UK Women Glad to Be Home After Long Road Trip
The Kentucky women’s basketball team had a long road trip last week that proved to be beneficial in more ways than one.
The Wildcats, now ranked 22nd in the country by the Associated Press, traveled to the western portion of the United States, picking up a pair of road wins in the process. Kentucky beat Montana 71-54 on Thursday in Missoula before holding off Washington State 73-68 on Sunday in Pullman.
While the two wins are valuable, UK head coach Matthew Mitchell thinks his team got even more out of the lengthy road trip, even if that wasn’t the primary goal.
“It was a great trip,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t necessarily need a team bonding experience, but it happened anyhow, just because of the work that they’ve done and the people that they are and the relationships that they’ve built. It was one of the most fun trips I can remember, just being in their presence and being around them.”
Mitchell was thankful that his team did not experience any travel hiccups during the long trip west.
“We were so fortunate to have smooth travel,” he said. “We didn’t have any travel complications, but still, it’s a long way out there and you’re in unfamiliar surroundings. So, you are together a lot, and I just enjoyed being with the team. They’re a group I really like being around. It was a really good trip and we got a lot out of it.”
Part of the memorable trip was Sunday’s back-and-forth win over Washington State. The Wildcats hit five of six free throws down the stretch to beat the Cougars, after Kentucky trailed by double digits in the first half. Junior Maci Morris scored a season-high 20 points in the game, while senior Makenzie Cann added 15. Both Morris and Cann hit three shots from behind the arc in the game.
Despite a fun and productive road trip, Mitchell and his team are thankful to be back in Lexington and returning to familiar surroundings. The Wildcats get back on their home court on Wednesday, facing Morehead State in Memorial Coliseum (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network+).
“Looking forward to being back home,” Mitchell said. “Looking for a big crowd tomorrow afternoon. I’d love to have a great crowd to lift our players’ energy level.”
Mitchell knows that the Eagles will provide a big challenge to his team.
“Greg Todd is one of the great coaches to come through Kentucky,” Mitchell said. “He has another team that’s well-coached. They have upgraded their talent and their returners are better. Their ability to get on the offensive glass concerns me.”
While team bonding was not the intention of the team’s trip west, the smooth travel and a pair of wins made it a trip that will be beneficial to the Wildcats as the season moves along.
