Oct. 30, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In an effort to “Pack the House” vs. the perennial powerhouse Baylor Lady Bears on Monday, Nov. 17 and sell out Rupp Arena for a collegiate women’s basketball game the second straight season, one lucky fan in attendance will win the opportunity to appear on the popular “Coach’s Kitchen” segment on The Matthew Mitchell Show, taped in the home kitchen of Matthew and Jenna Mitchell.
Game sponsor Kroger has partnered with UK Hoops to provide a limited amount of free tickets for the game. Fans can pick up tickets (limit four per person) at Kroger stores in Lexington and surrounding counties Saturday, Nov. 1, beginning at 11 a.m. ET until supplies last.
UK faculty and staff can also receive up to four free tickets by presenting their UK ID at the Joe Craft Center ticket windows during normal business hours (M-F 9 a.m.-4 p.m.). UK students can also pick up eRUPPtion Zone tickets in advance at the Craft Center or on game day at the Rupp Arena box office, while supplies last.
The battle between Kentucky and Baylor will mark the tip-off to the ESPN 24-hour college basketball marathon to kick-off the 2014-15 season in front of a nationally-television audience on ESPN2. Lower level reserved tickets are $9, upper level general admission adults are $8, upper level GA youth (ages 6-18)/seniors (ages 65+) at $5.
Tickets are available for purchase online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Fans can also visit the UK Ticket Office in person. Groups of 10 or more are just $2 each in reserved or general admission areas and can be purchased by calling the UK ticket office directly at 859-257-1818.
“What a great opportunity for our program to be showcased nationally with a sold-out Rupp Arena,” Mitchell said. “It’s the launch of 24 hours of college hoops, a very unique basketball event on ESPN, and I know just as a fan, I always tune into it. There’s going to be a lot of eyeballs on Rupp Arena that night, and if we can sell out Rupp and create a great atmosphere, that’ll help our players, and a big win and a great night would help us a bunch.”
UK sold out Rupp Arena a season ago, as a school-record crowd of 23,706 turned up to watch the Wildcats face No. 2 Duke on Dec. 22, 2013. It marked the largest crowd to ever witness a women’s basketball game in the Commonwealth. UK Hoops also set a new program record, finishing ninth in the nation, averaging 6,727 fans per home game, and a season total of 121,089 for all 18 home games. UK has finished in the top 25 for national attendance 11 straight seasons, a program-best streak.
The Wildcats are 1-2 all-time vs. the Lady Bears but the teams have never played in Lexington, Ky. They first met in Waco, Texas at the State Farm Tip-Off Classic in 2012. Paced by 27 points from All-American Brittney Griner and a 14-point, 12-rebound performance from Destiny Williams, Baylor won 85-51 on its home court. UK sought revenge last season in the first game of a double-header with the UK men’s team at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In what has been deemed “one of the most exciting games in NCAA history,” Wildcats’ guard Jennifer O’Neill scored a career-high 43 points as the Wildcats defeated Baylor 133-130 in a four-overtime thriller. It marked the highest-scoring Division I women’s game in history and O’Neill’s 43 points were a school record. As fate would have it, a rematch was set just months later when both teams advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in South Bend, Ind. This time, UK couldn’t find its scoring rhythm and the Lady Bears went on to defeat the Wildcats, 90-72.
To see an episode of The Matthew Mitchell Show go here: http://bit.ly/1FZC1pC
Follow UK Hoops on Twitter and Instagram at @UKHoopCats and on Facebook by liking University of Kentucky Women’s Basketball.
