‘She is going to be a boost to us.’ New weapon on the way for Kentucky at California.
Some reinforcement is on the way for the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team.
Looking to bounce back from last Sunday’s heartbreaking one-point loss to archrival Louisville, the 14th-ranked Wildcats face California in Berkeley on Saturday. Set to make her Kentucky debut against the Golden Bears is junior guard Chasity Patterson. The former Texas Longhorn is expected to finally become eligible to suit up for the Cats after sitting out two semesters due to NCAA transfer rules.
The top-ranked point guard in the class of 2017 according to ESPN.com, Patterson won the three-point shooting contest at the 2017 McDonald’s All-American Game. She played one game for Texas as a sophomore before deciding to transfer, then practiced with Kentucky most of last season.
After a 79-49 victory over Samford on Dec. 8, Kentucky Coach Matthew Mitchell was asked about Patterson’s impending debut.
“It’s something that we’re very excited about,” he said. “The only day off she has is during these two hours of the game that we play.”
Mitchell went on to praise Patterson’s work ethic.
“From an effort standpoint (she) works really, really hard on the day of the game to try to make sure she doesn’t lose any activity she would lose in the game. And other than that, she is completely integrated into the team,” Mitchell said. “She’s going to be taking the floor for us versus Cal and we couldn’t be more excited. She is going to be a boost to us.”
Patterson’s addition to the rotation comes at a good time for Kentucky (10-1). After seven straight games in Lexington, the Wildcats play four of their next five on the road. California (7-2) is UK’s final non-conference opponent ahead of the Southeastern Conference opener at South Carolina on Jan. 2, and the Golden Bears enter Saturday’s matchup on a roll.
Picked by the league’s coaches to finish 11th in the 12-team Pac-12, California dropped its first two games of the season; at Harvard (56-53) and at No. 5 UConn (72-61). But the Golden Bears have since reeled off seven straight wins, including an 84-80 victory over No. 21 Arkansas.
California has limited opponents to 62.0 points per game and 38.5 percent field-goal shooting. That defense will be tested by a surging Kentucky offense, which in its last seven games is averaging more than 80 points. The Wildcats have have made at least 10 three-pointers in four straight games, the first such stretch in program history.
Sophomore star Rhyne Howard is averaging 20.2 points per game to lead UK. She scored a game-high 26 against Louisville. The Wildcats were one shot away from beating the Cardinals despite being trounced on the boards, 37-17.
UK could face a similar uphill battle in the rebounding department against California.
The Golden Bears are out-rebounding their opponents this year by an average of 9.4 per game. Their starting center, Chen Yue, is 6-foot-7. The senior had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 69-65 win over Santa Clara on Dec. 14. Jaelyn Brown, a 6-1 senior guard, had 26 points and 11 rebounds in that victory. Brown leads the Golden Bears in scoring at 15.2 points per game and averages 6.8 rebounds, second most on the team.
Saturday
No. 14 Kentucky at California
When: 7 p.m. EST
TV: None
Online live stream: CalBears.com
Radio: WBUL-FM 98.5
Records: Kentucky 10-1, California 7-2
Series: California leads 1-0
Last meeting: California won 62-52 on Dec. 21, 2017, in Lexington.
