Matthew Mitchell saw positives in Kentucky’s 86-80 loss to Florida on Sunday.The Wildcats turned in one of their best offensive efforts of Southeastern Conference play, shooting 56.3 percent in the second half in nearly coming from a double-digit deficit.The silver lining, however, was merely a reminder of the issues that have plagued UK of late.”We scored 80 points and that was good,” Mitchell said. “It’s just been difficult. Some games we’ve held teams in the 50s and then we don’t score. And then the day we score 80, we give up 86 and so that was tough.”Game to game, Mitchell doesn’t know what to expect from his team. He needs look no further in search of reasons for UK’s five losses in nine games.”Just the lack of consistency’s what hurting us right now,” Mitchell said. “If we ever get that going in practice, we’re going to be in really good shape. When we were playing really well early in the season, we were very, very consistent with what we were doing.”That fact is what Mitchell is counting on as he looks ahead to the remainder of the season. The Cats know what they are capable of because they’ve already done it. They know they can compete with the best because they’re already beaten the likes of Louisville and Baylor.”We’re not a team that’s dreaming about having good players and being able to make things happen,” Mitchell said. “We can do it, so for me right now you just can’t give into frustration, you can’t give into negative thoughts and you can’t give into discouragement.”Kastine Evans – whom Mitchell counts on as a team leader along with Bria Goss – feels the same way. That’s why she’s altered her approach to dealing with her teammates, trying to uplift them with text messages rather than berate them for mistakes.”I think I’ve been a lot more vocal and encouraging (not) so much as criticism or constructive criticism just because that’s something that we’ve needed,” Evans said. “It’s hard when the coaches are on you and somebody who’s at the equal level as you because I’m playing with my teammates to also try to more critical.”No. 18/18 UK (17-6, 5-5 SEC) will look to prove that approach is working when the Cats host Ole Miss (10-15, 1-10 SEC) in its annual Play4Kay game. Both teams will wear pink uniforms and UK is encouraging fans to wear pink of their own for the game, which will tip at 7 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. “It’s going to be a tough game,” Mitchell said. “Ole Miss is certainly a team that has some explosive athletes, one of the best point guards that I’ve seen in the conference in (Valencia) McFarland and (Tia) Faleru is a very explosive post player that can drive the basketball and just plays with great, great energy and can make an impact on the boards.”The most familiar face on the Ole Miss sideline will be Matt Insell, who spent five seasons as an assistant under Mitchell at UK before being named the Rebel head coach this offseason. “We speak pretty frequently,” Mitchell said. “I mean, we spent a lot of time together in the trenches and have a real strong friendship and he’s done a lot for this program and contributed a lot and I certainly was proud for him to be able to move and realize his dream of being a head coach, especially in the SEC.”As warm as the feelings may be between the two, they’ll be put aside for two hours on Thursday night.”We want to beat him really bad tomorrow night if we can, but when we are not in that arena I’m there to support him,” Mitchell said. “And he’s supported me a bunch over the years, I’m telling you. He’s really been a great friend to me, so it’s a relationship that I think’s built on some friendship and some mutual respect for one another.”