Thanks to Danny Pendleton for action photos
UK Players Pictured
Ajae Petty (#13)
Saniah Tyler (#2)
Emma King (#34)
Compiled by UK Athletics
UK WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. MINNESOTA
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 6, 2023
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
Minnesota 76, Kentucky 57 - FINAL
Team Records and Series Notes
Kentucky is 4-6 in 2023-24, while Minnesota is 8-1 this season.
The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 50th season.
UK has an 898-594 (.602) all-time record, just two wins away from 900.
Kyra Elzy is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 53-46 (.535) overall record.
Minnesota leads the all-time series with Kentucky, 2-1.
The Gophers lead the series in Lexington, 1-0.
Kentucky will play Louisville on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. ET at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
The game will be televised on the ACC Network.
Team Notes
Kentucky used the starting combination Brooklynn Miles, Saniah Tyler, Eniya Russell, Emma King and Ajae Petty for the first time this season.
Kentucky has used six different starting combinations through the last seven games this season.
UK is 0-1 when using that starting combination.
The Wildcats won the opening tip.
Eniya Russell was the first player to score for Kentucky.
Janae Walker was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky.
Kentucky shot 39.6 percent from the field (21-of-53).
UK shot 33.3 percent from long range (4-of-12).
The Wildcats and the Gophers tied in rebounds, 33-33.
UK narrowly led in paint points, 28-26, and second-chance points, 15-14.
How It Happened
Minnesota led Kentucky, 8-4, through the first five minutes and 30 seconds (4:30).
Both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket to start the game, which would not end up being the case the rest of the first half.
Despite Minnesota going 0-5 to start the game, it made its last 3-of-3 from the field before the media timeout to take its 8-4 lead at that time.
Kentucky scored three straight out of the media timeout, including Eniya Russell’s successful and-1, spurring a 7-0 run to retake the lead and gain some momentum, 11-10 (3:08).
It was balanced scoring the rest of the way, despite Kentucky making extra baskets to balance out Minnesota’s 3-pointers to close out the first quarter.
The Wildcats led the Gophers, 17-16, at the end of the period.
Saniah Tyler scored first in the second quarter on a free throw to stretch Kentucky’s lead over Minnesota to two points.
Then, Minnesota went on an 11-2 run to take its largest lead of the game, 27-20 (6:16).
However, Jordy Griggs checked in, knocked down a 3-pointer before the five-minute mark to snap Minnesota’s scoring run, as Kentucky began to make its comeback.
Her 3-pointer launched a 6-0 for the Cats, helping UK get within one point of UM (26-27, 4:36).
It was back-and-forth scoring over the next couple of minutes, until Kentucky ended on a 7-2 run, a series that included Saniah Tyler’s first 3-pointer of the game.
The game was tied, 36-36, with one minute remaining. Minnesota had back-to-back layup opportunities to take the lead, but Eniya Russell’s defensive rebound and dish out to Emma King for a layup gave Kentucky the edge in the final 15 second of the first half.
The Wildcats went 4-of-4 down the stretch, as Kentucky led Minnesota, 38-36, at halftime.
UK shot 53.3 percent from the field in the second quarter (8-of-15) and 100.0 percent from long range (2-of-2).
The Gophers went 5-of-7 to start the third quarter to go on a 11-0 run and take a nine-point lead (6:30).
Eniya Russell capped their scoring run with a jumper at 6:03.
That would become one of just three field goals for UK in the third quarter, going 3-of-11 from the field in that period. Meanwhile UM enjoyed its best shooting period of the game, making 7 of its 11 shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, for 63.6 percent.
Minnesota led Kentucky, 56-49, at the end of the third quarter.
The Gophers opened up the fourth quarter on a 16-1 run through the first five minutes and 34 seconds.
Emma King snapped the drought from the field on a 3-pointer at 3:26.
Minnesota defeated Kentucky, 76-57.
Player Notes
Ajae Petty, a senior forward, led Kentucky with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
It marked her second straight game scoring 20+ points.
She became the first player to have back-to-back, 20+ point games since Robyn Benton in January 2023.
It marked her second straight double-double, her fifth this season and the seventh in her career.
She has led Kentucky in scoring five times this season and in rebounding nine times this season.
She added two steals.
It marked the second straight game she has made a steal.
Eniya Russell, a senior guard, scored 15 points.
It marked her sixth game this season and 10th game of her career she has scored 10+ points.
It marked her second game this season and second of her career she has scored 15+ points.
She added seven rebounds, a career-high tying five assists, one steal and one block.
It marked her third straight game she has made a steal.
It marked her third straight game she has dished out at least three assists.
Saniah Tyler, a sophomore guard, had eight points.
She has made a 3-pointer in all 10 games this season.
She added a career-high tying four rebounds.
Brooklynn Miles, a junior guard, had five points, five assists, one rebound and one steal.
It marked her third straight game she has dished out at least three assists, and her seventh time this season
Jordy Griggs, played a career-high nine minutes and scored her first career points on a timely 3-pointer.
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