Kentucky Plays Host to Ole Miss in Last Home Game of the Season
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program will play host to Ole Miss on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. ET at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. It will mark the program’s final home game in the esteemed venue in 2023-24.
The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+, with Jeff Piecoro and Matthew Mitchell on the call. Big Blue Nation also can listen in to the play-by-play on UK Sports Network and / or 630 AM WLAP (locally), with the Voice of the Wildcats, Darren Headrick on the mic.
The Wildcats will conclude the Southeastern Conference schedule facing the top three teams in the league, including against No. 1/1 South Carolina last Sunday, against RV/NR Ole Miss on Thursday and at No. 9/7 LSU this Sunday. UK currently holds an 11-17 record, including a 10-6 mark at home and a 4-10 mark in the league.
Kentucky is one game removed from a two-game winning streak in the league, defeating Florida, 81-77, on Feb. 18 and at Mississippi State, 78-68, on Feb. 22. Those wins helped the team improve to 12th in the league standings, with an opportunity to move into the 11th seed ahead of the SEC Tournament.
Ajae Petty, an All-SEC caliber forward, continues to lead the team in scoring (14.6) and rebounding (10.6). In fact, she has led UK in scoring in a team-lead 12 games this season and a in rebounding in a team-lead 26 games in 2022-24. She is coming off a team-high 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals against top-ranked South Carolina last Sunday. Her eight rebounds helped her eclipse UK’s all-time, single-season leaders list, finding 10th with 296 rebounds. She needs just nine more to become ninth and just 10 more to become eighth.
Her 10.6 rebounds are tied for sixth in program history.
The Wildcats are balanced in their scoring effort, with Maddie Scherr putting up 13.1 points per game game, Eniya Russell adding 10.0 per game and Saniah Tyler contributing a close 9.9 per game. Russell and Tyler come off the bench, as the Cats have averaged 30.3 bench points over the last four games, while they rank third in the league with 21.4 bench points overall this season.
Kentucky trails the all-time meetings with Ole Miss, 27-19, in a series that began in 1980. UK also trails UM, 11-10, in games played in Lexington.
The Wildcats will look for their first win over the Rebels at home since January 2017.
Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin is on the hunt for her 100th win at the helm of the program, owning a 99-82 record at UM. Ole Miss boasts a 20-7 record this season, including a 10-4 record in the league.
The Rebels have balanced scoring, too, with two players averaging double digits, including Marquesha Davis (13.9) and Madison Scott (11.8), while three others put up at least 9.3 points per game. The Rebels also have a balanced on the boards, with Scott leading the effort (6.0).
Ole Miss is on a four-game winning streak, last losing to Texas A&M, 73-52, at home on Feb. 8.
Big Blue Nation is encouraged to stay up to date with the nonconference schedule promotions and game themes. For the Kentucky-Ole Miss game, the promotions and game themes are as follows:
PROMOTIONAL(S) / GAME THEMES
- Leap Day: Spend your “bonus day” with UK women’s basketball! It will mark the program’s last regular-season home contest of the season, which will feature Leap Day activities throughout the game.
FAN PARKING
Big Blue Nation may park in the High Street lots beginning three hours prior to the tip time, with free parking provided to all fans attending the women’s basketball game.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
