By Kevin Erpenbeck

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UK Hoops traded in the warm weather of the Virgin Islands in its return from the Paradise Jam Island Tournament for the winter chill of Kentucky in preparation for a home game against Northern Kentucky.

“We had a great trip down (at the Virgin Islands),” said head coach Matthew Mitchell. “We learned a lot about our basketball team and where we stand seven games into the season. But while the trip was good, we’re really glad to be back home.”

The Cats went 2-1 in the tournament over Thanksgiving break. UK (6-1) lost its first game of the tournament and its first game of the season against Illinois, but collected wins against Oklahoma and South Florida in the final two games to win the Paradise Jam Reef Division title.

Mitchell said he liked the fight the team showcased in its two wins, overcoming late deficits in both games to pull out victories. However, his concerns for the team’s readiness to play hard every game came to fruition in the loss to Illinois.

“We just didn’t come out with a lot of fire and energy in the first game, which has sometimes been a problem for us in games,” Mitchell said. “We need to be able to focus for 40 minutes in every game instead of playing good one half and then bad another. We’ll certainly work on that in practice this week.”

That focus will be put to the test against in-state rival Northern Kentucky, which is 4-3 on the season. The two-year Division I team from the Atlantic Sun Conference will play against the Cats for the first time since 1990. Mitchell said he expects the Norse to come in “fired up, ready to give it their all” against UK.

“They got a lot of energy on that team and they’ve played hard in every game they’ve played this season,” Mitchell said. “It’ll certainly be a good test for us for our first game back home.”

Sophomore guard Makayla Epps, who was named the most valuable player of the Paradise Jam Island Tournament after averaging 20.3 points per game and shooting 57.6 percent from the field, said she is excited to play a week of in-state “Kentucky basketball,” with a game against another in-state rival, Louisville, on Sunday.

“It’s big,” Epps said. “Northern Kentucky is going to come out and really compete against us. No reason why they shouldn’t. Then, hey, it’s the Battle of the Bluegrass on Sunday against Louisville.  We got into the (UK-Louisville) football game (Saturday), so it’s great timing there. It’s an exciting week for women’s basketball (in Kentucky) and we’re looking to give them a show.”