Jan. 15, 2000

LEXINGTON, Kty. – The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team celebratesits 25th season as a varsity sport on Sunday, Jan. 16 when it plays hostto Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference Game of the Week at 3 p.m. inMemorial Coliseum. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Netand is not available in Lexington.

Former Wildcat Valerie Still, currently of the WNBA’s WashingtonMystics, along with many other alumni, return to Lexington to join inthe 25th Anniversary celebration. Kentucky women’s basketball became avarsity sport in 1974 after a 50-year absence. UK holds a 440-293 (60.0percent) overall record in 25 years, including a 253-99 (72%) mark whenplaying at home.

The Cats (10-5, 2-1) look to bounce back after a 60-55 loss inovertime at Vanderbilt on Thursday. UK also lost to Arkansas inovertime last season in Fayetteville, Ark., but the Cats are 4-1 againstthe Lady Razorbacks when playing in Lexington.

Arkansas (9-5, 0-2) has lost three straight games that includedtwo nationally-ranked SEC teams in No. 2 Tennessee (79-69) and No. 17LSU (82-69). The Lady ‘Backs are led by junior guard Wendi Willits whoaverages 16.6 points per game and ranks 10th in the nation three-pointfield goal percentage, shooting 40.6 percent.

“Arkansas is a great shooting team, but they also play intensedefense,” UK Coach Bernadette Mattox said. “We have to take care of thebasketball, block out and crash the boards. We didn’t rebound well atVanderbilt and that has been a focal point in practice this week.”

UK forward Laura Meadows (Huntington, W. Va.) jumped to the topof the scoring column this week after charting her eighth career andthird season double-double versus Vanderbilt. The 6-3 junior recorded21 points and 11 rebounds for a team-high average of 12.9 points pergame. Sophomore forward LaTonya McDole (Dayton, Ohio) marginallyfollows Meadows with 12.3 ppg while senior guard Erica Jackson(Lexington, Ky.) averages 11.7 ppg.