The Kentucky women?s basketball team returns to the friendly confines of Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday, Dec. 30 when the Wildcats play host to Ohio Valley Conference opponent Austin Peay at 7 p.m. ET. Free Scratch antenna balls will be given to the first 500 fans.
The Wildcats (6-4) are riding a two-game win streak defeating Miami (Ohio) and intrastate rival Western Kentucky before Christmas break. Austin Peay (5-4) defeated Lipscomb, 65-60, in its last game and looks for its first win over Kentucky in the all-time series.
UK is 4-0 all-time vs. Austin Peay and 72-16 vs. teams from the Ohio Valley Conference. The Cats defeated the Lady Govs in the teams? last meeting by a convincing 88-52 score on Nov. 19, 1999 in Clarksville. UK hasn?t lost to an OVC opponent since 1997 when it fell to intrastate rival Eastern Ky.
?We are glad to return home after being on the road for three straight games,? UK Coach Mickie DeMoss said. ?We played our best game yet at Western Kentucky before Christmas break and hopefully we can put a complete game together again vs. Austin Peay.?
Senior SeSe Helm continues to lead UK in scoring and rebounding after back-to-back stellar performances, including back-to-back double-doubles. The 6-4 center charted 21 points and 11 rebounds over Miami and 22 points and 13 rebounds vs. her hometown school, Western Kentucky. Junior Sara Potts and sophomore Jenny Pfeiffer also has been an offensive threats for the Wildcats as both players have scored in double-digits in five straight games. Potts is the team?s second-leading scorer with 14.0 points per game while Pfeiffer follows with 11.2 ppg.
Three players are averaging in double-figure scoring this season for the Lady Govs. Senior forward Gerlonda Hardin leads with 15.2 points per game. Sophomores Ashley Haynes and Kera Bergeron follow with 13.6 and 11.0 ppg, respectively. Coach Andy Blackston is in his first year as head coach at APSU after two years at Alabama-Huntsville. Blackston replaced Susie Gardner, who is now the head coach for the Lady Razorbacks at Arkansas.
Tuesday marks the final game of the 2003 portion of the Wildcats? schedule. UK will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 2 at Cincinnati and will return home on Tuesday, Jan. 6 vs. High Point.
