After Kentucky’s 116-49 win over Lipscomb on Friday, the Wildcats talked about their near-record-setting night.They reflected on their impressive streak of four consecutive games with 20-plus assists. They were asked about how eight different players had scored in double figures.But in the middle of all that, Bria Goss snuck something interesting in as she responded to a question about their improvement at the foul line in the second half.”Usually when we go into the locker room, Kastine (Evans) makes a list of points of improvement and things we’re already doing well,” Goss said.It’s a common visual, a coach going to the whiteboard at halftime to highlight areas for a team to improve. For a player to do it is another story, even a senior leader like Evans.It turns out, however, that it’s not a new thing for UK Hoops.Matthew Mitchell started it a few years back as he searched for ways to maximize the 15 minutes the Cats spend in the locker room for halftime. With that goal in mind, Mitchell directed his players to gather and assess the first half as the coaches did the same on their own.”We just wanted to make sure that no matter if you are up or down or where you are, you will have some positive points and some points for improvement in the second half,” Mitchell said. “That gives the players more of a focus while we’re trying to get our thoughts collected.”As the years have gone by and Mitchell has built his program, he’s noticed growth in that halftime routine. More and more, the Cats and their coaches are on the same page.”It’s been really good to see that evolve to what the coaches talk about and we walk in and what the players have written down has really matched up well, which tells you the players are in tune with what we need to be doing to be successful,” Mitchell said.Evans is at the forefront of that, which is why it should come as no surprise that she’s the player who wields the marker. The Salem, Conn., native has accepted every role assigned to her, from coming off the bench and playing out of position in the post early in her career to now starting and serving as UK’s second-leading scorer at 12.8 points per game. But regardless of what she’s asked to do from a basketball perspective, she’s always been a leader.”I look to the veterans a lot to set the tone in every game and Kastine Evans is a good one as far as knowing what we need to do mentally to prepare,” Mitchell said. “She’s doing such a great job of that day in and day out in practice and in games. I feel good that we have some veteran leadership right now.”Mitchell will be counting on Evans’ leadership this weekend, as UK (5-0) travels for a tough road test at Middle Tennessee State (1-2) on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. “I think, clearly, the most gifted team we’ve played to date,” Mitchell said. “Middle Tennessee has some really good players and you know they are going to be well-coached. Rick Insell is one of the best coaches in the country and certainly one of the great coaches in women’s basketball right now.” UK-MTSU has become an annual series, with the Cats losing the last two times they’ve traveled to Murfreesboro, Tenn. For the players who were there two seasons ago, the 70-58 defeat is fresh in their minds.”I haven’t won there yet so this is definitely a game that I’m excited to play and really go down there with a lot of intention on winning this game,” Evans said. Behind Lexington native Ebony Rowe, the Blue Raiders won’t make that an easy task. Rowe — a senior forward — is averaging 20.7 points and 12.0 rebounds.”She’s just a great, great college basketball player,” Mitchell said. “I think the world of her; she has a great family, great people. I’m glad to see her have the success she’s had, but I’m going to try hard for her to not have any success on Sunday, but that’s hard to do with a player like that.”Rowe is certainly a Southeastern Conference-caliber player, helping to make MTSU the closest thing UK has seen to an SEC-level team this season. Add to that the fact that UK will make the same Thursday-Sunday turnaround it will have to throughout conference play and you have a challenge that could benefit the Cats down the road.”I think it’s going to be really good for us,” Evans said. “Especially in the next week and a half, we have Louisville coming up, which is a great team. This MTSU team is really dynamic. They always go to the NCAA Tournament so it’s always a great opportunity for us, as long as we use it how we should.”And if the Cats aren’t doing that through 20 minutes, Evans will have something to put on that whiteboard.