Dec. 19, 2001
Lexington – Freshman Sara Potts tied her career-high with 15 points and led three Wildcats in double-figures as the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team defeated intrastate-rival Louisville, 72-53, on Wednesday night at Memorial Coliseum. Joining Potts in double-figures was senior LaTonya McDole with 15 and sophomore SeSe Helm with 14.
Kentucky, which found itself in an 11-point deficit 8:30 into the game, clawed back to take an eight-point lead, 33-25, at the half. Potts, who tied a career-high with four three-pointers made, piloted the comeback, scoring nine points on three-of-six shooting from beyond the arc in the first half.
UK’s offense and defense worked hand-in-hand to start the second half. The Cats outscored the Cardinals 11-3 over the first five minutes of the second half and never looked back. The Wildcats then pushed the lead to 21 (63-42) with just over six minutes remaining in the contest.
“Our players came out with a lot of intensity and they were ready to play,” UK Coach Bernadette Mattox said. “Our underclassmen really stepped up and I am pleased with our defensive effort tonight. They keep getting better and they stepped up to the challenge.”
The Wildcats shot a blistering 50.0 percent from the field (27 of 54) while holding the Cardinals (5-4) to a season-low 29.5 percent (18 of 61). UK also made the most of its chances, scoring 26 points off 26 Cardinal turnovers. The Cards tallied just nine points off the Cats’ 20 turnovers.
Helm, who charted her ninth straight double-figure performance, also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds while McDole cleaned the glass seven times and had five steals. Sophomore Danyelle Payne came off the bench to score nine points and dish out four assists.
“They really came together and played like a team with something to prove,” U of L Coach Martin Clapp said. “They played good defensively and Coach Mattox did a great job of adjusting defenses. We just had a meltdown on both the offensive and defensive end tonight.”
Sophomore Sara Nord led the Cardinals with 15 points while junior LaKisha Hoffman scored 13.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 5-4 on the year and own a 27-10 all-time record against Louisville. UK has won 13 straight against the Cards in Memorial Coliseum.
The Cats return to action on Saturday when it plays host to first-time opponent Evansville at 1 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum.
