| Gameday Information | |
|---|---|
| Game Notes |
Kentucky Game Notes  |
| Date & Time | Sat., Dec. 18, 2:00 p.m. ET |
| Coverage | Radio: BBSN GameTracker Online Audio Text Updates Live Blog |
| Location | Memorial Coliseum Lexington, Ky. |
Cat Scratches: Freshmen fighting through midseason lull | Video: Mitchell previews Alabama A&M
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 13th-ranked Kentucky women’s basketball team will put its 21-game home winning streak on the line Saturday, Dec. 18 when it faces a hot-streaking Alabama A&M squad in Memorial Coliseum at 2 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Blue Sports Radio Network with Neil Price and online at UKathletics.com.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now. Season tickets in the upper level chair backs, lower level bleachers and general admission season ticket areas are only $45. Lower level chair backs are $60 for the season. Single-game reserved seats are $7 (regardless of age) while general admission tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for youth/seniors. UK students, faculty and staff are admitted free with valid identification. To purchase tickets, visit the Joe Craft Center in person, call 1-800-928-2287 or go online at UKathletics.com.
The Wildcats are fresh off finals exams and ready to return to the court after a seven-day break from game action. The Bulldogs of Alabama A&M are riding a three-game winning streak after defeating Minnesota on Tuesday at home, 75-68.
“We’ve had a week of practice and the players have done a good job but clearly their main focus has been on exams and those have been completed now. We can now turn our focus and attention to the game tomorrow,” UK Hoops Coach Matthew Mitchell said. “Alabama A&M is a very tough team and is a team we are going to need to play well against. I’m really concerned about their ability to drive the basketball and dribble penetration. Their leading scoring, (Whitquitta) Tobar, is averaging 19.0 points a game. She is a really explosive player and is really impressive on tape. We will have our hands full tomorrow with Alabama A&M and we need to come out with a strong effort.”
The Wildcats improved to 7-1 with wins over Tennessee Tech and Chattanooga last week. Senior forward Victoria Dunlap (Nashville, Tenn.) continued putting up impressive numbers, averaging 28.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. She recorded a season-high 30 points and nine rebounds vs. TTU and followed that performance with 26 points and nine rebounds at Chattanooga. She was named SEC Co-Player of the Week for her efforts. With 18 rebounds in two games, Dunlap took sole possession of No. 3 on UK’s all-time rebounding list and needs just nine more to become the third player in school history with 900 or more career rebounds.
Kentucky owns a 21-game home winning streak and has won 17 in a row against nonconference opponents. The home winning streak is the school’s second-longest and ranks eighth nationally.
UK continues its dominance on the defensive side of the floor as it is forcing 25.5 turnovers per game while grabbing a conference-best 13.4 steals per contest. The Cats have forced 20 or more turnovers in six of eight games and rank eighth nationally in turnover margin (+8.9).
Alabama A&M, located in Huntsville, Ala. and members of the Southwest Athletic Conference, is 4-3 after its win over Minnesota. Junior guard Whitquitta Tobar leads the Bulldogs in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. She scored 31 points in the win over the Golden Gophers after hitting three three-pointers and going 12-of-15 from the free-throw line. Following Tobar in the scoring column is freshman guard Brittney Strickland and sophomore center NaDra Robertson with 8.9 and 8.7 points per game, respectively.
Women’s basketball parking is available in the following surface lots and parking structures:
Women’s basketball parking is available in the following surface lots and parking structures for Saturday’s game:
· Student Center Lot – off Euclid Ave
· MLK Lot – the entire MLK lot from Euclid to the Wildcat Lodge.
· Joe Craft Center North E-Lot – large lot located north of the Joe Craft Center and accessible via Lexington Avenue or Rose Street.
· Good Samaritan surface Lot – accessible off Martin Luther King Boulevard
· Parking Structure #5 – entrances off Limestone and S. Upper.
o Doors to the Coliseum will open one hour prior to tipoff.
o UK Athletics encourages women’s basketball fans to arrive early to ease traffic and parking congestion around the Coliseum.
o Surface event lots (i.e. Student Center, Hardymon, MLK and Good Samaritan) typically reach capacity approximately 30-45 minutes prior to tipoff, at which point, vehicles should proceed to Parking Structure #5.
o For select games over the holiday break (12/18 & 1/9), the parking structure shuttle will begin one hour prior to tip and end one hour postgame. The shuttle picks up on Administration Drive, accessible via the sky bridge located on the third floor of Parking Structure #5. Please note the Parking Structure #5 Shuttle will NOT be available on Dec. 21, Dec. 29 & Dec. 30.
· Handicapped parking (first come, first served until full) is located in the northeast corner of the MLK South Lot; must have valid state-issued hang tag
