Kayla MacKenzie may not find as many open looks at the basket like she did in Oklahoma City University’s season opener.
MacKenzie hit five 3-pointers en route to a game- and career-high 25 points in OCU’s season opener against St. Thomas (Texas) on Nov. 12. The sophomore from Peoria, Ariz., is this week’s Super Star of the week.
“They weren’t really guarding us as closely as other teams do, so the 3-point line was open,” MacKenzie said. “I think we shot 30 threes. The 3-point line was left open, and I just kept shooting.”
The 5-6 guard made 5 of 11 shots from 3-point range and led the Stars to a 36.4 shooting percentage from beyond the arch.
“The 3-point shot has come into play a lot here at OCU,” MacKenzie said. “I didn’t shoot much in high school, but that is what I do here. I was able to drive a lot more because people weren’t as tall, but here I am pretty short and driving isn’t likely, so I just stand at the 3-point line and shoot.”
MacKenzie made both of her 3-point attempts when the Stars took on NCAA Division I opponent Texas A&M.
“Texas A&M is the defending national champion, so playing against them gave us a chance to play top level athletes and gave us a change to be the underdog, because we don’t get that much in our season,” MacKenzie said. “I think it gave us a confidence boost to play with them and have a game like we did.”
MacKenzie is excited to see how the season plays out for the Stars, ranked third in the NAIA.
“We brought in a lot of talent this year,” MacKenzie said. “We have a lot of seniors so the leadership and experience are there, so I think we have the ability to really do something this year.”
MacKenzie, a nursing major, says she has always been interested in the medical field.
“I thought about physical therapy,” MacKenzie said. “But then I got here and saw the nursing school and that kind of influenced my choice.”
MacKenzie says she chose to come to OCU for multiple reasons.
“The academics and the basketball program have good history,” MacKenzie said. “I like the homey-ness of it. It is small and you get to know your teachers and everyone in your class so I think that helps a lot.”
Since joining the Stars, MacKenzie is slowly changing her NBA allegiance.
“Coming from Phoenix I love the Suns,” MacKenzie said. “But now that I am here I’m learning to love the Thunder. We see Kevin Durant around town all the time, so that’s pretty cool.”
More on Kayla:
Favorite cartoon character: Simba
Sporting event I would like to see someday: The Super Bowl
Person I would like to interview: Pat Summit
My obsession is: Food
Career plans: Nursing field
