The Kentucky women?s basketball team will take on first-time opponent Longwood in their final pre-conference tune up Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 18 and under and may be purchased online at ukathletics.com, in person at the athletics ticket office in Memorial Coliseum or by phone at 859-257-1818 or 1-800-927-CATS.. UK students, faculty and staff are admitted free with valid identification. Chick-fil-A is the game sponsor. Over 1,000 cows will be given away and all fans in attendance will receive free sandwich coupons.
This is the first meeting between Kentucky and Longwood on the hardwood. The Lancers are located in Farmville, Va., and are Independent after reclassifying from Division II to Division I. The program is in its second of a four-year reclassification period and will have official Division I certification in Sept. 2007.
The game is a homecoming of sorts for Longwood Coach Shirley Duncan. The 26-year coaching veteran grew up in Lexington and graduated from UK in 1956 with a bachelor?s degree in health and physical education. She went on to receive her master?s degree in physical education from Indiana in 1961. Prior to Longwood, Duncan served as the head coach at EKU (1975-79).
?We are looking forward to another home game in Memorial Coliseum,? UK Coach Mickie DeMoss said. ?We didn?t have a lot of turnaround time with just one day of practice after the Saint Francis game but it will be important for us to come out of the game early and set the tone. We start conference play Sunday and this game will be a good test for us.?
UK is coming off back-to-back wins after defeating Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sunday 85-73 in Memorial Coliseum and Wake Forest 66-61 on Thursday before a season-high 5,785 fans in Rupp Arena.
Three Wildcats are averaging double-digit scoring this season. Senior Sara Potts leads with 15.6 points per game while Sarah Elliott and Jennifer Humphrey follow with 11.2 and 10.1 ppg. Humphrey also is the team?s leader on the boards, averaging 8.1 rebounds a game.
Longwood enters the game with a 5-6 overall record after defeating Morehead State and falling to Eastern Kentucky in the Eastern Kentucky Classic Dec. 29 and 30.
Ashley Mason leads three players in double-digit scoring, averaging 11.5 ppg. Marita Meldere and Amber Mason follow with 11.3 and 10.2 ppg.
Kentucky opens conference play Sunday, Jan. 9 at Alabama before returning home for its final game at Rupp Arena. The Cats will take on nationally-ranked Georgia Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. ET.
