For first time in 15 years, UK women lose four straight to non-conference foes

There are plenty of people that will look at Kentucky’s 62-52 loss to No. 24 California and see that the Cats made just 26.5 percent of their shots.

They’ll see that UK has lost four straight to non-conference opponents for the first time in 15 years, the final season under former coach Bernadette Mattox.

They’ll be down on a team that is in the midst of a rebuild.

But Coach Matthew Mitchell, a lifelong optimist, was ready to see the positives on Thursday afternoon in Memorial Coliseum.

“If we play well in January and February, that’s what matters and what counts,” Mitchell said after his team scored a season-low in points and shot a season-low percentage from the field. “Now, if we don’t practice well and learn from this one, then you won’t play well and you won’t be where you want to be.”

It was the first time a Mitchell-coached UK team has lost four in a row since the 2008-09 season, his second as head coach, when the Cats lost four in a row to Southeastern Conference opponents.

California won it with sharp offensive execution and a two-three zone that caused Kentucky to go long stretches without scoring, including the final eight minutes of the first half and then again late in the third quarter when the Golden Bears used a 16-4 run to seize control.

“I feel like we were getting bullied a little bit early in the game, I thought they punched first,” California Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the Bears won their sixth straight. “So, to be able to go into the half with a lead I thought was good for our morale.”

Maci Morris had 21 points and eight rebounds for Kentucky, but she had little help from the Cats’ other four starters, who combined to go 2-for-20 from the field.

“Everybody tightened up today once the ball started not falling, and you know you just can’t do that,” Mitchell said.

Several times, UK players would catch the ball in the middle of the Bears’ zone unguarded and wouldn’t look for their shot, Mitchell said. They’d pass it back out and make it harder on the team.

Always the optimist, Mitchell said there were plenty of places that he saw growth from his team after the loss to Louisville. Kentucky outrebounded California 43-31, holding the Bears without an offensive board in the first half.

Morris agreed.

“I honestly thought we played really well in every aspect of the game except for scoring,” she said. “I’m really proud of my team. We had a lot more energy this game and more passion and hustle.”

The Cats (8-5) limited Bears star Kristine Anigwe, who came into the game leading the Pac-12 in scoring (18.7 points) and rebounding (8.8), to just two points and forced her into eight turnovers.

“That was a tremendous feat for the team and they did it as a team,” said Mitchell, who said he thought UK’s offense looked more organized even if it didn’t show on the scoreboard. “We played good enough defense to win. It was just a really tough day for us offensively.”

Gottlieb found plenty of reasons for her own optimism after the win in which the Bears shot 47.7 percent and had four players finish in double digits when Anigwe had such an off day.

“The last two years she has put up ridiculous numbers and she’s capable of that, but in games where she didn’t we would lose,” Gottlieb said. “I think now, being able to have a better balance on offense in general is an important thing for us to be elite on the national level.”

California (9-2) was paced by Asha Thomas’ 17 points. Mikayla Cowling added 15 points and Kianna Smith had 14 points and eight assists.

Kentucky will try to regroup on a trip to Middle Tennessee on Dec. 28 before opening Southeastern Conference play against No. 7 Tennessee on Dec. 31 in Rupp Arena.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 2:03 PM with the headline "For first time in 15 years, UK women lose four straight to non-conference foes."