JessicaHardin

Former Kentucky high school standout that played at Bellarmine her freshman season before transferring to UK to focus on academics … Walked on the team during the summer of 2016 and impressed the coaches with her work ethic and skill … Was awarded a scholarship at the end of summer workouts … Strong shooter that always showed a desire to learn and improve on both sides of the court … Returned for her final year of eligibility in 2017-18 as a redshirt senior … Grandfather James Hardin played football at UK in 1951-52. 

• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2017)

2017-18 (Redshirt Senior)
Played in 13 games making one start on Senior Day … Battled injuries during the year that limited her time … Scored 15 total points during the year going 4-of-13 from 3 … Played seven minutes against Gardner-Webb with three points, one rebound and one assist … Played four minutes against Mississippi State on Senior Day after earning her first career start … Scoring two points against the Bulldogs, coming off the bench late to hit a layup. 

2016-17 (Senior)
Played in 16 games with 12.3 minutes per game … Missed significant time after non-conference play due to a concussion, playing in just one league game and both games of the SEC Tournament … Led the Wildcats in 3-point field-goal percentage going 12-of-33 from long range … Went 7-of-9 from the free-throw line during the season … Best game was against New Hampshire, scoring 11 points going 3-for-5 from long range … Posted eight points against Samford … Hit a 3 in nine of her 16 games played … Started at UK as a walk-on in the summer of 2016, but was awarded a scholarship after impressing the coaches with her strong work ethic.

At Bellarmine
Started 16 of the 26 games in which she appeared her freshman season while averaging 20.6 minutes per game … Was third on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game and averaged 2.8 rebounds per game … Led team in made 3-pointers (52) and 3-point percentage (36.9) … Buried five 3-pointers in a game on three separate occasions … Scored in double figures in five straight games from Feb. 1-15 … Tied for 11th in GLVC in 3-pointers made per game … Sank all six of her free throws in collegiate debut on Nov. 17 against North Alabama … Sank three 3-pointers in scoring 13 points on Dec. 20 against Wayne State … Nailed five 3-pointers and scored 17 points on Dec. 21 against Trevecaa Nazarene … Scored 14 points in consecutive games on Jan. 18 and 20 against Saint Joseph’s and Southern Indiana … Drilled five 3-pointers in scoring 18 points on Feb. 1 against Illinois-Springfield … Tallied career-high 19 points behind career-best seven made field goals, including five 3-pointers, on Feb. 6 against Quincy … Had 11 points and seven rebounds on Feb. 13 against Missouri-St. Louis … Netted 15 points against Maryville in the GLVC Tournament … Academic All-GLVC selection.

High School
Averaged 19.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, earning third-team All-State honors from the Courier-Journal … Shot 40.9 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from behind the arc … Named 12th Region Player of the Year … Member of Kentucky All-Stars in prestigious Kentucky/Indiana All-Star game … Finished third on the school’s all-time scoring list (1,795 points) and fifth in rebounding (797 rebounds) … At the time of graduation, she held the single-season record for points in a year (635), set as a junior … She also held six other single-season and single-game records.

Personal
Place of Birth: Somerset, Ky. … Parent(s): Philip and Melynda Hardin … Siblings: One brother (Matthew Cooper) … Major: Communication … Shooting Hand: Right. 

The Cats’ Cause
Volunteered to pack and deliver food for God’s Pantry BackPack program …  Spent time spreading joy at the UK Children’s Hospital on Halloween and during Christmas.