‘Trying to do the right thing.’ Kentucky basketball’s Elzy finding answers on her bench.
Following Kentucky’s 82-54 victory over USC Upstate in Rupp Arena on Saturday night, Kyra Elzy acknowledged the difficult path ahead in the Wildcats’ nonconference schedule.
“We’re getting ready to play a brutal stretch,” UK’s women’s basketball coach said. “And it’s going to take all of us.”
Tuesday’s game against ASUN member Austin Peay (0-2) figures to be a likely win for the Wildcats (2-0), but a five-game stretch to close November looms large. It begins with a visit to Florida Gulf Coast (1-1) on Nov. 19 and ends with a Nov. 30 battle against Boston College (1-1) in the SEC/ACC Challenge at Transylvania. In between is a Thanksgiving week trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands to face three games in three days in the Paradise Jam. North Carolina State (2-0), No. 20 Colorado (2-0) and Cincinnati (0-1) provide the opposition.
In both Saturday’s win over USC Upstate (0-3) and UK’s opening night victory over East Tennessee State on Tuesday, the Wildcats went with a starting lineup of Brooklynn Miles, Saniah Tyler, Amiya Jenkins, Maddie Scherr and Ajae Petty. It appears Elzy has found a combination which — at least for now — is capable of setting the tone for her offense.
But what happens after that? Questions regarding the roster’s depth lingered throughout the offseason, but a pair of off-the-bench players flashed for the Wildcats in Saturday’s win. Senior guard Eniya Russell and sophomore forward Zennia Thomas, neither of whom made as big an impact as many had hoped in their first season with the Cats, recorded some of the best stats of their collegiate careers against the Spartans.
Russell, who transferred to UK from South Carolina ahead of the 2022-23 season, entered Saturday’s game at the 4:36 mark of the first quarter. Immediately, she played hard and fast alongside her teammates, ending the period with four points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal. She finished the game with a career-high tying 14 points on 6-of-10 from the field, plus a team-lead tying and career-high nine rebounds along with two assists and one steal.
After the game, Elzy praised Russell’s fight on both sides of the floor, saying the 6-foot senior is “locked in and focused.”
“So far, she’s stepped in and has starred in her role,” Elzy said. “And we need her. She’s one of the best guards that we have on this team, but she also brings the versatility. I can play her at the 3 or the 4 so great size, her ability to pass and score makes her a big threat for us.”
Thomas, the first substitution of the game for the Wildcats, finished with a career-high 10 points on 3-of-5 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. It was the first time the 6-2 Thomas had ever scored in double figures, and she tied career highs in rebounding (two) and assists (one).
“I was really proud of Z,” Elzy said. “I thought she studied us early in the offense for her ability to finish around the rim, go get offensive rebounds and finishing and/or get fouled. She was 4-for-6 from the free throw line, so really proud of her improvement. She’s put on some weight in the offseason, so for her to be able to hammer down and finish through contact is big for us.”
Through two games, Thomas has been used as the go-to replacement for Petty, who’s been in foul trouble by halftime in both wins. But, much like Russell, Thomas is ready to “star in her role” for the Wildcats, saying her goals for the game against USC Upstate pertained to personal growth and working to do what she could to help the team win.
“Just coming in, doing what I needed to do,” Thomas said. “Get on the boards, crashing hard, put-backs, and-ones trying to get those. Free throws, making sure I hit those. And then make sure I was in defensive position as well because we’ve worked on a lot, so just trying to do the right thing.”
Next game
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Davis-Reid Alumni Gym (Georgetown)
TV: SEC Network + (online only)
Radio: WLAP-AM 630
Records: Austin Peay 0-2, Kentucky 2-0
Series: Kentucky leads 6-0
Last meeting: Kentucky won 81-52 on Dec. 1, 2019, in Lexington
