The Kentucky women’s basketball team looks to snap a four-game losing streak in the conference and a four-game losing streak to South Carolina when they travel to Columbia, S.C. to take on the Gamecocks on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. ET in the Colonial Center.
South Carolina and Kentucky remain the only teams without a conference win. The Cats are coming off an 80-67 loss at Mississippi State while South Carolina fell to 8-8 overall, 0-4 in the SEC with a 61-56 loss at Florida on Thursday.
UK (8-9, 0-4 SEC) not only looks to snap its four-game losing streak this season but also hopes to end a four-game losing skid to South Carolina. USC has won both meetings the past two seasons and owns a 9-4 advantage when the game is played in Columbia. UK leads the all-time series 17-13. The Wildcats last win in Columbia was a thrilling 78-76 win in 1999.
The Wildcats will have to end the streak without starting shooting guard Jenny Pfeiffer who is out three to six weeks with mononucleosis. UK will have to replace Pfeiffer’s 11.8 points per game, including 10.5 points in conference play.
“Without Pfeiffer our team certainly changes,” UK Coach Mickie DeMoss said. “Other players are going to have to step up offensively and defensively. Pfeiffer is not only a great shooter but a great defender as well. We’re going to have to dig deep and play hard. South Carolina is a physical team with a lot of weapons and it’s always tough to play on the road.”
This is the first of two meetings between UK and South Carolina this season. UK and USC have met twice for eight straight seasons as South Carolina is Kentucky’s permanent home-and-home conference opponent. The teams will meet again on Thursday, Feb. 26 in Lexington.
SeSe Helm continues to lead three Wildcats in double-digit scoring with 15.0 points per game. She needs nine points to move to No. 8 on UK’s all-time scoring list. Sara Potts and Pfeiffer follow in the scoring column with 14.7 and 11.8 ppg, respectively. The trio combines for almost 60 percent of UK’s offense.
The Gamecocks have three players averaging in double figures. The two USC seniors are one-two in the team statistics with Cristina Ciocan first in scoring with an average of 14.3 points per game and Kelly Morrone second at 12.4 per game. Iva Sliskovic, who had 11 rebounds vs. Arkansas last Sunday, leads the team in rebounding with 7.4 rebounds per game.
Coach Susan Walvius is in her seventh season at the helm of the Lady Gamecocks. She is 7-5 all-time vs. Kentucky.
A limited number of general admission tickets remain for UK’s next home game vs. No. 5 Tennessee on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. This game is an expected sellout. UK has added a parking map to the women’s basketball web page on ukathletics.com.
