Virginia Falls 63-51 at Kentucky
Freshman Erica Martinsen led all scorers with 15 points. Junior Felicia Aiyeotan grabbed 13 rebounds with five blocked shots.
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (0-2) fell 63-51 at Kentucky (3-0) on Thursday, Nov. 15 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.
Freshman Erica Martinsen (Clarence, N.Y.) led all scorers with 15 points, going 6-of-10 from the floor and 3-of-7 from three-point range. Junior Felicia Aiyeotan (Lagos, Nigeria) scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, grabbing 13 rebounds with five blocked shots. Virginia shot 44.4 percent (20-of-45) while Kentucky went 23-of-69 (33.3 percent). UVA outrebounded UK, 41-33.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a low-scoring first half, Kentucky led 21-20 at halftime. After only leading for 2:58 in the first half, the Wildcats took control of the game by mounting a 12-2 run to start the third quarter to take control of the game. The Cavaliers rallied in the fourth quarter, cutting a once 18-point deficit (48-31, 8:01 Q4) down to 10 points, 55-45, on a three-pointer by junior Dominique Toussaint (Staten Island, N.Y.) with 2:04 remaining. A three-pointer from junior Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.) with 51 seconds remaining made it a single-digit deficit, but Kentucky held on for the victory. The Cavaliers struggled with Kentucky’s pressure defense, committing 32 turnovers.
NOTES
- Virginia shot 57.1 percent in the first quarter (4-of-7) and went 4-of-7 in the second quarter as well to shoot 57.1 percent
- Kentucky took 37 shots in the first half while Virginia only had 14
- UVA had 10 turnovers in the first quarter and eight in the second, finishing the game with 32 turnovers. Kentucky scored 32 points off those turnovers
- Kentucky had 13 steals, Virginia had four
- Of Virginia’s 20 baskets, 16 were assisted
- Kentucky missed its first seven shots of the game
- Virginia went 4-of-7 from three-point range in the fourth quarter
- Senior forward Moné Jones (Durham, N.C.) scored UVA’s first five points of the second quarter
- Erica Martinsen scored seven of Virginia’s 11 points in the third quarter
- After grabbing 13 rebounds tonight and 16 against Mississippi State, Felicia Aiyoetan is averaging 14.5 per game
- Jones had a career-high three assists
- Junior forward Shakyna Payne (Acworth, Ga.) blocked a career-high two shots
- Eight different Wildcats scored in the third period in which UK outscored UVA 23-11
- Dating back to last season, Virginia has lost its last three games to SEC opponents. UVA ended the 2017-18 season with a loss at South Carolina and then opened this season with a loss to Mississippi State before taking on Kentucky. Virginia will play a fourth ACC opponent, Alabama, on Dec. 20 at the Florida Sunshine Classic tournament in Orlando
- This was the first-ever meeting between the two teams
UP NEXT
- The Cavaliers will play at Old Dominion on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. in Norfolk, Va., before next returning home for the Field Trip Day on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 11 a.m., when UVA hosts North Carolina A&T
- New this year for all regular-season home games, available reserved single-game tickets can be purchased for $8 in advance, online and via mobile devices, or for $10 at the John Paul Jones ticket office on game day. General admission single-game tickets are $5 in advance, online and via mobile devices or $8 at the John Paul Jones ticket office on game day. Courtside seats are $15