News:
The Kentucky women?s basketball team looks to snap a three-game losing streak in conference play when the Wildcats travel to Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, Feb. 17 to face the top-ranked LSU Lady Tigers. Tip off is set for 8 p.m. EST in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and the game will be carried live on WLXG 1300 AM in Lexington with Chris Cross.
The Wildcats (14-11, 3-7 Southeastern Conference) have lost six of their last seven games and are looking for their first road victory in league play. UK dropped a 65-50 decision to Auburn on Sunday after shooting just 30.5 percent from the floor. Freshman guard Samantha Mahoney led the Cats for the second consecutive game with a team-high 13 points.
?To have a chance to upset the nation?s top-ranked team, we are going to have to shoot better than we?ve been shooting the past couple of games and take care of the basketball,? UK Coach Mickie DeMoss said. ?LSU has talent in every position and we are going to have to play smart and play together.?
Senior guard/forward Sara Potts leads the Wildcats with 13.6 points per game, while freshmen Sarah Elliott and Mahoney follow with 10.8 and 10.2 ppg, respectively. Junior forward/center Jennifer Humphrey is bringing down a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game, while sophomore point guard Angela Phillips has dished out a squad-best 91 assists.
LSU (23-1, 10-0 SEC) is the nation?s No. 1 team and has won 10 consecutive games, including a 66-36 victory over South Carolina on Sunday. Its only loss came in overtime to Rutgers, 51-49. The Lady Tigers are currently riding a 14-game home win streak. Junior forward Seimone Augustus leads the Lady Tigers with 20.1 points per game. Augustus teamed with Sylvia Fowles as the two each scored a team-high 13 points in LSU?s last outing against the Gamecocks.
The Lady Tigers are under the direction of first-year head coach Pokey Chatman, who was the acting head coach last season when legendary coach Sue Gunter had to miss the final 20 games due to illness. Chatman led the Lady Tigers to the program?s first NCAA Final Four appearance. Chatman spent 13 years as an assistant coach at LSU before taking over the reigns of her alma mater in April of 2004.
LSU leads the all-time series between the two schools 19-7, including a 7-2 advantage in games played in Baton Rouge. The Lady Tigers have won the last seven meetings between the two schools. UK?s last win vs. LSU was Feb. 26, 1999, 81-71, in the first round of the SEC Tournament. UK?s last win in Baton Rouge against the Lady Tigers was Feb. 25, 1995, 63-59. LSU was No. 17 at the time.
The Wildcats have never beaten a top-ranked team in school history (0-14). The Cats are 1-4 vs. ranked opponents this season.
