September 5, 1998
The University of Kentucky’s women’s basketball team will begin its 27-game season at home against Austin Peay on Nov. 15, the earliest start since Nov. 13, 1976, when the Wildcats faced Tennessee. The schedule was released Friday by UK athletics director C.M. Newton. The Wildcats will play host to two exhibition games on Nov. 8 against Slovakia and Nov. 13 with Mississippi AAU. UK then hits the road for six games that include the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii on Nov. 27-29. The Wildcats are slated to face in-state rival Louisville in the first round. Perennial powers North Carolina, St. John’s, Nebraska, UCLA and Illinois State will also participate in the Thanksgiving tournament. The Southeastern Conference race will tip-off early in December with a trip to Auburn, Ala., on Dec. 6, followed by a two-game homestand with Miami, Ohio on Dec. 9 and Liberty on Dec. 12. The Wildcats’ second preseason tournament is slated to begin with a trip to Wichita, Kan., for the Shocker Shootout. UK will meet Ohio Valley Conference opponent Eastern Illinois for the second time in school history while Akron meets host team Wichita State.
“We will use this tough non-conference schedule to prepare for the huge task we have in January when our SEC games begin,” fourth-year Coach Bernadette Mattox said.
The Wildcats, who look to improve last year’s 5-9 league record, will bring in the new year with only three home games in the month of January when Florida comes to Memorial Coliseum on Jan. 3, followed by Vanderbilt on Jan. 7 and Alabama on Jan. 24. The Wildcats will then prepare for nine road trips throughout the remaining schedule, including a trip to Knoxville on Jan. 20 to face three-time defending national champion, Tennessee. UK will also face Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina and Mississippi State on the road before ending its regular season at home on Feb. 21 versus the Lady Gamecocks for senior night ceremonies. Other highlights of the season include: . UK will face six SEC opponents who participated in last year’s NCAA tournament, including national champion Tennessee and Final Four participant Arkansas;
UK versus Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., on Jan.10 will be televised on Fox Sports South at 3 p.m. ET;
Admission is free for students and $5 for adults and $2 for senior citizens and children for all UK home games;
The complete schedule follows:
1998-99 University of Kentucky Women's Basketball Schedule
Date Opponent Site TimeNov. 8 (Sun.) SLOVAKIA (Exhibition) LEXINGTON 2 p.m.Nov. 13 (Fri.) MISSISSIPPI AAU (Exhibition)LEXINGTON 7 p.m.Nov. 15 (Sun.) AUSTIN PEAY LEXINGTON 2 p.m.Nov. 19 (Thurs.) @ Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 7:30 p.m.Nov. 22 (Sun.) @ Sky Hawk Classic Martin, Tenn. 3 p.m.Nov. 27-29 @ Rainbow Wahine Classic Honolulu, Hawai'i Nov. 27 (Fri.) vs. Louisville 6:20 p.m. (North Carolina vs. St. John's, Nebraska vs. UCLA, Illinois State vs. Hawai'i)Dec. 6 (Sun.) @ Auburn Auburn, Ala. 3 p.m.Dec. 9 (Wed.) MIAMI, OHIO LEXINGTON 7 p.m.Dec. 12 (Sat.) LIBERTY LEXINGTON 1 p.m.Dec. 19-20 @ Shocker Shootout Wichita, Kan. Dec. 19 (Sat.) vs. Eastern Illinois 5 p.m. (Wichita State vs. Akron) 3 p.m. Dec. 20 (Sun.) Consolation 3 p.m. Championship 5 p.m.Dec. 28 (Mon.) CINCINNATI LEXINGTON 7 p.m.
Jan. 3 (Sun.) FLORIDA LEXINGTON 2 p.m.Jan. 7 (Thurs.) VANDERBILT LEXINGTON 7 p.m.Jan. 10 (Sun.) @ Ole Miss Oxford, Miss. 3 p.m.Jan. 14 (Thurs.) @ LSU Baton Rouge, La. 8 p.m.Jan. 17 (Sun.) @ Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn. 3 p.m.Jan. 20 (Wed.) @ Louisville Louisville 7 p.m.Jan. 24 (Sun.) ALABAMA LEXINGTON 2 p.m.Jan. 28 (Thurs.) @ Florida Gainesville, Fla. 7 p.m.Jan. 31 (Sun.) @ Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. 3 p.m. Feb. 4 (Thurs.) AUBURN LEXINGTON 7 p.m.Feb. 7 (Sun.) GEORGIA LEXINGTON 2 p.m.Feb. 11 (Thurs.) @ South Carolina Columbia, S.C. 7 p.m.Feb. 14 (Sun.) @ Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 3 p.m.Feb. 16 (Tues.) @ Eastern Kentucky Richmond 6:30 p.m.Feb. 21 (Sun.) SOUTH CAROLINA LEXINGTON 2 p.m.Feb. 25-28 SEC Tournament Chattanooga, Tenn. TBA
All Times Eastern and subject to change
