UK Hoops runs away from Ole Miss
at UK Hoops vs. Ole Miss at Memorial Colosseum in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, February 13, 2014. Photo by Emily Wuetcher
February 14, 2014
By Tyler Spanyer
In a game plagued by technical fouls UK Hoops was able to open the second half with a 15-3 run to pull away from the University of Mississippi for a 108-78 win.
In the first half, the Cats took an early lead thanks to 3-pointers by senior forward DeNesha Stallworth and junior guard Jennifer O’Neill. The Cats extended their lead to as many as 14 in the first half.
The Cats used a dominating run to start the second half, opening up a 20-point lead in just over three minutes of action.
They used their transition game to extend the lead even further, finishing ahead by 30 points.
The game marked the first time former UK assistant Matt Insell had returned to the Bluegrass after taking the head coaching job at Ole Miss last spring. Insell did, however, receive a technical foul midway through the first half.
“I want to thank the Kentucky fans for the ovation they gave me before the game tonight,” Insell said. “It means a lot to me to come back and receive that kind of support. It was a real special moment for me.”
UK head coach Matthew Mitchell joined the crowd in welcoming Insell back to Memorial Coliseum.
“(Insell) is a good friend of mine,” UK head coach Matthew Mitchell said. “I clapped with (the crowd), because he deserves it.”
Personal fouls were the side story Thursday night. A total of 54 fouls were called in the game. All but one player played picked up a personal foul in the game.
Mitchell said his team did a good job of responding to the game’s physicality.
“We handled adversity better tonight,” Mitchell said. “More people played with some pep in their step tonight.”
O’Neill caught fire in the second half, making all three of her 3-point attempts en route to scoring 19 of her team-high 27 points in the final 20 minutes.
Stallworth recorded her second consecutive double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
“My teammates did a good job of finding me,” O’Neill said.
The No. 18 Cats will next head to Knoxville, Tenn., where they will face off with No. 8 University of Tennessee in a pivotal SEC matchup.