WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Kentucky 82, UNC-Greensboro 56 – FINAL
Team Records and Series Notes
- The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 49th season with an 888-570 (.609) all-time record.
- The Wildcats are now 6-1 on the season.
- The Spartans are now 4-4 on the season.
- Kyra Elzy is in her third season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 43-22 overall record.
- This afternoon’s game marked the first all-time meeting between Kentucky and UNC-Greensboro, as the Wildcats now lead the series, 1-0.
- The Cats lead the all-time meetings with Southern Conference programs, 20-1.
- Kentucky will embark on its first true road game of the season at Minnesota on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET.
- The game can be streamed on the Big10 Network+.
Team Notes
- Kentucky used the starting combination Jada Walker, Maddie Scherr, Robyn Benton, Blair Green and Adebola Adeyeye for the thirdstraight game this season. UK is 2-1 using this starting combination.
- UNC-Greensboro won the opening tip.
- Blair Green was the first player to score for Kentucky.
- Emma King, Amiya Jenkins and Nyah Leveretter were the first substitutes off the bench for Kentucky.
- The lead changed several times in the first five minutes of the game, with both teams shooting over 50.0 percent during that stretch.
- Right before the first quarter media timeout (4:27), Kentucky went on a 6-0 run, thanks to the effort of Blair Green, Jada Walker and Adebola Adeyeye, as UK began to separate itself witha 20-13 lead.
- The Wildcats extended improved to a 13-0 run out of the media timeout, keeping the Spartans scoreless for more than five-and-a-half minutes in the middle of the first quarter.
- Kentucky allowed a quick bunny from UNC-Greensboro in the final four seconds of the first quarter.
- The Wildcats led the Spartans, 27-15, at the end of the first quarter.
- The Cats shot 70.6 percent from the field in the first quarter, on 12-of-17 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers.
- Right before the first quarter media timeout (4:27), Kentucky went on a 6-0 run, thanks to the effort of Blair Green, Jada Walker and Adebola Adeyeye, as UK began to separate itself witha 20-13 lead.
- Kentucky began the second quarter with another 6-0 run.
- UNC-Greensboro made its solo basket of the first six-and-a-half minutes of the second quarter on a layup at 6:56.
- Kentucky followed up that bucket with another 11-0 run.
- In her collegiate debut, Kennedy Cambridge recorded the first points of her career on steal and afastbreak layup (3:48) after entering the game in the middle of the second quarter.
- The Spartans snapped their own scoring drought with a layup at 2:50.
- Cambridge responded to that with a 4-0run of her own.
- The Wildcats allowed the Spartans to make a last-second offensiverebound and put-back to close out the second quarter.
- Kentucky led UNC-Greensboro, 48-21, at halftime.
- The Wildcats shot 66.7 percent from the field in the first half on 20-of-30 shooting.
- It was a back-and-forth affair in the third quarter, as UNC-Greensboro led Kentucky, 10-9, in the third quarter by the second media timeout (4:12).
- The Wildcats allowed the Spartans to make their first consecutive points since the early frame of the first quarter, allowing the Sparts to go on a 4-0 run in the first three minutes of the third quarter and a 6-0 run under five minutes of the third quarter.
- The Sparts held the Cats scoreless for more than three minutes during that stretch.
- However, a pair of Kentucky freshmen helped snap UNC-Greensboro’s 6-0 run with Cambridge’s two free throws and then Amiya Jenkins’steal and score (1:38).
- Jenkins followed with another layup, helping UK craft a 6-0 run in response.
- The Spartans knocked down a free throw, but Blair Green responded right back with her first 3-pointer of the game.
- Ajae Petty extended that little stretch with a couple of free throws.
- UNC-Greensboro concluded the third quarter with a 3-pointer.
- Kentucky led UNC-Greensboro, 68-39, at the end of the third quarter.
- Despite the Spartans ability to lead the Wildcats through the middle of the third quarter, Kentucky came out on top, 20-18, in the third quarter.
- The Wildcats allowed the Spartans to make their first consecutive points since the early frame of the first quarter, allowing the Sparts to go on a 4-0 run in the first three minutes of the third quarter and a 6-0 run under five minutes of the third quarter.
- The two teams managed to go tit-for-tat in the fourth quarter, with neither team going on more than a 4-0 run.
- Petty played some big minutes down the stretch, recording five points and five rebounds to help push her past the double-double threshold.
- Kentucky defeated UNC-Greensboro, 82-56.
- The Wildcats scored at least 80 points in a game for the second time this season.
- The Cats are 2-0 this season when scoring at least 80 points, while they’re 375-26 all-time when scoring at least that many.
- Kentucky’s 82 points tied its season high in points scored.
- UK generated 58.2 percent scoring against UNCG, a season-high, field-goal percentage for the Wildcats.
- It marked the second time this season the Cats have shot at least 50.0 or better from the field.
- Kentucky outrebounded UNC-Greensboro, 38-34.
- UK also led UNCG in points off turnovers (29-10), points in the paint (44-32), second-chance points (20-11), fastbreak points (10-6) and bench points (27-26).
- It marked the third game this season UK has led its opponent in all five categories, as the Cats are 3-0 when they lead their opponent in all five categories.
- Meanwhile, the Wildcats forced the Spartans to commit 24 turnovers.
- The Cats have won the turnover battle in every game this season.
- The Cats have forced their opponents to commit at least 20 turnovers in six games this season, including the last six straight games.
Player Notes
- Three players scored in double digits for the sixth time this season.
- The Wildcats are 5-1 when at least three players score at least 10 points.
- Kentucky has had the same three leading scorers in the las three straight games (Jada Walker, Robyn Benton and Ajae Petty).
- Sophomore guard Jada Walker led the team with 20 points.
- It marked the fourth time she has led Kentucky in scoring this season.
- It marked the second 20+ point scoring game of the season and the fourth of her career.
- Her 20 points came off 7-of-9 from the field, 1-of-2 from the arc and 5-of-6 from the line.
- She has scored in double digits in all but one game this season.
- She added four assists and three rebounds.
- Graduate guard Robyn Benton had 14 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
- She has scored in double digits in every game this season.
- She added a rebound, an assist and a steal.
- It marked the second straight game she has scored at least two 3-pointers.
- Junior forward Ajae Petty had her first career double-double on 10 points and a career-high 12 points in just 16 minutes.
- She added two blocks and two steals.
- She has scored in double digits the last three straight games.
- It is just Kentucky’s second double-double this season.
- It marked her third game this season she has led the team in rebounds.
- She has made at least two steals the last three straight games.
- Freshman guard Kennedy Cambridge made her career debut.
- She scored nine points on 3-of-4 shooting.
- She added four rebounds, an assist and a block.
- Graduate guard Blair Green scored nine points.
- It marked the third straight game she has scored a 3-pointer.
- She added two rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal.
- Graduate forward Adebola Adeyeye had a season-high eight points on a perfect 4-of-4 from the field.
- She added five rebounds, a career-high tying four steals and an assist.
- She has recorded five rebounds in three of the last four games.
- She has recorded at least five rebounds in five games this season.
- Junior guard Maddie Scherr led the team with five assists.
- She added four points, three rebounds and a steal.
- Freshman guard Amiya Jenkins tied her career high with eight points.
- She added two rebounds, an assist and a steal.
UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME QUOTES
Kentucky Head Coach Kyra Elzy
On how Jada Walker has improved from last season to this season…
“So proud of Jada. I thought she set the tone for us offensively and defensively, you know, asked her to play downhill and she started the game that way. I mean, she attacked the paint, made some big shots for us. I was teasing her, she’s been under the weather, and I said, ‘Well, maybe you can stay sick a little bit longer if you can’t breathe and can score 20 and play defense like that.’ But, you know, she’s just tough defensively and things that do not show up in the stat sheet. The way that she can bring heat to the basketball is exactly what we need, so, proud of her. How she’s grown is, you know, now she can go down the floor, call the plays, understands what we’re looking for offensively and has confidence without looking back at me that she can get them in an offense. So, that’s where she’s improved this year.”
On Kennedy Cambridge’s performance…
“Well, Kennedy makes us different. You know, she was playing really well. Early. She knows how towin and she understands her role. She’s in there to make custom plays, defend rebounds and score garbage buckets and she does her role and she does it well. But at the end of the day, she has the dog mentality that we need. She is aggressive and she understands the assignment when she steps on the floor. She knows how to win; she comes from a winning program.”
On the amount of points Kentucky put up today…
“I know, I was so proud of us, 58.0 percent from the field. You know, I think our ability to share the basketball, push in transition. I think we’re taking rhythm shots, sharing the basketball. It is great to see the ball go in the net but 82 points on the board, we’ll take it.”
On Ajae Petty’s performance?
“So proud of Ajae, you know, really challenged her before the game and I thought she stepped up to it. We needed her to rebound the basketball. For her to lead us in rebounding with 12, but also her ability to finish in the paint. We need that consistently, and she can do it with ease. I don’t think she realizes how talented she is. So, she’s a work in progress. And we’re going to keep coaching her up, but shedefinitely makes us different.”
UK Student-Athletes
#11, Jada Walker, Guard
On improvements you have made since last year…
“Probably just my pace and then my shot selections that I’ve been taking in game are smarter, like, when to shoot and when not to shoot”.
On how the team has been performing since The Bahamas…
“I feel like our defensive intensity is way better and just being more aggressive. Try not to foul as much and then just doing a better job on the boards trying to rebound. We’re going for the rebounds even though we may not get all of them, were showing a better effort going into the boards.”
On how big conditioning is at practice…
“That is an everyday thing. We push the pace. We do a lot of drills where we had to get the rebound and run, if we don’t, we have to run as a consequence. So, just preaching that every day in practice and it’s making it easier in games for us to just get them down, push and beat teams and then forcing them to just cough the ball up, speeding them up, instead of the other way around.”
#13, Ajae Petty, Forward
On what your performance in The Bahamas did foryour confidence…
“I think it just showed what I can do. I already know what I can do, so I think it’s just finally putting the pieces together and trying to show my team that they can rely on me to do the job that they brought me here to do.”
On the conditioning in practice…
“It also helps us lock into details when we’re fatigued. A lot of teams aren’t going to be in the shape that we’re in because of the conditioning that we do in practice.”
KENTUCKY VS. UNC-GREENSBORO
SUNDAY, DEC. 4, 2022
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.