The Kentucky women’s basketball team destroyed Furman 75-45 on Sunday afternoon at Rupp Arena (yes, the stickers are back).
Saniah Tyler led the Wildcats (5-7) with 17 points off the bench. Ajae Petty finished with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Maddie Scherr chipped in 13 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals.
Check out the highlights:
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Notes from the victory:
Kentucky 75, Furman 45 – FINAL
Team Records and Series Notes
Kentucky is 5-7 in 2023-24, while Furman is 7-6 this season.
The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program is in its 50th season.
UK has an 899-595 (.602) all-time record, just one win away from 900.
Kyra Elzy is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 54-47 (.535) overall record.
Kentucky remains the leader in the series with Furman, 2-0, including 2-0 in Lexington.
Kentucky will play host to Lipscomb on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. ET at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center.
The game will be televised on the SEC Network+.
Team Notes
Kentucky used the starting combination Brooklynn Miles, Cassidy Rowe, Maddie Scherr, Emma King and Ajae Petty for the first time this season.
Kentucky has used eight starting combinations in the last 10 games.
UK is 1-0 when using that starting combination.
The Wildcats won the opening tip.
Maddie Scherr was the first player to score for Kentucky.
Saniah Tyler and Eniya Russell were the first substitutes off the bench for Kentucky.
The Wildcats shot a season-high 54.5 percent from the field on 31-of-57.
The Cats also shot 41.2 percent from the arc on 7-of-17.
Those seven 3-pointers tie for the second best this season.
Four players scored in double digits.
UK improves to 5-0 this season when at least four players score in double digits.
UK had a season-high 20 assists, with three players dishing out at least three each.
Seven players recorded at least one assist.
Kentucky had a season-high 12 steals.
UK forced FU into 25 turnovers, the most UK has forced all season.
Kentucky narrowly outrebounded Furman, 35-34.
The Wildcats led the Paladins in points off turnovers (25-11), points in the paint (44-30), fastbreak points (18-4) and bench points (31-20).
The Cats had a season-high 30 bench points.
UK held FU to a season-low 45 points in the game on a season-low 18 field goals and a season-low 31.0 percent from the field.
How It Happened
The Wildcats led the Paladins, 11-7, at the first media timeout (4:40).
The Cats made five of their first eight baskets – including three of those five baskets being fed inside to Ajae Petty – holding the Paladins to 3-of-8.
The Cats did turn the ball over twice in the first five minutes, however the Paladins only scored one point off that miscue.
Maddie Scherr accumulated two fouls at that point, too, and would eventually sit the remainder of the first quarter.
The Paladins climbed back into the game with a couple of 3-pointers under three minutes, despite the two teams going back-and-forth in scoring.
Kentucky led Furman, 16-15, at the end of the first quarter.
Kentucky went on an 8-0 run on 3-of-3 from the field to start the second quarter, helping UK extend its lead over FU, 24-15, at the first media timeout (7:32).
UK’s hot start to the period was thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Maddie Scherr and Saniah Tyler, followed by a steal and score from Ajae Petty.
Meanwhile, Furman went 0-4 to start the period.
Right out of the timeout, Furman scored its first basket of the period on a layup (7:13).
After that, both teams went scoreless for the next four minutes.
At last, that drought was capped after a steal and dish from Maddie Scherr and the layup by Eniya Russell (3:39).
That helped Kentucky go on an 11-2 run, including a 9-0 run down the stretch, which was on 6-of-6 from the field.
Kentucky led Furman, 37-23, at halftime.
The Paladins went on a little 4-0 run to start the second half, but an Emma King steal and score two minutes and 58 seconds into the period put the Wildcats on the board.
Emma King’s bucket started a series where Kentucky went 7-of-7 from the field, which didn’t end until at 1:28.
In fact, Kentucky went 9-of-11 to close out the third quarter.
Kentucky led Furman, 57-35, at the end of the third quarter.
The period was capped by Emma King’s put back at the buzzer.
The Wildcats created a big enough gap over the Paladins that became too much for the Paladins to overcome in the final stanza.
The Wildcats outscored the Paladins, 18-10, in the fourth quarter on 6-of-11 from the field, continuing the balanced scoring the Cats had seen all game. Meanwhile, the Paladins went 4-of-16 from the field in that period.
Kentucky defeated Furman, 75-45.
Player Notes
Saniah Tyler, a sophomore guard, led Kentucky with a career-high 17 points on 6-of-8 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from long range.
It marked the second time this season and in her career she has led UK in scoring.
It marked the fifth time this season and in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
It marked the first time this season and in her career she has scored at least 15 points.
It marked the fifth time this season and in her career she has made at least three 3-poiunters in a game.
She added two assists, a steal and a rebound.
Ajae Petty, a senior forward, added 16 points on 7of-12 from the field.
It marked 10th time this season and the 20th time in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
It marked the eighth time this season and the 10th time in her career she has scored at least 15 points.
She added a team-lead nine rebounds, a career-high tying three assists, two steals and one block.
It marked the first time this season and the second time in her career she has dished out at least three assists.
It marked the fifth time this season and the 10th time in her career she has made at least two steals.
Maddie Scherr, a senior guard, had 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
It marked the second straight game she has made at least three 3-pointers in a game.
It marked the third game this season and the eighth game in her career she has made at least three 3-pointers in a game.
It marked the seventh game this season and the 28th game in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
She added five rebounds, a team-lead eight assists, a team-lead five steals and one block.
It marked the fourth time this season and the 50th time in her career she has dished out at least three assists.
It marked the fifth time this season and the 15th time in her career she has made at least two steals.
Eniya Russell, a senior guard, scored 10 points on 4-of-5 from the field.
It marked seventh time this season and the 11th time in her career she has scored at least 10 points.
She added three assists and two rebounds.
Cassidy Rowe, a sophomore guard, recorded a career-high seven points on a career-high three made field goals.
She added a career-high five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.
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