(Free Mickie DeMoss Bobblehead Doll to the first 3,000 fans)
The ?Battle of the Bluegrass? women?s basketball game between Kentucky and Louisville will tip off for the 40th time on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. in Rupp Arena. Tickets are available at the Rupp Arena ticket office (859-233-3565) or by calling any local TicketMaster outlet (800/487-1212). Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for senior citizens and children ages 18 and under. UK students, faculty and staff are admitted free with valid ID. The first 3,000 fans will receive a free Mickie DeMoss bobblehead doll.
The Wildcats (3-2) lead the overall series with Louisville 27-12, including a 17-2 advantage when playing in Lexington. The Cats have won three of the last five meetings and 13 straight against the Cards at home. UK fell last season in Louisville by its biggest margin in the series, 86-62.
?We have another tough one ahead of us,? UK Coach Mickie DeMoss said. ?They?re very athletic. We?re going to have to handle their full court pressure. They just took Vanderbilt to overtime and lost at Vandy, so we certainly are going to have our hands full tomorrow night. We?re going to have to come in here and play with a lot of pride. I know Louisville beat Kentucky by 24 points over there last year, so there?s a lot of pride on the line tomorrow night. We have to come ready to play.?
Both teams are looking to get back on the winning track after dropping their last game. The Cats defeated Atlantic 10 opponent Duquesne in the first round of the Odwalla Classic in San Francisco, 90-83 and fell 67-59 to host San Francisco in the championship game.
The Cards enter the game with Kentucky with a 2-3 overall record after losing in overtime to Southeastern Conference foe Vanderbilt, 73-68, in the championship game of the Commodore?s tournament in Nashville, Tenn. U of L defeated Princeton in the first round 68-61.
?I hope everyone will come out for the game,? DeMoss said. ?It?s against a school that I know everyone in Lexington would love for us to beat. We?re going to need the support. Our crowd could play a huge role. I know our players have gotten used to having a crowd. We?d certainly love to have a great crowd at Rupp Arena again.?
SeSe Helm leads the team in scoring and rebounding this season, averaging a near double-double with 20.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Helm is shooting an impressive 63.6 percent from the field on 42-of-64 shooting. Helm currently is No. 11 on UK?s all-time scoring list and needs 17 more points to move up to No. 10. Sara Potts is the other Wildcat averaging in double-figures with 14.2 ppg. She leads the team in free throw shooting percentage with 84.2 percent.
Louisville also boasts a new head coach for its women?s basketball program. Tom Collen plays in Lexington for the first time after spending five seasons as head coach at Colorado State. Senior point guard Sara Nord and freshman forward Jazz Covington are the Cardinal?s leading scorers this season, averaging 17.2 and 14.8 points, respectively. Covington, a 6-3 native of Adel, Ga., also leads the team in rebounding with 5.6 boards per game.
