#40MINS of UK Hoops Live Diary

Azia Bishop decided to join Hayley and I for our pregame selfie today...

Here we are again, the third game of the season for the Kentucky women's basketball team is TODAY at Memorial Coliseum at 1. The Cats take on the Panthers of High Point, following their beat down to the Bears in Waco, Texas. Both teams enter todays game 1-1, the Panthers boasting a win against East Tennessee State and a 2 point loss to Furman. Let's get it.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. High Point Panthers

Postgame: It was another balanced attack for the Cats as 3 players scored in double digits, and Walker missed a double double but was able to snag 12 rebounds. The Cats forced 32 turnovers and scored 39 points off of them, a very impressive statistic. Mitchell says he thinks his team is going to make "a big big step this week" in practice, and is looking forward to fine tuning some mistakes. In terms of UK's high turnover number (20), Coach Mitchell says that his team has yet to "get comfortable with where everyone is on the court". He's also sporting a nice paisley tie..random but true. Great stat of the game: 44 points from the bench...that's UK Hoops.

FINAL SCORE KENTUCKY 80 HIGH POINT 46: Just like the men last night, the women were able to get back on the winning side of things this afternoon against a less but still highly talented High Point team. Mathies led all scorers with 17, but the two stars of the game in my opinion were Azia Bishop and Bernisha Pinkett...both of these girls played an extended amount of time today and were very effective in helping to contribute in hustle, points (12 for each of them), rebounds, steals...you name it. Off to the post game presser..

2nd Half 6:39: The announced attendance for today's game is 4,169, pretty impressive for a Saturday afternoon game after a shellacking on Tuesday night. This view from in front of the band also gives me a glimpse of the full Kentucky bench for the first time this season. New coach Danielle Santos has seemed to fit in well with the culture of UK Hoops, and compared to the visiting teams Kentucky's bench is miles long. Walker and Goss have gotten more involved in the second half and have combined for 8 points. Former player Crystal Riley is also on the bench, as a glorified assistant coach of some sort. Leads me to ask...where's Amber Smith these days? Kentucky dominating and up 62-39.

2nd Half 11:32: Bernisha Pinkett has chipped in with 11 points for the game as she also has gotten extended playing time today. She's been everywhere on the floor, diving for loose balls and definitely has been the biggest hustler today...mad love for my girl Nish. Bria Goss and Samarie Walker have yet to put in a full 40 minute impressive game thus far, and Kentucky needs them to be consistently dominating to make it far this season. Mony Mony man makes it out of his seat and is currently sliding down a rail...that is all. Cats up 54-30.

2nd Half 15:39: High Point has come out firing here in the second half, hitting two clutch 3 pointers to keep themselves within competitive distance. Azia Bishop answers with an uncharacteristic 3 of her own to give her 8 points for the game, and the Cats seem a lot more in sync. I'm also getting an education on learning all of the cool Wildcat cheers since I'm sitting in front of the dance team...ayyyy ladies. Cats still leading 44-26.

Halftime: Hayley and I have repositioned ourselves to the other side of the court to start the second half, and we are now sitting directly in front of the band...let's just say I am very intimidated by their walrus noises and awkward dancing. Look for the Cats to build their lead in the second half and and for more players to get involved offensively.

HALFTIME Score Kentucky 41 High Point 18: One of the most impressive qualities this UK team possesses is their "eye for the ball". On defense they literally stare at the ball as the other team brings it up the court, and when jumping for rebounds and loose balls somehow Kentucky players have magnetic hands to get the ball. Mathies has gotten back on track after a poor performance against Baylor and has 17 points at the half. Kentucky used their speed and tenacious defense to impose their will and build such a big lead against a talented Panthers team. Go Cayuts.

1st Half 7:38: Cats going on a run here looking to close the Panthers out early. Mathies hits a 3 and Henderson gets fouled hard on a breakaway layup. Tabitha Fudge does not look happy. Shooting-wise the Cats look a lot better than Tuesday night, but that's probably because they aren't facing against the man-beast called Griner. Speaking of....the Baylor women lost to Stanford last night, ending their 42 game winning streak. Cats defense is getting it into gear...things seem to be running a lot smoother. Kentucky leads 26-12.

1st Half 11:54: A'dia Mathies looks a step slower than usual today, and has made no impact on the game so far. The bigs of Stallworth, Bishop, and Walker are the only reason the Wildcats have managed to keep a lead to this point. ......and as soon as I type that Mathies nails a jumper for her first points. A lot of ticky-tack fouls have been calld against UK early on, not allowing them to develop their defensive rhythm. High Point continues to keep pace with the Cats, but the speed and depth alone from UK should be enough to create a lead at some point. Also Assistant Coach Shalon Pillow looks extra feisty today, I'm a fan. Cats up 16-10.

1st Half 15:10: High Point is definitely a well trained and coached team, and they weren't picked to finish second in their league for no reason. They really have some good plays drawn out early on and seem very in sync. Their entire bench chants defense when the Cats have the ball..color me impressed. The Cats look frazzled early on, with Azia Bishop getting a lot of playing time yet no open shot opportunities. The Panthers however are managing to break the press which has allowed them to find some wide open players. Mitchell does not look pleased, Cats up 10-8.

BzzzZZZzzzZzZzZ: Have I mentioned I'm obsessed with the intro videos this year? The mix of intimidating instrumentals, Coach Mitchell walking out to "My Town", and Nicki Minaj's song "Pound the Alarm" really puts me in a good place. We're officially underway in Memorial, and the biggest noteworthy part of today's game is definitely the fact that High Point has a girl on their team named Tabitha Fugde...I can't make this stuff up. High Point doesn't look intimidated at all early on, staying with the Cats step for step, something most teams can't do. Close game early...

10 Minutes Before Tip: The Cats look very focused leading into todays game. They have a lot to prove to not only the public, but to themselves following a nearly 40 point loss to the defending national champs Baylor on Tuesday. One of the Cats' biggest problems that game was their inability to score and keep the game close at the beginning, which led to a blowout the rest of the  night. Look for a sharp and motivated Cats team this afternoon, against a High Point team that won 20 games last season and is picked to finish 2nd in their league. Predictions on leading scorer for the Cats?