Jan. 5, 2000

LEXINGTON, Kty. – The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team plays host toNo. 5 Auburn on Thursday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum to openSoutheastern Conference play.

Kentucky (8-4) looks to avenge a one-point loss to the Tigerslast season in Lexington and win its third straight SEC-opener againstAuburn. The Cats are 2-2 in SEC openers, 2-0 versus AU. This is the24th meeting between teams. Auburn holds a 15-8 advantage in theall-time series record.

Auburn enters Memorial Coliseum ranked No. 5 in the AssociatedPress Poll with an 11-1 overall record. The Tigers only loss came toNo. 12 Penn State 77-65. PSU was Auburn’s only ranked non-conferenceopponent this season.

“Auburn is a tough team and they are coming in here, riding on asix-game win streak,” UK Coach Bernadette Mattox said. “All the gameswe have played thus far have been to prepare us for the SEC season. Weare happy to be playing them in our gym.”

Three Wildcat starters average in double-digit scoring thisseason. Junior forward Laura Meadows leads the trio with 12.9 pointsand 7.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward LaTonya McDole, who wasnamed this week’s SEC Player of the Week, follows with 12. 4 ppg and 6.2rebounds. Senior guard Erica Jackson rounds out the double-figurescoring with 11.9 ppg.

All-SEC candidates, Tasha Hamilton and Conswella Sparrow leadthe Tigers in scoring this season, averaging 13.8 and 10.4 points pergame, respectively. Auburn is led Joe Ciampi, who enters his 21stseason as head coach of the Tigers. He has charted a 480-151 overallrecord at Auburn and has never coached a losing season.

NOTE: The first 1,000 fans will receive free UK chip clips.