By Tyler Spanyer | UK Hoops beat writer

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After defeating Central Michigan University last Sunday, UK Hoops is preparing to take on the Lady Bisons of Lipscomb University at 7 p.m. Thursday in Memorial Coliseum.

“We are excited to be back in the Coliseum against a good opponent in Lipscomb,” UK Hoops head coach Matthew Mitchell said. “We have a great amount of respect for their team and they are very well coached, and we will have to be ready for that challenge.”

The Cats are coming off a streak in which they have scored 90 or more points in three consecutive games. UK accomplished this feat for the first time since the 1990-91 season.

In another feat, the Cats accumulated 20 or more assists in the past three games for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

“We have a lot of different weapons, a lot of kids that can score,” Mitchell said. “We like that and we want to try to enhance that, and try to make sure our execution gets better. I hope we can become one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country.”

Senior forward DeNesha Stallworth scored 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line on Sunday.

“DeNesha (Stallworth) attracts so much attention, sometimes it’s hard to get her shots,” Mitchell said. “We need to do a better job of making sure she gets the most shots. I think that’s where we need to be.”

The Cats opponent is the winless Lady Bison, who play in the Atlantic Sun Conference and finished last year at 3-29, last place in their conference.

Lipscomb has only four upperclassmen on a team laden with inexperience, but talent, according to Mitchell.

“Lipscomb is a team that is going to try and use their skill level to make some plays against us and we have to work really hard defensively and communicate tomorrow,” Mitchell said. “They have some really good set-actions in the half court and really make good decisions with the basketball and have a player right now that is averaging a double-double.”

The player Mitchell was referring to is Lipscomb sophomore forward Ashley Southern, who is averaging 17.7 points per game and a conference-leading 16 rebounds per game.

Lady Bison sophomore forward Alex Banks, who has only played in one game due to injury, scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the season-opening overtime loss to Morehead State University.

Banks was the only player on last year’s team who started in all 29 of the Lady Bison’s games and was named to Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team. season-opening overtime loss to Morehead State University.

Banks was the only player on last year’s team who started in all 29 of the Lady Bison’s games, and was named to Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team.