Kaitlyn Pratt was bothered all offseason by how last season ended. Then, a mid-summer talk with her coach kicked an altered mentality into an even high gear.
Both events just a couple of months apart have helped transform the senior forward into what could be the biggest reason the UALR women's basketball is in position to win the Sun Belt Conference title.
Heading into tonight's game against Georgia Southern at the Jack Stephens Center, UALR (19-7, 13-1) leads the Sun Belt standings by two games with four remaining. They can clinch a first-round bye in next month's Sun Belt Tournament with one more victory. They're also one victory and a Troy loss or two victories from clinching at least a share of a regular-season title and the top seed.
Pratt is one of the biggest reasons why after she's taken on the role of team spokesman when putting things into perspective after every victory or serving as the team's reality check after each loss.
"I'm not trying to go crazy or anything," she said. "But I'm just trying to do what I'm supposed to do for this team."
That starts on the floor, where the 6-1 Pratt is averaging 14.2 points per game, almost 5 points higher than last year, and a team-best 6.4 rebounds. But, perhaps even more important has been Pratt's ability to keep her teammates going in the right direction.
For example, UALR beat Appalachian State 67-55 last month at the Stephens Center, its 10th consecutive victory. But neither Coach Joe Foley or Pratt were pleased, and both expressed so afterward.
"I tried to tell them that, 'OK, we won, this feeling is great, but we can feel a better feeling toward the end of the year by winning the Sun Belt Championship,'" Pratt said. "I know the feeling of winning a couple of games. But I also know the feeling of wining a championship.
"I understand that, but some of my teammates don't understand that. So that's what I tried to explain to them."
Pratt was a sophomore on the Trojans' team that reached the second-round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015, averaging 7 points and 4.6 rebounds over 23.9 minutes. She was a key contributor last year and helped in almost getting UALR back. But the Trojans lost in the closing seconds to Troy, 61-60, in the Sun Belt final and had to accept a WNIT berth.
"If I would have got that rebound or just would have scored that layup, maybe we could have won," said Pratt, who had 9 points and 9 rebounds in that game.
Foley points to a different moment that helped spark Pratt's determination. It was during summer-time meetings that he had with each of his seniors: Pratt, guard Sharde Collins and forward Keanna Keys. The message was similar to meetings Foley had most years, but feels Pratt's response produced a more significant change.
"Kaitlyn is one of the ones that has made practice enjoyable," Foley said. "She says there's no use looking at the negatives, lets be positive. Let's see what we can get done and lets go as hard as we can. That's what changed the whole atmosphere, and that's why we've done what we've done."
Foley wasn't sure what to expect from Pratt this season because she's never had to be a focal point. For three seasons she played behind or alongside Shanity James, who finished as second on UALR's all-time rebounds list and fifth in scoring.
That unknown and Pratt's physical limitations led to questions in October. But work with assistant Steve Wiedower on footwork around the basket have helped Pratt become one of the Sun Belt's best inside scorers, and her growing confidence in sending her teammates a message has helped set a point of focus, too.
"She's not a great athlete," Foley said. "She's just been playing hard. She had some games that didn't go very well and so she's been playing hard. There's been very few times where I had to set her down for not playing hard, and that's a pleasure."
UALR women vs.
Georgia Southern
WHEN 6:30 p.m. WHERE Jack Stephens Center, Little Rock RECORDS UALR 19-7, 13-1 Sun Belt; Georgia Southern 12-14, 8-7 RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas TICKETS $25 (upper leather), $17 (lower chairback), $13 (upper chairback), $7 (general admission)
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
UALR POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Monique Townson, 5-6, Jr. 7.4 3.4 G Sharde Collins, 5-9, Sr. 14.7 2.2 G Kyra Collier, 5-9, Fr. 8.4 6.8 F Ronjanae DeGray, 6-0, So. 8.7 5.2 F Kaitlyn Pratt, 6-1, Sr. 14.2 6.3 COACH Joe Foley (283-151 in 14th season at UALR, 739-232 in 30th season overall)
GEORGIA SOUTHERN POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Alexis Brown, 5-6, Fr. 6.3 2.3 G Angel McGowan, 5-9, Sr. 15.1 4.2 G Alexis Sams, 5-5, Sr. 3.6 2.3 F Patrice Butler, 6-2, Sr. 14.8 7.1 F Jessica Marcus, 6-0, Sr. 1.8 2.7 COACH Kip Drown (19-36 in second season at Georgia Southern, 482-362 in 29th season overall)
TEAM COMPARISON
UALR GS 61.7 Points for 61.7 55.2 Points against 63.1 +3.0 Rebound margin -3.0 +2.5 Turnover margin -0.2 42.7 FG pct. 37.4 28.8 3-pt. pct. 30.3 74.8 FT pct. 69.7 CHALK TALK UALR prevented consecutive losses for the first time in Sun Belt games with a 60-35 victory over Arkansas State on Friday. … The Trojans can clinch at least a share of the Sun Belt title with a victory today and Saturday against Georgia State. … Georgia Southern has won five of its last seven games, including a 71-69 victory over Texas State, the only Sun Belt team to beat UALR this year. … The Trojans are 7-0 in Sun Belt home games this year and have won 16 consecutive home games against conference teams.
Sports on 02/23/2017