The Kentucky women?s basketball team will play their final game in Rupp Arena this season when they play host to the 18th-ranked Georgia Lady Bulldogs Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 18 and under. UK students, faculty and staff are admitted free with valid identification. Tickets 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. All seats are in the lower level of Rupp Arena. The first 1,000 fans will receive blue/white shakers and Fanbanas. Senior Sara Potts will sign autographs following the game.
Capacity for a women?s basketball game in Rupp Arena is 10,404 as the upper arena sections are curtained off. The record of 10,390 was set in Rupp Arena 25 years ago on Jan. 12, 1980 vs. Rutgers. UK currently ranks No. 21 in the national attendance poll compiled by the Wisconsin sports information office. The Cats are averaging over 4,400 fans a game.
?Having a crowd certainly helped with the Wake Forest game and I know it really got our players fired up to play hard,? UK Coach Mickie DeMoss said. ?It was a great environment. I would have to believe that it would be a huge advantage to us to have a big crowd. It would be just an exciting atmosphere.?
The Wildcats (11-5, 0-1 SEC) are coming off of a tough 69-63 overtime loss to Alabama on Sunday in their league opener. Freshman guard Samantha Mahoney scored a career and game-high 21 points to lead the Cats in a career-high 40 minutes of action. On the season, UK is being led by senior guard/forward Sara Potts and her team-high 14.9 points per game, and freshman center Sarah Elliott?s 11.1 points per game. Junior forward/center Jennifer Humphrey leads the rebounding effort with 7.8 boards per game.
?We are looking forward to getting back out on the court and playing a really good Georgia team,? DeMoss said. ?They are 13-4 and ranked, so we are certainly going to have a tough battle on our hands Thursday night. They have probably one of the best freshmen in the country in Tasha Humphrey. She?s leading them in scoring and rebounding. They?ve also got some really good perimeter people to go along with her. They?ve got the same guards they had last year, so they?re just a solid team inside and out. It will be a tough battle for us.?
Kentucky is 8-0 at home this season, including a 2-0 mark at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats are 14-4 all-time in the downtown Lexington venue and are riding a 10-game home win streak dating back to last season. This is the final game for the women in Rupp this season.
Georgia enters the game with a 13-4 overall mark and a 2-1 conference record. The Lady Bulldogs last defeated Stetson 97-42 on Monday evening. Freshman forward Tasha Humphrey leads UGA with 18.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Guards Sherill Baker and Alexis Kendrick return to anchor the Lady Dogs? backcourt.
The Lady Dogs lead the all-time series with the Wildcats 25-8, including an 8-6 edge when playing in Lexington. Georgia has won eight consecutive games in the series, including both meetings last season.
