Kentucky 95, Ohio 86- FINAL
Team Records and Series Notes
- The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 49th season with an 890-573 (.608) all-time record.
- The Wildcats are now 8-4 on the season.
- The Bobcats are now 2-8 on the season.
- Kyra Elzy is in her third season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 45-25 overall record.
- Kentucky remains the leader in the all-time series with Ohio, 3-1.
- UK has won all three contests in Lexington.
- Kentucky will break for Christmas, before beginning the Southeastern Conference portion of the schedule at Missouri on Dec. 29 at 9 p.m. ET in Columbia, Missouri, on SEC Network.
Team Notes
- Kentucky used the starting combination Jada Walker, Maddie Scherr, Robyn Benton, Blair Green and Nyah Leveretter for the seventh game this season. UK is 5-2 using that starting combination.
- Ohio won the opening tip.
- Blair Green was the first player to score for Kentucky.
- Adebola Adeyeye was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky.
- Ohio made six of its first seven attempts from the field, while Kentucky made four of its first 12 attempts from the field, as OU led UK, 10-13, at the first quarter media timeout at 4:59.
- The Bobcats went on a 3-0 run out of the timeout thanks to a trio of makes at the line.
- The Wildcats answered with a 7-0 run to close out the first quarter, keeping the Bobcats scoreless for the remaining two minutes and 40 seconds of the period.
- That scoring run included a steal from Eniya Russell, who then dished it out to Ajae Petty, who made a layup and drew a foul to complete the and-1.
- Petty was responsible for the last five points of that scoring run to help UK take the lead.
- Kentucky led Ohio, 17-16, at the end of the first quarter.
- Ohio scored on a layup out of the timeout to regain the lead, but Russell answered with a 3-pointer, followed by Petty with a make at the line.
- The Bobcats then went on a 7-2 run over the next minute, with theWildcats’ lone bucket coming from Petty in the paint during that stretch.
- Both teams went scoreless for one minute, until Kentucky rallied an 8-0 run by four different scorers over the next three minutes.
- Thanks to that scoring run, the Wildcats regained the lead over the Bobcats, 31-25, with three minutes and 34 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
- Ohio then went on an 8-2 run to tie the game, 33-33, before halftime.
- The Bobcats’ scoring run included a couple of makes from long range.
- Both teams were left scoreless for the final two minutes and nine seconds going into halftime.
- Kentucky went on an 8-0 run out of halftime to reclaim the lead over Ohio, 41-33, as the Wildcats made three of their four attempts from the field to start the second quarter.
- The Wildcats’ run prompted the Bobcats to call a timeout at 7:47.
- The two teams then went back-and-forth in scoring over the next five minutes until the media timeout at 2:52, as UK continued to lead OU, 56-52.
- In that time, the Bobcats made three 3-pointers, while Benton made four 3-pointers on her own thus far in the third quarter.
- Out of the timeout, Kentucky led Ohio in scoring, 6-5, down the stretch, as UK made six free throws and OU scored on a jumper and another 3-pointer.
- The two teams then went back-and-forth in scoring over the next five minutes until the media timeout at 2:52, as UK continued to lead OU, 56-52.
- Kentucky remained in the lead at the end of the third quarter, 62-57.
- The Wildcats’ run prompted the Bobcats to call a timeout at 7:47.
- Ohio knocked down a pair of free throws to begin the fourth quarter, then Russell went on a 5-0 run with a jumper and a 3-pointer.
- The Bobcats scored on a layup, then the two teams took turns recording 6-0 runs, first by the Wildcats, then by the Bobcats.
- Kentucky led Ohio, 73-67, after those runs with five minutes and 23 seconds remaining in the game.
- The two teams went back-and-forth afterthat, as neither team went on a run greater than three points until the last 14 seconds of the fourth quarter when Kentucky proceeded to go 4-of-4 from the line.
- Kentucky defeated Ohio, 95-86.
- The Bobcats scored on a layup, then the two teams took turns recording 6-0 runs, first by the Wildcats, then by the Bobcats.
- The Wildcats scored a season-high 95 points.
- It marked the first time the Cats have scored at least 90 points since Feb. 27,2022 against Auburn.
- Kentucky shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in the second, third and fourth quarters, altogether shooting 47.8 percent from the field on 33-of-69.
- It marked the fifth game this season UK shot at least 45.0 percent from the field, while its 5-0 in those contests.
- UK’s 33 field goals was also a season high.
- The Wildcats outrebounded the Bobcats, 36-20, including 20-3 offensive boards.
- Meanwhile, the Cats had 20 more second chance points than the Bobcats, 23-2.
- UK dished out a season-high 25 assists.
- The Wildcats have recorded at least 20 assists in four games this season, holding a 3-1 record in those contests.
- Kentucky forced Ohio to commit 20 turnovers, scoring 25 points off those miscues.
- UK has forced eight of its 12 opponents this season to commit at least 20 turnovers.
Player Notes
- Kentucky had five players score in double digits for the first time this season.
- Graduate guard Robyn Benton led the team in scoring with a season-high 22 points.
- It marked the fourth straight game she has led the team in scoring.
- She has scored in double digits in all 12 games this season.
- She made at least one 3-pointer for the seventh straight game.
- In fact, all four of her 3-pointers came in the third quarter.
- Benton scored 14 points in the third quarter, going 5-of-6 from the field, including 4-of-5 from the arc.
- She added two rebounds and four assists.
- Junior forward Ajae Petty had 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.
- She has scored in double digits in seven of her last eight games.
- She flirted with her third double-double of the season, adding eight rebounds and three assists.
- Sophomore guard Jada Walker had 14 points.
- She has scored in double digits in two straight games and in nine games this season.
- She added five rebounds, eightassists and three steals.
- She had just one turnover compared to her eight assists.
- Graduate guard Blair Green had 14 points.
- It marked her fifth game this season she has scored in double digits.
- She added three rebounds.
- Junior guard Eniya Russell had a season-high 14 points on 4-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-3 from the arc.
- It marked the third game of her career she has recorded at least 10 points in a game.
- It marked the first time in her career she has made at least two three-point field goals in a game.
- She added a season-high four rebounds, three assists and a career-high tying two steals in the game.
UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME QUOTES
Kentucky Head Coach Kyra Elzy
On the confidence after the win today …
“It feels good to win. Everybody wanted to go home happy for Christmas. It was a very happy locker room. You lose your confidence, you have to battle through adversity, but give them credit. It’s been a tough week and some change but they battled back, and we’re back in the winning column, and this is the confidence that we needed going into break and also into SEC play.”
On the team practicing in green jerseys…
“We just talked about earning your blue. Staff and team- no one is wearing Kentucky right now. We are with our shirts inside out at practice, and one team is black and one team is green. There’s a way that we need to represent this program. There’s a toughness, a pride, a responsibility that we have being the flagship, and I don’t think we have doing that. So, we took away the privilege. They’re looking to win it back, don’t worry. We had a Christmas party yesterday and they had to build gingerbread houses. I get to the third team, and Maddie (Scherr) and Kennedy Cambridge had a ‘UK’ on their house and I told them ‘this wasn’t on the box’, and they said ‘we’re trying to earn our blue back’. So, they do want it, but there’s a responsibility that comes with it. We hadn’t got it yet, but we’re going to work to get it back.”
On how much rebounding has been a point of emphasis in practice…
“Well, they’re probably sick of me saying rebound the basketball and defend. But for us, I thought Ajae Petty really set the tone for us early, going to get the offensive board. We’ve been talking in film that we need four to the boards, especially with how we’ve been shooting the ball. So I’m excited to see that we crashed the boards, having five players in double figures. I thought, even in some of the games we lost, we were moving the ball, we just weren’t making shots, so it was phenomenal to see the ball go in the basket today. Coach Jen (Hoover) and I were talking before the game started and Santa walked by and she said ‘all I want for Christmas is for us to hit a basket.’ I said ‘ that sounds good to me’.”
On Eniya (Russell) adapting to the system…
“Eniya is our blue heart recipient today and when I told her she won. The room went crazy for her. I’ve been really tough on her – she is gifted. But she has more in her that I want and I’m going to get it out of her. But I was proud of her today to stay the course because I was hard on her, but she stepped up to the challenge today. Her talent alone speaks for itself and her basketball IQ and the passes she is able to make, and her versatility does make usdifferent and we will need her down the stretch.”
On what was the difference in the first half compared to the second …
“It was I know. I don’t know what we fed them at half time, but we need to do that more often. But I think Robyn stepping up early and making some outside shots. And its contagious you see a ball go in everybody wants the same. She gave us some confidence then somebody made a basket, then somebody made a basket. It was a kind of feel-good type of day. I told them at half time you need to be confident, set in, you all are great shooters you scored your whole life. See the ball go in and be confident sand we did in the third quarter. Honestly, we know we need to just get back to work. Big shout out to Kaiya, he came out there and did his thing. We just need to fix a few mistakes.”
On passing the ball great today …
“Yesterday, they were real upset with me. We for 25 minutes in practice, for 15 minutes we did a 24 second shot clock that we couldn’t take a shot. Robyn was like ‘what if I’m open’ doesn’t matter. Keep moving the ball we are going to run our offense all the way through because if we break it off, we have to have the ability to score sand make a play. Which we haven’t these past couple of games. So, for about 20 minutes in practice 24 seconds on the shot clock we just ran the offense from side to side and if they didn’t do it minus five plus five for the other team. That game them the ability to move without the basketball and also run the play.”
On having Jada Walker and Maddie Scherr initiating the offense …
“Well, when you have two point guards on the floor it’s hard to press us. They bring different things, so they are different looks for the opponents. Maddie is more I’m going to pick you apart if you make a defensive mistake. Jada is all gas no breaks I’m going to make a play on you. And so I’ve been very hard on them. I know they don’t want to be in any more film sessions that we don’t run the offense correctly. But they understand it and its tough in that position everything falls on your shoulders and just challenging them when we have time and possession. We had possession two or three times when we haven’t scored what are you getting us in? Everyone set? Continue to push or playing to slow? But both of them are very talented and we needboth of them and I’m glad they’re Wildcats.”
Closing statement …
“Well, I do want to say one thing. I want to give my team a big shout out. Besides getting the victory today, 19 straight semesters with over a 3.0 (grade point average). We had a 3.1 to finish off the semester. Eleven out of the 15 over a 3.0 so I wanted to give them a big shout out. Academics is very important they are student athletes so very proud.”
Kentucky Player Quotes
#1, Robyn Benton, G
On fighting through adversity …
“We’ve just been trying to find ways to win, to stop having mental lapses and figuring out what are the issues and what are the solutions to our problems. At the end of the day, though, you’ve just got to play basketball and you’ve got to be confident. I feel like some people lost their confidence in that stretch, but hopefully this game will boost us back up.”
On having to practice in neutral colors …
“We were losing to teams we shouldn’t lose to and we weren’t representing the program well, so [Coach Elzy] said ‘you guys have to fight for Kentucky and earn your blue back’.”
On going into SEC play …
“I think we have to take one game at a time and focus on the task at hand. We’ll focus on Missouri—they usually play zone—and focus on our gameplan heading to Mizzou.”
On Eniya Russell’s breakout performance …
“After the game, I told Eniya ‘this was your best performance and we need this from you night in and night out. I know your minutes are a littleshaky but you just have to stay confident because you never know what happens—some people could get hurt or get tired, but you just have to be ready to go.’ I feel like she was really ready to go today.”
On leading a team with a deep bench …
“I just tell them be ready. When I was a freshman starting out, sometimes I would play 20 minutes, then I would play two. At the end of the day, I just had to be ready because nothing is worse than getting your number called and not being ready.”
#11, Jada Walker, G
On how it felt to get this win going into conference play …
“It felt really good. We needed that win going into the break. I could not take another loss. Our whole team could not take another loss. We needed that win.”
On what has it been like fighting through this patch of adversity …
“Yeah, I feel like all of us just got back to what we are good at. We played our roles (today) which we had fallen out of these past couple of games, we were just doing things we should not be doing, and we got back to doing things we should be doing.”
On how important it is when a teammate has the hot hand …
“It does a lot because when we are lacking in one area another person can pick it up in another area, so if Rob’s (Robyn Benton) not scoring well then, we can pick up the scoring and if we are not scoring well, I can do things in other areas like assist and get the team going and not be just focused on us like we are not performing well so we are just going to stop competing altogether so making sure the team is together and playing hard and winning games.”