Ajša Sivka Ties Kentucky Record With 8 Threes in 93-78 Win Over No. 25 NC State

Photo: UK Athletics. Ajša Sivka, Kentucky vs. NC State, Nov. 8, 2026. Card design: The Dyme.

FINAL, Spectrum Center, Charlotte: No. 14 Kentucky 93, No. 25 NC State 78.

Ajša Sivka scored 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting and made 8 of 12 threes. That ties the Kentucky single-game record held by Rhyne Howard. It was her third college game. As a team, Kentucky made 18 of 39 from deep, which tied the school record for threes in a game.

The three-point math

NC State made 3 threes. Kentucky made 18. That is a 45-point edge from beyond the arc, 54 to 9, in a game Kentucky won by 15.

NC State got to the line 33 times and made 27. Kentucky went 9 of 14. The Wolfpack won the turnover battle 15 to 6, had 10 steals and scored 34 points in the paint to Kentucky's 20. Khamil Pierre scored 34 on 12-of-25 shooting and 9 of 13 at the line.

Kentucky’s 45-point advantage on threes overcame an 18-point deficit at the line and a 12-point deficit on two-pointers. Those three scoring categories account for the entire 15-point margin. Kentucky won the rebounds 38-29.

A shooting turnaround in one afternoon

Kentucky came into Charlotte cold. KSR's Zack Geoghegan counted 14 makes on 58 tries from three over the first two games, which is 24 percent. On Sunday the Wildcats made 13 of 21 in the first half alone and led 56-44 at the break. They made their first eight shots of the game. Me'Arah O'Neal, Clara Strack and Sivka, all 6-foot-5, each hit a three in the opening run.

Strack scored 24 with 8 rebounds and went 3 of 7 from deep. O'Neal went 2 of 6. Strack, O’Neal and Sivka combined to make 13 of 25 threes, by our count from the box.

Sivka's day

Sivka had 17 points and five threes by halftime, per KSR. Her sixth three made it 61-46 at 8:00 of the third quarter, and Strack’s next jumper made it 63-46. NC State never got closer than 11 after that. The eighth came in the fourth and made it 82-67. She played 37 minutes and did not commit a foul.

AP noted that Sivka is a 6-foot-5 guard from Slovenia. Kentucky had a name already in its record book for this exact number, and the player who tied it had played two college games before this one.

What it means

Kentucky is 3-0 with a ranked win on a neutral floor. NC State drops to 2-1. The Wolfpack also lost Zoe Brooks to an injury late in the third quarter, according to KSR, and she did not return after scoring 13, 11 of them at the line.

Kentucky improved from 14-of-58 across its first two games to 18-of-39 Sunday; three games do not establish its normal shooting level. Kentucky hosts Evansville on Wednesday.

Sources

• ESPN box score, game 401913737. Final UK 93, NCSU 78. Sivka 32 pts, 11-17 FG, 8-12 3PT, 37 min, 0 PF. Strack 24 pts, 8 reb, 3-7 3PT. O'Neal 2-6 3PT. UK 18-39 3PT, 9-14 FT, 15 TO, 20 paint pts. NCSU 3-11 3PT, 27-33 FT, 6 TO, 10 stl, 34 paint pts. Pierre 34 pts, 12-25 FG, 9-13 FT. Brooks 13 pts, 11-13 FT. Neutral site, Spectrum Center.
• UK Athletics recap. Nov 8, 2026. Tied school record 18 threes. Sivka tied school record of eight threes set by Rhyne Howard. First eight shots made. 56-44 halftime. Sixth three to 61-46. Strack’s next jumper made it 63-46. Eighth three to 82-67. Next: Evansville on Wednesday.
• Associated Press. Nov 8, 2026. 32 points, matched program record with eight threes in her third collegiate game. 6-foot-5 guard from Slovenia. Kentucky 3-0.
• On3 / KSR, Zack Geoghegan. Nov 8, 2026. 14-58 from three in first two games. 13-21 first half. 17 first-half points on 5-7 from three. All three 6-foot-5 players hit a three in the opening minutes. NC State 2-1. Brooks injured late in third, did not return.
• Yahoo Sports / UK Wildcats Wire. Nov 8, 2026. Both school-record ties confirmed.
• Photo: UK Athletics official game photo from the recap.