Morris Stepping up for UK with Hot Start
Maci Morris knew she was going to have to step up.
She had been a solid player through her first two seasons, but she was never the featured player, not with soon-to-be WNBA Draft picks Makayla Epps and Evelyn Akhator on the roster.
Now a junior, Morris hasn’t hesitated to carry a heavier load.
“I knew, especially losing Epps and Evelyn,” Morris said. “They were our main scorers last year.”
Morris’ evolution was on display Wednesday, as the Pineville, Kentucky, native poured in a game-high 19 points in an 86-53 win for the No. 22/RV Wildcats over Morehead State (2-3). In just 23 minutes, Morris added three assists and two rebounds and hit five 3-pointers to move into the top 10 in program history in treys made.
“She just gives her all to every opportunity she has to get better in the program and she just takes advantage of it,” Matthew Mitchell said. “I’m excited for her and she really—she shot the leather off of it today. It was fun to watch her shoot the ball.”
Her classmate, Taylor Murray, was more of a facilitator in scoring seven points and dishing seven assists, but the two juniors are living up to a preseason commitment they made.
“We just had to step up and get the job done with scoring and on the defensive end as well,” Morris said. “I knew they needed me to be a more consistent scorer and hopefully I’ve been doing that to the best of my ability.”
The performance was more of the same for Morris in UK’s 5-0 start to the season. She is now averaging 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists, all substantial improvements from her first two years. Morris has scored in double figures every game this season and her lowest output (10 points) came in a win over Gardner-Webb in which she posted her first career double-double.
It’s not a heavier workload alone that is driving Morris’ statistical improvement either. Morris, after shooting 7 of 8 from the field and 5 of 6 from 3 on Wednesday, is now hitting 50.9 percent from the field and an even 50 percent from 3-point range.
Mitchell said Morris “probably put up a million shots” over the summer to pave the way for that improvement. As high as the number might seem, Morris doesn’t think it’s all that far off.
“No, we shot a lot,” Morris said. “We were in the gym a lot. I hate missing. You can ask Kenzie (Makenzie Cann) or anyone else on the team. I talk to myself and I’m chewing myself out if I miss a shot.”
Morris revealed after the game that she picked up the self-talk habit during her freshman year when she often spent time in the gym with men’s basketball player Skal Labissiere, now of the Sacramento Kings. “MaMo,” she calls herself.
“She’ll be talking to herself at the free-throw line and we’re all just like, ‘Let her be,’ ” said Cann, who had her second straight double-double on Wednesday.
Morris laughed as Cann gave up her secret. All in good fun for a team having lots of it.
“It’s been a really fun year so far,” Morris said. “I’m really excited. I said in the summer I was excited to play with this team. There’s just so many different personalities, on and off the court.”
Morris has a couple herself.
