Big Blue Madness got the basketball season in Kentucky started, and it all began with the women’s basketball portion of the show.

Last year, the women faced off against their practice team during the scrimmage, but this year they battled each other, showing their strengths and weaknesses. 

During the scrimmage between the Blue and White women’s teams, a few players put some points on the board to give the fans a sneak peak of what will come for the season.

The scrimmage ended with the White team winning 11-9. 

Junior guard Maci Morris scored the first bucket of the scrimmage with a jump shot. She went on to rack up four points for the night.

Freshman Tatyana Wyatt made her Big Blue Debut one to remember, scoring five points for the Blue team.

One of the more impressive plays of the night was a steal from Wyatt on the opposite end of the court, then driving the ball and laying it up on the other side.

Tied for the most points of the night, senior guard Jessica Hardin also scored five points for the White team. Scoring the winning shot for her team, Hardin nailed a three with a few seconds before the buzzer sounded.

Another notable performance was from 6-1 junior forward Ogechi Anyagaligbo, who sat out last season due to NCAA’s transfer policy. This was Anyagaligbo’s first time playing in Big Blue Madness, and she utilized her size by showcasing her defensive skills and scoring four points on a couple of layups. 

During the WBB media day, junior Taylor Murray stated that Matthew Mitchell wants the team to play up-tempo this season, and the ladies showed their speed during Madness. The women tried to live up to this standard during the scrimmage by running plays at a quick pace and putting up shots when necessary.

On the other hand, it was obvious that the ladies were missing their two star players from last season – Makayla Epps and Evelyn Akhator.

Epps brought the offensive talent to the team and Akhator had the rebounding under control.

Being without their star players will take a lot of getting used to for the Cats, but it will not be impossible. As the season progresses, the women will learn to come together as a team without Epps and Akhator.