If you had watched only the Kentucky bench, you might not have known Alexis Jennings was having a career offensive day.”I was very hard on her today during the game,” UK head coach Matthew Mitchell said. “I had no idea she was scoring 27 points because I was trying to coach her up on defense a little bit and it was just a tough game.”It was a tough game that, in large part, the No. 12/13 Wildcats (11-2) won because of Jennings. Along with the career high in points she scored on 8-of-15 shooting, the freshman post player added eight rebounds in UK’s hard-fought 87-75 win over Tennessee State (3-8) on Sunday at Memorial Coliseum.The performance was the latest in a string of good ones by Jennings, who scored in double figures for the fourth straight game after not doing so once since her collegiate debut.”I wouldn’t say I saw it coming,” Jennings said. “We had four days off and coming back I really wasn’t expecting that. But as I got out there, I adjusted well and I was able to score offensively.”Jennings showed off a diverse skillset, burying three of her four tries from 3-point range and scoring on both post moves and put-backs off her five offensive rebounds.”We would not have won without her and I’ve told y’all before: She is supremely talented and skilled on the offensive end and I am really seeing a lot of progress out of her,” Mitchell said.Her teammates are particularly impressed with that progress considering how hard Mitchell has been on her both in practice and in games knowing what she is capable of.”I give Alexis a lot of credit being as whenever we’re in practice Coach Mitchell is extremely hard on her,” said Makayla Epps, who scored 16 points. “He’s hard on all of us, but some days she gets it harder than any of us and she’s got thick skin. She’s a tough kid from Alabama and I give her a lot of credit because most players would get down and go in slumps.”Linnae Harper – who had a big all-around game with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals as the Cats fended off a game Lady Tiger team – has seen the same. And with it, she’s seen Jennings become more and more self-assured in her continuing adjustment to college.”I just think, personally, her confidence level has just increased drastically day by day and it’s making a difference in the game,” Harper said. “She’s more tough and I think that’s really going to help us when we start SEC conference because we have the toughest conference in the nation.”With Bria Goss missing again due to a broken thumb and Jennifer O’Neill day to day with a strained patellar tendon, Mitchell knew the Cats would be tested on Sunday. With Jennings and others stepping up – including Janee Thompson with her ball pressure and career-high seven steals – they passed.”Those are the kind of games we need while Bria’s out to help us be stronger when Bria comes back,” Mitchell said.Now, when it comes to Jennings, Mitchell will continue to push her to improve defensively.”I definitely believe that she’s capable,” Mitchell said. “There’s no question. The reason I’m hard on Alexis is because her offense is a little bit further ahead than her defense right now. And so usually when I’m hard on her it’s defensive driven.”