UK POSTGAME NOTES: Wildcats Whip Dayton 70-44

Compiled by UK Athletics

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES KENTUCKY VS. DAYTON WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23, 2022 BAHA MAR GRAND BALLROOM – NASSAU, BAHAMAS Kentucky 70, Dayton 44 – FINAL Team Records and Series Notes

• The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 49th season with an 887-570 (.609) all-time record.

  • The Wildcats are now 5-1 on the season and 1-1 in the Bahamas.

  • The Flyers are now 0-6 on the season and 0-2 in the Bahamas.

• Kyra Elzy is in her third season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 42-22 overall record.

• Kentucky remains the leader in the all-time meetings with Dayton, 14-4, in a series that began in 1975.

  • The Wildcats have won six of the last eight meetings.

  • The Wildcats have two of the last three meetings.

• Kentucky doesn’t have a game for another 10 days. For its next game, it will host UNC Greensboro on Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum for Trivia Night and National Sock Day.

  • The Wildcats will depart from the Bahamas on Friday, Nov. 25. The Cats will enjoy a free day on the island on Thanksgiving Day.

Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination Jada Walker, Maddie Scherr, Robyn Benton, Blair Green and Adebola Adeyeye for the second straight game this season. UK is 1-1 using this starting combination.

  • Dayton won the opening tip.

  • Robyn Benton was the first Kentucky player to score in the game for the second game this season.

  • Ajae Petty was the first substitute off the bench for Kentucky for the second straight game.

• Dayton won the opening tip and scored first, then Kentucky responded with a 6-0 run.

  • Robyn Benton went 3-of-3 through the media timeout at 4:44.

    • She was responsible for six of Kentucky’s first nine points.

  • The Wildcats held the Flyers scoreless for more than four minutes through the middle of the first quarter.

  • Dayton then went on a 7-3 run to dip under the one-minute mark.

  • Kentucky closed out the first quarter with a 5-0 run, which included a last-second 3-pointer from Benton.

  • The Wildcats led the Flyers, 17-12, at the end of the first quarter.

• Ajae Petty had a steal and score to open up the second quarter.

  • Dayton responded with a 3-pointer.

  • Both teams went scoreless for the next three minutes.

  • Kentucky then went on a 7-0 run, with Maddie Scherr coming up with the last five of those points on 2-of-2 from the line and a 3-pointer.

  • Both teams went scoreless for the next minute, then Dayton capped the scoring drought with just its second field goal of the second quarter at 2:46.

  • Once again, Benton capped the second quarter with a 3-pointer.

  • Kentucky led Dayton, 29-17, at halftime.

    • The Wildcats held the Flyers to five points in the second quarter, the fewest scored by an opponent in a quarter so far this season.

• Kentucky went on a 7-2 run to start the third quarter, which included a 3-pointer from Blair Green.

  • It was back-and-forth until the sixth minute when Dayton went on a 4-0 run at the line.

  • Eniya Russell broke up the run with a layup, then the two teams went back-and-forth over the next two minutes.

  • Kentucky capped the tit-for-tat with a 5-0 run, with the help of an Ajae Petty and-one and an Amiya Jenkins layup.

  • Dayton responded with three-point play for themselves under the one-minute mark.

  • Kentucky led Dayton, 49-32, at the end of the third quarter.

• The Wildcats had a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter, thanks to the scoring effort of three different players.

  • Dayton went to the line for two, then Kentucky had another quick 5-0 run after a Petty layup and a Walker 3-pointer.

  • After a free throw, the Flyers had back-to-back layups.

  • The game was back-and-forth from there, with freshmen doing a bulk of the work in the final minutes, as Cassidy Rowe had a couple free throws, Saniah Tyler had a 3-pointer and Zennia Thomas made a jumper through contact.

  • Kentucky defeated Dayton, 70-44.

• Kentucky led its opponent in scoring in all four quarters for the first time this season.

• The Wildcats forced the Flyers to commit 29 turnovers, while the Cats scored 28 points off those miscues.

  • It marked the fourth time this season UK’s opponent has committed at least 25 turnovers.

• Kentucky had 28 bench points, its second-most of the season.

• The Wildcats knocked down six 3-pointers, the second time this season the Cats have made at least five 3-pointers.

• Kentucky held Dayton to 44 points, the fewest amount of points it has held an opponent to all season.

  • It marked the third time this season UK has held an opponent to under 50 points.

Player Notes

• Three players scored in double digits for the fifth game this season.

• Graduate guard Robyn Benton led the team in scoring with 15 points on 6-of-10 from the field and 2-of-5 from the arc.

  • She had 12 points in the first half.

    • She capped both the first and second quarters with a 3-pointer.

  • She led Kentucky in scoring for the first time this season.

  • She has scored in double digits in all six games this season and on 45 occasions in her career.

  • She added two rebounds, two steals and an assist.

• Junior forward Ajae Petty had a career-high tying 12 points on 5-of-9 from the field.

  • She has scored in double digits for two straight games and three times in her career.

  • She added six rebounds and a career-high tying two steals.

    • It marked the second time this season she has had two steals.

• Sophomore guard Jada Walker had 11 points on 5-of-9 from the field and 1-of-2 from the arc.

  • She added three steals.

    • She has had at least three steals in five of six games this season.

  • She has scored in double digits in five of six games this season and on 22 occasions in her career.

• Junior guard Maddie Scherr had a career-high 11 assists and a career-high tying eight rebounds.

  • She added a season-high four steals and scored five points, including a 3-pointer.

Photo by Cristofer Maximilian