Midseason attitude lifts Hoops
UK Head Coach Mathew Mitchell yells to motivate his team during the end of the second half during the game between the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team and The University of Alabama in Lexington , Ky.,on Thursday, January 23, 2014. Photo by Ben Rickard
November 7, 2014
By Kevin Erpenbeck
UK Hoops head coach Matthew Mitchell wanted to start the new season off strong when UK faced Pikeville in an exhibition match Thursday.
The Cats responded with intensity befitting of a regular season game, cruising to a 141-63 win over the Bears.
“I thought we had a really good attitude tonight, which is going to be key to this team,” Mitchell said. “We’re not going to be the most talented or biggest team in the country, but we can play really tough, fast and up-tempo to be a great team.”
Pikeville head coach Joanna McNamee knew ahead of time what the final result of the game might be, but was still surprised by how well the Cats played.
“If you had asked me if they were going to score 140, I would have said not a chance,” McNamee said. “We knew we were going to come in and take a little bit of a beating. There’s a reason they’re (one of the best) teams in the country. Very unselfish, this Kentucky team. They’re fun to watch.”
UK was nearly flawless in every aspect, shooting over 60 percent for the game, picking up 49 rebounds and forcing Pikeville to commit 37 turnovers in Mitchell’s full-court defense.
Senior point guard Jennifer O’Neill, who co-led the team in points with 20, was also impressed with the way the team played, saying it has the potential to score a lot of points during the regular season.
“I’m not saying we’re going to put up 100 every time, but I like how everyone can run the floor,” O’Neill said. “The freshmen came out ready to play, and weren’t nervous at all. We just played really freely.”
The intensity only increases from here as Mitchell said the focus is on preparing for the grind of the regular season and maxing out the Cats’ potential.
“To have any chance of what they can be, this team must have the greatest attitude possible. And that starts on Saturday when we go back to practicing,” Mitchell said.
