PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB ready to kick off season against Radford
Last week, Kentucky Women’s Basketball had its trial run. Now, it’s time for take-off.
On Monday night, the Wildcats will square off against the Radford Highlanders at 7 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum on the SEC Network+. The contest is Kentucky’s first regular season game after dominating the Pikeville Bears in an exhibition on Nov. 2.
This season is a new era for the ‘Cats. Entering Kyra Elzy’s third year as head coach and adding 10 new players to the roster, fans are excited to see what the ‘Cats are capable of this season. Nonetheless, before the ‘Cats can reach new heights, they must defeat the opponent right in front of them.
How are the Highlanders?
Kentucky isn’t the only team coming into Monday night with momentum on their side. Last Wednesday, Radford jumpstarted their season with a 100-51 triumph over Roanoake College in an exhibition. The victory was just another feather in head coach Mike McGuire’s cap.
Entering his 10th season as head coach, McGuire has experience on his side. The Big South Conference named him Coach of the Year in 2015, 2018 and 2019. Now, McGuire is on the hunt to repeat his success. Of course, this task is impossible without talented players.
One of these players is Rachel LaLonde. The senior forward is the leading-returning scorer for the Highlanders. LaLonde averaged 19.8 points and seven rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-1 star will be a challenge for Kentucky’s bigs.
LaLonde’s paint partner is Jackie Christ. The 6-foot-3 senior was the only Radford player to appear in all 30 games last season. Additionally, Christ averaged 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Christ did not attempt a shot from beyond the arc last season.
Besides this pair, Radford doesn’t have any of their top 10 scorers returning from last season. The team is comprised of four freshmen and even more transfers. The ‘Cats must take advantage of the Highlanders’ lack of experience.
Keys for Kentucky WBB
In many ways, Monday night is about working on weaknesses instead of taking advantage of strengths. While Kentucky’s 93-45 win over Pikeville was a success, it wasn’t a perfect game. After the contest, Elzy discussed what her team needs to improve before they take on Radford.
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“We have to be disciplined. I thought we were aggressive tonight but I thought we fouled a little too much,” Elzy said during the postgame press conference. “We want to play at a fast pace but with purpose and intentional about what we’re trying to do.”
Elzy’s assessment was spot-on. Although the ‘Cats forced a ridiculous 25 Pikeville turnovers, they also gave up 20 free throws to the Bears; twice as many as they shot in the contest. If the ‘Cats hack Radford’s experienced bigs, it could be a long night.
Pikeville wasn’t the only team that had a turnover issue last week. Kentucky gave up 13 precious possessions to the opponent. With hungry Radford Highlanders drooling at the chance of an upset, Kentucky can’t afford to be careless with the ball on Monday.
Elzy knows this and will ensure her team does, as well.
“Our focus has been on us,” Elzy said. “Making sure we understand the nuances of our offense, pushing the ball in transition, really focusing on rebounding position and all details.”
If the ‘Cats take care of the small things, they’ll have another landslide victory. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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