently No. 19 in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25, which will release a final rankings after the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament.
Team Notes
- Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guard Chasity Patterson, senior forwards Tatyana Wyatt and KeKe McKinney and junior guards Rhyne Howard and Jazmine Massengill.
- This was the seventh time this season that UK has used this starting combination, sitting 5-3.
- Blair Green scored first for Kentucky in the game – the fourth time this season she has been the first Wildcat to score.
- Dre’una Edwards was the first sub for Kentucky.
- It was the 13th time Edwards has been the first sub for the Wildcats.
- Kentucky won the opening tip, marking the ninth time this season UK has won the opening tip.
- Kentucky had to take a quick timeout 2:18 into the game as Iowa started the game on a 7-0 run.
- UK started 0-of-3 from the field, while Iowa was 3-of-5 and held a 5-0 edge in rebounds during that stretch.
- The run continued after the timeout as Iowa scored on a layup, forced a UK turnover and got an offensive putback to take a 11-0 lead.
- UK finally scored when Blair Green hit a jumper with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter.
- Kentucky missed its first 11 shots and didn’t score at all for the first 4:39 of the game.
- The Wildcats started ice cold from the field, hitting just four of its 20 attempted shots in the first quarter.
- Iowa 9-of-17 from the field in the first quarter, including 3-of-5 from the field.
- Iowa outrebounded UK 13-10 in the first quarter and had a 10-4 edge in paint points.
- Kentucky hit a 3 late in the first quarter to cut the Iowa lead to seven, but Iowa responded with a 16-2 run to open up the game.
- The Hawkeyes’ had multiple 21-point leads in the second quarter.
- Iowa ended the first half on a 10-0 run and took a 49-20 lead into the break at halftime.
- Kentucky won the second half, 50-37.
- The Wildcats outscored Iowa 24-21 in the third quarter and 26-16 in the fourth quarter.
Player Notes
- Junior guard Rhyne Howard scored 28 points with eight assists, five rebounds, five steals and hit five 3s.
- Howard has 1,655 career points at Kentucky, ranking seventh most all time. She needs 38 more points to tie Maci Morris for sixth all-time.
- In 83 career games, Howard has …
- Hit at least one 3 in 73 career games, including 20 games this season.
- Made three or more 3s in 37 career games, including 11 games this season.
- Made five or more 3s in 12 career games, including once this season.
- Scored 10+ points in 74 career games, including 22 games this season.
- Scored 15+ points in 59 career games, including 16 games this season.
- Scored 20+ points in 44 career games, including 13 games this season.
- Scored 25+ points in 26 career games, including eight games this season.
- Scored 30+ points in 7 career games, including four games this season.
- Led UK in scoring in 54 career games, including 16 games this season.
- Led UK in rebounding in 45 career games, including 13 games this season.
- Led UK in assists in 29 career games, including 13 games this season.
- Led UK in steals in 31 career games, including eight games this season.
- Led UK in blocks in 31 career games, including 10 games this season.
- Has 17 career double-doubles, including six this season.
- Sophomore forward Dre’una Edwards scored 16 points in the game with five rebounds, hitting two 3s.
