Dec. 1, 1999
LEXINGTON, Kty. — The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team used abalanced scoring attack to crush the injury-depleted Western KentuckyLady Toppers 75-48 on Wednesday night at Memorial Coliseum. Sophomoreforward LaTonya McDole led the Cats with 15 points and pulled down eightrebounds.
Kentucky (3-2) took advantage of 16 first-half WKU turnovers tobuild a 20-point halftime lead. The Lady Toppers committed 29 turnoversin the game that led to 30 UK points. Erica Jackson led the Cats withfour steals.
The Lady Toppers (2-2) were led on the evening by junior ShaRaeMansfield who dropped in a career-high 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting.Mansfield has notched more than 20 points in each of Western’s gamesthis season.
“We needed this game coming off last week,” UK Coach BernadetteMattox said. “Western Kentucky is always tough and as the years go bythey are going to get better. They will always be our in-state rivals.We always want the challenge.”
The game was close for the first 6:30 after buckets by WKU’sKenosha Chastang and Mansfield brought the Toppers within one (10-9).After a 30 second timeout by UK, the Cats went on a 22-3 run over thenext 7:30 to open up a 20-point cushion. Pacing the Cats during thatstretch was senior guard Natalie Martinez who hit a pair ofthree-pointers on her way to 11 points for the game.
After establishing a halftime lead of 42-22 on a 47-percentshooting effort, the Cats cooled down to start the second-half andallowed the Lady Toppers to get back in the game. WKU got the UK leaddown to 13 with 8:42 remaining on the strength of eight early points byMansfield. But behind strong interior work by McDole and junior forwardLaura Meadows, the Cats re-established themselves and continued to weardown the Lady Toppers.
“It’s a shame that you get an opportunity to have a war and youdon’t get up for it. I thought maybe we were ready tonight but weweren’t,” WKU Coach Steve Small said. “I think Bernadette’s program isready for the SEC finally and the SEC is good basketball. Kentucky wasvery, very good and they are an excellent basketball team.”
In addition to McDole’s 15 and the 11 by Martinez, two otherWildcats broke out for double-digits as senior center Shantia Owens andMeadows each contributed 11 points. UK sophomore forward Tanesha Seatontied her career-high with 11 rebounds.
Kentucky’s win marks the fifth straight win over an instateschool, the third against the Lady Toppers.
The Cats will now embark on a four-game road trip that includesNew Mexico on Monday, Dec. 6, Liberty on Saturday, Dec. 11, 1999 NCAAChampion Purdue on Saturday, Dec. 18 and Cincinnati on Wednesday, Dec.22. UK will tip-off against the Lobos in Albuquerque, N.M. at 9 p.m.ET.
