KENTUCKY WILDCATS (16-10, 5-6 SEC)
vs. NO. 11/12 GEORGIA LADY BULLDOGS (21-5, 8-3 SEC)
Thursday, Feb, 15, 2007 – 7:00 p.m. ET Rupp Arena (23,000) ? Lexington, Ky. TV: FSN South
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With just three regular-season games remaining before the Southeastern Conference tournament, the Kentucky women?s basketball team looks to make a push in the conference standings when they play host to No. 11 Georgia Thursday, Feb. 15 in Rupp Arena at 7 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio) and FSN South (TV).
A limited amount of free general admission tickets are available Thursday only at Thoroughbred Chevrolet on Richmond Road in Lexington. Single-game general admission tickets also are available for purchase $5 adults/$2 senior citizens and children 6-18. Ages five and under are admitted free. UK students, faculty and staff also are admitted free with valid identification based on availability. For ticket information, log on to ukathletics.com or call the UK ticket office at 859-257-1818 or 1-800-928-CATS (2287).
Kentucky (16-10, 5-6 SEC) has won two of its last three games and is hoping to snap a two-game losing streak to the Lady Bulldogs. UK?s last win in the series came in 2005, a 71-63 upset over the 18th-ranked Lady Bulldogs in Rupp Arena.
Kentucky split a pair of games with a 69-61 win at Ole Miss on Thursday before falling to No. 3 Tennessee, 84-62, in Knoxville. Junior center Sarah Elliott tallied a pair of double-doubles, scoring 14 points with 11 rebounds on Thursday and notching a team-high 21 points with 10 rebounds at Tennessee. Senior guard Jenny Pfeiffer led the way against the Rebels with a team-high 16 points, including 8-of-8 free throws.
?At this point in the season, we would like to win every game,? UK assistant coach Niya Butts said. ?This team has worked really, really hard the last few weeks of practice and we want to go to postseason play. They are really charged and ready to go. We have to be a lot more confident with the basketball and do a lot better job of attacking defenses when they come at us, whether they are trapping or pressing. We have to handle those situations well and not turn the ball over.?
Elliott is averaging a squad-best 13.6 ppg, while junior guard Samantha Mahoney follows with 12.9 ppg. Senior forward/center Jennifer Humphrey is averaging a team-best 9.9 rpg and is just eight rebounds shy of moving into second place on the Cats’ all-time rebounding list.
Georgia (21-5, 8-3 SEC), which ranks No. 11 in the AP poll and No. 12 in the coaches poll, enters Thursday?s game having won seven of its last eight, including two consecutive. The Lady Bulldogs? only loss in that stretch came at No. 3 Tennessee, 73-57.
Georgia is riding a two-game winning streak into Lexington after defeating Alabama last Thursday (92-51) and South Carolina on Sunday (81-57). Georgia ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring offense and scoring defense.
Junior Tasha Humphrey leads Georgia in scoring (15.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg). Senior Cori Chambers follows in the scoring column with 13.5 ppg.
This is the 37th meeting between UK and Georgia. The Lady Bulldogs lead the series 27-9 and own a slight 8-7 edge when playing in Lexington. Georgia has won 10 of the last 11 games over the Cats, including two straight. Last season, Kentucky fell 91-57 in Athens in the teams? only meeting. UK?s last win over the Lady Bulldogs was in Mickie DeMoss? second season with the Wildcats. UK upset No. 18 Georgia on Jan. 13, 2005 in Rupp Arena for the Cats? first win over a ranked opponent in five years.
UK is 18-7 all-time in Rupp Arena, 1-1 this season.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – FEB. 14
Assistant Coach Niya Butts
?At this point in the season, we would like to win every game. You never want to say a game is a must win over other games because that means the other games are not important. I think, for this team, every win is going to be very important for us, and every game we?re going to go out to play. We want to win those because we want to get into postseason play and this team has worked really, really hard the last few weeks of practice. They are really charged and ready to go. Hopefully we will come out and have a really good game, and hopefully we will have a good showing.?
On the team?s attitude after losing to Tennessee ?
?I thought our kids were obviously disappointed. You want to go out there and win every game on the court that you play. But I think that what this team does understand is that playing together and staying confident, and playing hard for 40 minutes is what?s going to get you over the hump. We realize that Tennessee is a very good team. They?re No. 3 in the country for a reason. Obviously, we were disappointed, but at the same time our kids were still confident and still going hard knowing that we have three games left and we need to go out on the floor and play hard. We can?t let that loss get us down because it could affect the rest of the season.?
On what she expects from Georgia?s defense after a strong defensive effort against UK last season ?
?I think, unlike last year, Georgia is not as good of a defensive team. I don?t want to say they are not a good defensive team because they are still a very, very good defensive team. However, when you lose a [Sherrill] Baker caliber defender, obviously that?s going to change the defense on any team. They?re still going to play aggressive. We have to be a lot more confident with the basketball and do a lot better job of attacking defenses when they come at us, whether they are trapping or pressing. We have to handle those situations well and not turn the ball over.?
