LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tenacious defense, combined with the impressive backcourt play of guards Samantha Mahoney, Carly Ormerod and Jenny Pfeiffer led the Kentucky women?s basketball team to a 84-38 rout of Stetson Tuesday in Memorial Coliseum.
The Wildcats held the Hatters to a school-record low 18 percent (9-of-50) shooting from the field, including 10.3 percent (3-of-29) in the second half.
The Wildcats (2-0) held the Hatters (0-2) to just 38 points in the game, 18 of which came from the free throw line. Kentucky out-rebounded Stetson 50-27 and scored 25 points off 20 Hatter turnovers. UK shot 50.0 percent from the floor (32-of-64), including a 42.9 percent clip from beyond the arc (12-of-23).
Pfeiffer, (North Vernon, Ind.) in just her second game back since the 2003-04 season, came off the bench for the Wildcats, scoring 21 points, and pouring in 7-of-11 shots from the field, including 5-of-9 three-point attempts. She also brought down four rebounds and dished out three assists in 23 minutes of action. Freshman point guard Carly Ormerod (Louisville, Ky.) scored in double figures for the second consecutive game with 15, while sophomore guard Samantha Mahoney (Detroit) added 10. The three guards combined seven assists and 46 of UK?s 86 points.
?I thought tonight was a great team win for us,? UK Coach Mickie DeMoss said. ?I was most impressed with our defensive effort. I thought we were aggressive and got in the passing lanes. It was a very smothering and intense defense which is something we have been working on. Offensively, Jenny Pfeiffer shot the ball really well. Sarah Elliott has a much better game. Carly Ormerod has another steady game for us and got us off to a really good start. All in all, it was a good win for us.?
The Wildcats broke to an early 12-0 lead at the 15:49 mark of the first half on a jumper by Mahoney. Ormerod, who scored six of the game?s first 12 points, followed with the first of two threes she would hit in the opening period with 15:03 remaining. Stetson came within 10, 15-5, before the Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to extend their advantage to 23-5. The Cats led 37-18 at halftime after failing to score a basket for the final 4:23 of the period.
Kentucky continued its defensive intensity to begin the second half, allowing just one Stetson basket for more than five minutes. A put-back basket by Jennifer Humphrey (Memphis, Tenn.), her second of two consecutive scores, gave the Cats a 47-20 advantage with 15:48 left in the game. Leading 56-25, UK went on a 10-0 run over the next 3:59 to extend its lead to 68-25 with 7:51 remaining. A tip-in by Sarah Elliott (McKee, Ky.) at the 5:05 mark gave the Wildcats what was then their largest lead of the game at 44 points (73-29).
Elliott finished with eight points and four rebounds in 17 minutes while Humphrey added seven points and four rebounds. Sophomore forward/center Eleia Roddy (Columbus, Ohio) added a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with six points. It was her second consecutive game with double-figure rebounds.
Kentucky returns to action Friday, Nov. 25 when it travels to Malibu, Calif., to compete in the Pepperdine Thanksgiving Classic. Tip off against Indiana State in the first round is set for 4:00 p.m. EST. The game will be carried live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio) with Neil Price.
