UK Hoops: Cats Defeat Tennessee State
UK Hoops rounded out their nonconference play with a win over Tennessee State today, 87-75. The Cats had an exciting first half. They started their fourth different starting lineup for the season with Bria Goss out with a broken thumb and Jen O’Neill out with a knee injury. Today’s starting five included Janee Thompson, Kyvin Goodin-Rodgers, Linnae Harper, Makayla Epps and Azia Bishop. The Cats kept TSU scoreless for 5:25, all the while, Kentucky went on a 20-2 run with Linnae Harper and Alexis Jennings each scoring 12 points and 4 rebounds in the first half. Azia Bishop also tied her career high of 5 blocks in the first half.
Jennings scored another 15 in the second half, totaling to 27 (a career high) off the bench. She also had a team-high tying eight boards. This marked her fourth straight game (fifth of the season) scoring in double figures- the last two with career highs. She also had all 3 of UK’s shots behind the arc going 3 of 4.
Nov 17, 2014; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Alexis Jennings (35) and guard Janee Thompson (3) celebrate after the game against the Baylor Bears at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Baylor 74-64. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Azia Bishop had a career high six blocks, five of which she got in the first half. Linnae Harper added 17 points and a team-high tying 8 rebounds as well. Makayla Epps posted 15 points, marking her 10th double-figure game this season.
Janee Thompson played 35 minutes adding 8 points, 7 rebounds (six defensive) and a career-high 7 steals- the most by any Wildcat since 2011.
Dec 7, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Janee Thompson (3) dribbles against Louisville Cardinals guard Bria Smith (21) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Post game, Matthew Mitchell gave injury updates on both Goss and O’Neill.
"On Jennifer O’ Neill’s injury…“We practiced twice yesterday and in the morning’s practice she just banged her knees going for a loose ball. Not exactly sure who or what she hit. I think it’s a strained patella tendon, which at this point has no structural damage, just too painful to play today. Now, it’s basically a pain tolerance issue. Hopefully it’s not more than a couple of days, could be a couple of weeks, it’s just everybody’s body reacts differently and we’re really grateful it’s not anything structural. Any time missed for us right now is a major injury because we’re just a little understaffed in the backcourt. We’ll watch her day to day and treat the heck out of it, but it’s not a definite 2-4 week thing it’s just until she gets to feeling she can play on it again. That’s her injury.”On Bria Goss and her progress with her injury…“She’s in a cast for four weeks before they’ll look at it. She feels good. She practices every day, we don’t throw the ball to her but she cuts, plays and runs sprints. We’re two weeks out from just seeing where she is and hopefully it’s healed in two weeks or wherever we are on that. But, she’s doing great, feeling good, and has a positive attitude. We’ll have some games here without her and so one of the things I was talking about with Bria’s injury and then also with Jen today I was looking forward to the game and I knew it was going to be a hard game because of what Tennessee State can do. They could exploit the team we put out there today and they did at times but we also caused some turnovers and did enough to win. Janee Thompson emerged today as a really great on-ball defender with seven steals, no fouls, and that’s what I was hoping for Bria. I hope a couple people may emerge and really get better right now defensively because they have to. Janee played an unbelievable game and I’m so proud of her. Thirty-five minutes of effort. It wasn’t like she just held a space out there for 35 minutes, she was everywhere – five assists, seven rebounds, seven steals, eight points and had a great attitude, so, good day for Janee Thompson. I’m proud of her, and those are the kind of games we need while Bria’s out to help us be stronger when Bria comes back.”"
UK will head into conference play next year when the Cats play at Alabama on January 2nd, 2015. They head to Tuscaloosa with an 11-2 record heading into it. Kentucky has not lost a nonconference game at home since December 2008 now. The Bama game will air on the SEC Network + at 3:00 p.m. ET.