By Kevin Erpenbeck

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The Battle of the Bluegrass is the rivalry UK is most familiar with, and it’s one that has gone the same in the recent contests: Louisville goes up by double digits, only to watch UK comeback and win.

That formula of playing one half of superior basketball has also become familiar for the Cats this year, as they used it to overcome a 16-point deficit and win 77-68 for their fourth straight victory over the Cardinals.

“I’m really proud of our players,” said head coach Matthew Mitchell. “That was a really tough comeback, and a game they could have folded in. But they found a way to keep battling and make some adjustments in their attitudes at halftime. We’re just tickled to win a game like this.”

The Cats were outhustled, looked overmatched and significantly smaller against a Louisville team that dominated every facet of the game in the first half. The Cardinals made their home in the paint, scoring 26 of its 42 first-half points inside while limiting the Cats to just eight. Louisville also allowed just two second-chance points to UK, pulling in 19 defensive rebounds.

But the Cats never gave up hope, even after trailing by 13 at the break. After all, it is something they have become used to this season.

“When we go into halftime, we know the adjustments we have to make,” said senior point guard Jennifer O’Neill. “So we never felt we were out of it. We have a lot of confident people (on this team) that are always uplifting and encouraging others so those thoughts don’t get into people’s heads.”

One of those confident players was junior point guard Janee Thompson, who had 16 of her 19 points in the second half. When UK was forced to go with five point guards on the court because most of its forwards had fouled out late, Thompson led the Cats with her speed and ability to get through Louisville’s tall defenders.

Once Thompson learned she was actually faster than any Cardinal on the court, the rest of the team followed.

“We came out a lot more aggressive and with a lot more energy,” Thompson said. “I was able to benefit off of some good traps, and we got going in some transition and got some baskets.”

The formula of playing superior basketball for 20 minutes may not be conducive for the Cats, but it’s what has won them some of their most difficult games this season. Considering how challenging the first nine games have been, it’s something Mitchell said he will take in strides.

“It is what it is,” Mitchell said. “I did them no favors with the schedule. I don’t know how, but we’ve found some kind of way to be 8-1 with a real difficult schedule. We’ll get it together, and this team has a tremendous upside if the players come in everyday and practice really hard and believe in themselves and the system. I believe in it, and I know they do too.”