Nov. 30, 1999
LEXINGTON, Kty. – The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team will playhost to instate rival Western Kentucky on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. inMemorial Coliseum, marking the first meeting between the two teams innearly two years.
The Cats (2-2) and the Lady Toppers (2-1) haven’t met since a66-64 Wildcat win in overtime on Dec. 8, 1997, in Bowling Green. WKUand UK have met 26 times in UK’s 25-year varsity history. The Cats evenmet the Hilltoppers way back in 1922 and 1924 with each team recording avictory. UK holds a 15-11 lead in the all-time series versus WKU,including two straight wins. UK is 23-3 all-time in home-openers andhas captured four straight wins against instate rivals.
Fifth-year head Coach Bernadette Mattox hopes to get theWildcats back on track after falling to top-ranked Connecticut (68-62)and Clemson (70-65) last week. Both games were part of the inauguralCoaches vs. Cancer Challenge in Hartford, Conn., held over theThanksgiving holidays.
“It’s good to be home,” Coach Mattox said. “The players areback in their routines and doing their normal things. It’s exciting toplay Western again because it’s such a great rivalry. We have torespect their inside and outside game and go out and play great defenseagainst them.”
Junior forward Laura Meadows leads Kentucky in scoring andrebounding, averaging 16.5 ppg and 10.2 rpg. She is also shooting 58.3percent from the floor, a team-best. Meadows tallied her seventh careerdouble-double versus Clemson with 16 points and 14 rebounds and isranked second in the Southeastern Conference in rebounding.
WKU’s two wins came against Indiana (96-80) and Tennessee Tech(71-60). Its one loss was against No.13/15 Oregon, 59-66. Four LadyToppers are averaging in double digits. Junior forward ShaRae Mansfieldleads with 20.3 points per game and 10.7 rebounds while Ft. Thomasnative Jamie Walz averages 16.0 ppg.
SPECIAL NOTE:
There will be a schedule magnet give-a-way to the first 1,000 fans and aT-shirt give-a-way to the first 250 students with a valid UK ID card.Kentucky students will also have a chance to win FREE tuition from theUK Women’s Basketball Victory Club.
