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Kentucky earns a huge SEC road win at top-20 ranked Georgia, 62-58

POSTGAME NEWS CONFERENCE RECORDINGS

Kentucky Head Coach Kyra Elzy

Kentucky Guard Rhyne Howard

ATHENS, Ga. – Rhyne Howard scored 27 points as the 19th-ranked Kentucky women’s basketball team topped No. 17 Georgia 62-58 on Thursday night at Stegeman Coliseum.

Kentucky (16-6, 9-5 SEC) got 15 points from Chasity Patterson, while Tatyana Wyatt had 11 points and grabbed six rebounds.

The game was very evenly played, but the difference may have been how the teams fared from behind the arc. Kentucky made six of 14 (42.9 percent) of its three-point shots, while Georgia made just three of 18 (16.7 percent). Howard hit all four of her shots from behind the arc.

Georgia scored first on a Jenna Staiti layup but Kentucky scored the next six, on a Patterson jumper, two free throws from Wyatt and a Howard driving layup, to grab a 6-2 lead.

After UK took an 8-5 lead on a Dre’una Edwards layup, Georgia’s Gabby Connally scored seven in a row to give the Bulldogs a 12-8 advantage. But Kentucky would get a Wyatt layup and a Howard jumper to tie the game at 12 apiece.

After Georgia took a 14-12 lead, Kentucky tied the game on a Wyatt jumper with 2:57 left in the period. Staiti gave the Bulldogs a 16-14 lead in what turned out to be the final basket of the period, with 2:34 left in the first. The only point in the period after that came on a Howard free throw with 2:20 to play. Neither team scored for the remainder of the quarter and Georgia held a 16-15 lead after 10 minutes of play.

Early in the second period, UK took a 17-16 lead on a pair of Patterson free throws. But Georgia would score the next five points, taking a 21-17 lead in the process.

That’s when the Cats went on a big run. It started with a Wyatt layup, followed by a Howard jumper. Then, Robyn Benton broke loose for a breakaway layup before Howard hit a jumper and a three. Altogether, it was an 11-0 run that gave UK a 28-21 lead with 4:23 left in the first half.

After Georgia stopped the run on a three-point play from Connally, the Cats would close the half by scoring the last six to take a 34-24 lead into the break. Howard led all scorers with 12 points in the first half.

Georgia started the second half by scoring the first four points, cutting the UK lead to 34-28. After Howard scored on a layup, the Bulldogs scored four more in a row to cut it to 36-32.

Georgia would eventually get within three, 39-36, but Kentucky responded again. Patterson hit a three and then a jumper to extend the lead to 44-36. After a Georgia three, Olivia Owens hit a free throw line jumper to make it 46-39. After a Georgia free throw, Howard scored four in a row to make it a 50-40 lead with 1:43 left in the period. Kentucky would lead 51-44 after three periods.

Both teams struggled to score early in the fourth period. Kentucky made just one of its first seven shots, while Georgia made just two of its first seven. After Georgia scored the first five points of the period, Howard hit a three, then a jumper, to make it 56-49 UK with 4:31 left.

Georgia scored the next four points on two Staiti baskets, but then Howard connected on her fourth three-pointer of the game, giving UK a 59-53 lead with 2:48 to play.

From there, neither team scored until Georgia got a Jordan Isaacs layup with 55 seconds remaining, cutting the UK lead to 59-55. But with nine seconds remaining, Wyatt hit a pair of free throws to make it 61-55.

Georgia got three free throws from Isaacs with five seconds left to cut the UK lead to 61-58. With one second left, Patterson hit one of two at the line to make it 62-58, which would be the final score.

Kentucky returns to action on Sunday, facing Ole Miss in the regular season finale at Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff is set for noon ET and the game can be seen on the SEC Network.

For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on TwitterInstagram and Facebook.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES

NO. 19 KENTUCKY VS. NO. 17 GEORGIA / THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021

STEGEMAN COLISEUM – ATHENS, GEORGIA

No. 19 Kentucky 62, No. 17 Georgia 58 – FINAL

Team Records and Series Notes

  • Kentucky is 16-6 on the season and 9-5 in the SEC, while Georgia is 17-5 and 9-5 in the league.
  • This was the 58th all-time meeting between Kentucky and Georgia in women’s basketball.
    • Georgia leads the all-time series 37-21.
    • The Bulldogs own a 17-8 mark in games played in Athens.
    • Kentucky has won four straight meetings against Georgia in Athens.
    • UK has won seven of the last eight meetings in the series.
  • Kyra Elzy is in her first season as head coach at Kentucky.
    • Elzy is now 16-6 as head coach of Kentucky. 
  • UK is now 861-554 all-time in its 47th year of varsity women’s basketball.
  • Kentucky is ranked No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 and No. 17 in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25.
    • This was Kentucky’s fifth win over a ranked opponent this season.
  • The Wildcats will return to action Sunday, Feb. 28 at Noon ET vs. Ole Miss inside Memorial Coliseum.
    • The game will be televised on SEC Network.
    • This will be UK’s annual Senior Day game.

 

Team Notes

  • Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guard Chasity Patterson, senior forwards Tatyana Wyatt and KeKe McKinney and junior guards Jazmine Massengill and Rhyne Howard.
    • This was the third time this season that UK has used this starting combination, holding a 3-1 record in those games.
    • Chasity Patterson scored first for Kentucky in the game – the team-leading seventh time this season she has been the first Wildcat to score.
    • Dre’una Edwards was the first sub for Kentucky.
      • It was the ninth time Edwards has been the first sub for the Wildcats.
    • Georgia won the tip, marking the 16th time this season that UK has lost the opening tip.
  • Both teams started hot from the field but cooled at the end of the first quarter. UK did not make a field goal for the final 2:57 of the first quarter, while UGA did not make a field goal for the final 2:34.
    • Neither team hit a 3 in the first quarter with UK going 0-for-4 while UGA was 0-for-3.
  • After UGA went on a 5-0 run to take a 4-0 lead early in the second quarter, the Wildcats responded with a 11-0 run to grab a 28-21 lead with 4:18 to go in the first half.
    • The run was sparked by Rhyne Howard, who hit a driving layup, followed by a steal and score from Robyn Benton. Howard again then drove through contact and scored and then finished the run with a crossover, step-back 3.
  • The Bulldogs ended the run with a jumper and free throw, but Kentucky responded again with a 6-0 run to end the second quarter to take a 34-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
    • After a Jazmine Massengill jumper in the paint and a Tatyana Wyatt free throw, Howard created a wide-open 3 for Chasity Patterson at the buzzer.
  • At halftime, UK was hitting 43 percent from the field but just 2-of-7 from 3. Georgia was hitting 29 percent from the field and was 1-of-10 from long range.
    • The rebounds were tied 20-20 and UK held a 18-8 lead in points in the paint.
  • This was the sixth time that Kentucky has held a lead of eight or more at halftime in league play, holding a 4-1 record in those games.
    • It’s the fourth time UK held a double-digit halftime lead during league play, holding a 4-0 record in those games.
  • Georgia outscored Kentucky 20-17 in the third quarter to cut the Wildcats lead to 51-44 heading into the fourth quarter.
    • UGA was 8-of-12 from the field in the third quarter with 12 of its 20 points coming in the paint.
    • UK was 2-of-3 from long range in the third quarter but only scored six paint points.
  • UGA outscored Kentucky 14-11 in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats were able to hold on to the win.
  • Kentucky scored 22 points off UGA turnovers in the game.
  • The points in the paint total was tied 26-26.
    • UK is now 7-0 when it has the same number of paint points or more this season, including a 3-0 mark in league play.
  • UK had 10 steals in the game, marking the 11th time this season the Wildcats have had 10 or more steals.

 

Player Notes

  • Junior guard Rhyne Howard led Kentucky with 27 points, four rebounds, four steals, two assists and one block.
    • Howard has made 202 career 3s, which ranks third most in school history.
    • Howard has 1,532 career points as a Wildcat, which ranks her 10th all-time in scoring at UK.
      • She needs 24 more points to tie Sara Potts for 9th all-time.  
    • In 78 career games, Howard has …
      • Hit at least one 3 in 69 career games, including 15 games this season.
      • Made three or more 3s in 35 career games, including nine times this season.
      • Scored 10+ points in 69 career games, including 17 games this season.
      • Scored 15+ points in 55 career games, including 12 games this season.
      • Scored 20+ points in 40 career games, including nine games this season.
      • Scored 25+ points in 23 career games, including five games this season.
      • Led UK in scoring in 49 career games, including 11 times this season.
      • Led UK in steals in 26 career games, including seven games this season.
      • Led UK In blocks in 28 career games, including seven this season.
  • Junior guard Jazmine Massengill scored three points with a team-high five assists.
    • Fifth time this season she has led UK in assists.
  • Senior guard Chasity Patterson scored 15 points with two 3s and three steals.
    • Patterson has scored 10 or more points in 16 games this season.
  • Senior post Tatyana Wyatt scored 11 points with six rebounds.
    • This was the first time this season she has scored over 10 points and the 21st in her career.
    • This was the second time this season she led UK in rebounds.

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