KENTUCKY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PRE-SEC TOURNAMENT NEWS CONFERENCE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019
JOE CRAFT CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
Head Coach Matthew Mitchell
Opening statement…
“Well, we’re excited to head to Greenville and compete in the SEC Tournament. It’s a great event, always a great event. The champion of that tournament will have played some really good basketball. So, that’s what we’d love to do, go win the championship, and that’s what we’re planning on getting on the plane with the intention of doing. We have to find out who we’re playing in that first game, but we’re excited to start participating in post season play and the SEC Tournament is a great place to begin.”
On the importance of the double bye and rest…
“Yeah, I thought it was very important for our team. I’m so proud of them finding a way in Georgia to get that victory on a day where it was tough, Georgia was tough. We were having a hard time in that game and a big fourth quarter got it done for us. I thought our team really needed the rest. We were banged up and I think the extra day will be very beneficial for our team.”
On the theme this year of finding a way to win even through obstacles…
“Well, it’s really important. We’ve been in so many tough situations over the last month and to come out of the gate four of four against what we thought was a really difficult schedule. And then, you don’t know what’s going to happen the last eight games and that’s going to be difficult, and February I think is so tough, not only physically but emotionally, you’ve been going at it for so long. And then, we were just in game after game with difficult situations, whether we were down or whether we were up, whether we were down having to come back or whether we were up and a team was making a run on us, we’ve been put in a lot of different situations. So, I think one positive from all that is that there is not a lot of jitters or panic at a big moment in the game and that’s been good for us. We’ve played a lot of tight games this year. So, to our players’ credit, they’ve really been able to handle that. I don’t think there is too much we haven’t seen or gone through, so I do believe that gives you the ability to focus and think and remain calm in some of these high pressure situations.”
On the importance of rest and how the team will take advantage of their time…
“I think what’s important is to strike the right balance. So, this week is a little bit easier. We’ve been going at it for so long and it was great to take Monday and Tuesday off, since we don’t play until Friday. Normally we’re off Monday and then you’re gearing back up for a Thursday game. So, that was not that hard to figure out. We needed the time, the rest and the recovery. So, next week it is a little bit more tricky because deepening on when you play last in the SEC Tournament, you could be looking at 10 or 12 days before you even know who you’re going to play. So, definitely I think for us right now it’s been a long season and I think our players have been giving a whole lot, and we will really relish the rest that we can get next week. It’s also spring break for us, so it’s an awesome time for our players to mentally, emotionally and physically recover, and then about the middle of that week you will crank it back up to make sure no rust sets in, that’s a big key. So, we’ll hit it pretty hard that week and then try to catch a little more rest right before the selection show. So, you know, you just strike the right balance and it’ll be good for our team. I think for us, more than anything, we’re definitely banged up physically, but I think right now we’re making sure we stay fresh mentally, so you shorten the practices and you try to get ready to do what you know you can do well. And so, certainly for the SEC Tournament, we won’t have a long practice today but we’ll get after it.”
On preparing for Friday and the remainder of the tournaments without knowing who you’ll play…
“Well, Friday… so now we know it’s going to be one of two teams so that is better than where it was before I came down to the press conference when it was one of three teams, so now it is one of two teams. We’ve played them and we go back and look at what worked. You also go back and look at what they’re doing and how they’ve improved and you hope that we’ve improved. This is the time, especially after that first game if you’re fortunate enough to win it and go on to the second game, it’s going to be about playing ball. We’ll definitely give our players some feedback, but now is the time it is so much fun for the players to prove how good have you become, what works for you, what can you call on, what can you draw from. And, in pressure situations, if you lose, you go home. So, I love competing in the SEC Tournament. I think it’s one of the great sporting events in the world. I think it identifies a team that has played some outstanding basketball over a consecutive day period. I think it would be a terrific tournament to win and we have a lot of respect for the SEC Tournament. But, as far as the preparation goes, you really hope your fundamentals and everything you’re about as a team can shine forth and beat the other team.”
On awards and recognitions by the conference…
“Yeah, we had some great representation. I’m happy for the players that the coaches recognized. Like I told the entire team yesterday, there are going to be some people that are called out individually by name, and they are definitely deserving and have had some outstanding seasons. But, I think we are the real definition of a team. I mean, there’s not any one person who has carried us. From the moment we got together last June, when the newcomers were on campus and we started coming together, we said in the very first meeting, it was going to be about how can we make the sum greater than our parts. How can we come together to make each other better, and that’s what I think has been so fun to see this year. Those four who were recognized had great years and some great accomplishments, but so did our entire team and I’m very fortunate to coach this group.”
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COACH MITCHELL PRE-SEC TOURNAMENT NEWS CONFERENCE: WATCH
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After ending the regular season winning seven of its last eight games and moving into the top-15 of the Associated Press Top 25, the No. 13 University of Kentucky women’s basketball team looks to continue that momentum this weekend as it begins play in the 2019 Southeastern Conference Tournament. The event begins Wednesday and is being held in Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. for the second time in three seasons.
Kentucky (24-6, 11-5 SEC) will start its tournament run in the quarterfinals Friday at approx. 2:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network. The Wildcats will face the winner of 13th-seeded Florida and fifth-seeded Missouri, who are playing the first game of Thursday’s second round. If UK wins in the quarterfinals, it will advance to play in the semifinals Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU while the championship game will be Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Wildcats played both Florida and Missouri already this season going 2-0. UK’s potential semifinal opponents are Mississippi State, LSU and Tennessee, which UK went a combined 3-1 against this season.
All games of the 2019 SEC Tournament will be televised nationally with the first round, second round and quarterfinals on SEC Network. The semifinals will be on ESPNU and the championship game will be on ESPN2. All-session and single-game tickets to the 2019 SEC Tournament are available at SECsports.com.
Kentucky is 35-39 all-time in the SEC Tournament and has won at least one game in the event in each of the last nine years. Kentucky’s No. 4 seed marks the 10th time in Matthew Mitchell’s 12-year tenure that the Wildcats have finished top four in the league. The double-bye to the quarterfinals marks the 11th time in 12 years that UK has advanced to at least the quarterfinals of the event. UK has made nine semifinal appearances under Mitchell, including four championship games.
The Wildcats secured the four seed in the event after a come-from-behind win at Georgia on Sunday where UK outscored the Bulldogs 24-14 in the fourth quarter after trailing a majority of the game. Sophomore Tatyana Wyatt scored a season-high 17 points with four rebounds in the game to lead Kentucky. Juniors Amanda Paschal and Jaida Roper each had eight points with Paschal grabbing three rebounds and Roper hitting two 3s, including a dagger with about a minute to go to clinch the UK win.
Several Wildcats were honored by league coaches this week as All-SEC performers. On top of Mitchell winning Co-Coach of the Year, Rhyne Howard was named Freshman of the Year and Maci Morris was tabbed Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Howard and Morris were also on the All-SEC First Team while Howard and Blair Green was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and Taylor Murray earned a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team.
Howard leads Kentucky in scoring and rebounding this season averaging 16.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while she has hit 68 3s and ranks second on the team with 70 assists and 64 steals. Morris has also hit 68 3s this season and is averaging 15.1 points per game with 3.1 rebounds per game while Murray leads Kentucky with 111 assists and 92 steals while averaging 12.4 points per game.
Kentucky leads the all-time series in games played against Missouri, 7-3. The Wildcats won the only meeting between the two teams this season 52-41 in Lexington. Missouri leads the series 1-0 in neutral-site games after a 86-51 win on Nov. 25, 2000. Kentucky and Missouri have never met in the SEC Tournament.
Kentucky leads the all-time series in games played against Florida, 31-25. The Wildcats won the only meeting between the two teams this season 62-51 in Lexington (Rupp Arena). UK leads the series 5-3 in neutral-site games winning four straight in that category. Kentucky is 6-2 vs. Florida in the SEC Tournament, including a 3-0 mark under Mitchell.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, or Kentucky Women’s Basketball on Facebook.
2019 SEC TOURNAMENT
BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA – GREENVILLE, S.C.