Jan. 21, 2011
| Gameday Information | |
|---|---|
| Game Notes |
Kentucky Game Notes | Vanderbilt Game Notes |
| Date & Time | Sun., Jan. 23, 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Coverage | TV: ESPNU & Full Court Radio: BBSN GameTracker Online Audio Live Video via ESPN3 Live Blog Text Updates |
| Location | Memorial Coliseum Lexington, Ky. |
| Promotions |
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 19th-ranked Kentucky women’s basketball team will help celebrate Alumni Day and the 25th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Sunday, Jan. 23 when the Wildcats play host to Vanderbilt in Memorial Coliseum. Game time is set for 4 p.m. EST as it will be broadcast live on ESPNU with Anne Marie Anderson and LaChina Robinson calling the action. It also will be broadcast live on the Big Blue Sports Radio Network with Neil Price and on Sirius channel 212 and XM channel 199. In addition, the game will be available nationally on the ESPN Full Court package and ESPN3.com.
Single-game tickets are on sale now. 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.
Sunday is one of more than 1,000 events taking place across the country for National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Congress has proclaimed this national day each year since 1987. It recognizes the progress of girls and women in sports and the benefits that sports and fitness activities can bring the lives of all girls and women. The day is organized nationally by the Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Incorporated, National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, the National Women’s Law Center and the Women’s Sports Foundation. There will be an autograph session with female student-athletes from each of UK’s varsity sports beginning at 3 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans will receive a free commemorative poster.
Sunday also is Alumni Day. Over 30 former players will be recognized at halftime and the first-ever Alumni Game will be played in Memorial Coliseum at Noon. Admission is free but the arena will be cleared following the game.
One special former Wildcat will receive the third annual “Susan B. Feamster Trailblazer Award,” at halftime of the UK game. Ceal Barry was a four-year letterwinner at Kentucky under Coach Debbie Yow from 1974-77. After graduation, she spent four seasons as head coach at Cincinnati and 22 seasons at the helm of the Colorado women’s basketball program before retiring in 2005. She now serves as the Associate AD for Academics/Student Services at CU. A few of her many accolades are: 1994 National Coach of the Year; 1995 Carol Eckman Award; 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist; two-time District V Coach of the Year; four-time Big Eight Coach of the Year; 510 Career Wins at UC and CU; 12 NCAA Tournaments.
Surrounding the festivities, the Wildcats (14-4, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) look to continue their winning ways after winning their last three league games, including a close call at Florida on Thursday. Down nine points with 5:12 to go, UK clawed back with its stingy defense along with the impressive play of freshmen Jennifer O’Neill (Bronx, N.Y.) and senior Victoria Dunlap (Nashville, Tenn.). O’Neill scored five crucial points in the final minutes while Dunlap hit a layup and the game-winning free throws with 10 seconds to go. O’Neill finished with a game- and career-high 15 points while Dunlap charted 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Sophomore A’dia Mathies (Louisville, Ky.) followed with 11 points and UK scored 25 points off 24 Gator turnovers.
“It was a good win for us last night,” UK Hoops Coach Matthew Mitchell said. “We really fought hard to earn that one and will really have to fight hard again on Sunday. Vanderbilt is a very, very tough team and always a hard matchup for us. They always execute incredibly well on offense, have very physical post play and just pose a lot of challenges. It will be another tough game and we are excited. It’s a special day for us because its Girls and Women in Sports Day and we would love for everyone to come out and have a big crowd and celebrate what is a big day for us here at Kentucky. We are looking forward to a win on Sunday.”
Once again this season, defense and Dunlap have been the Cats’ key catalysts. The Cats lead the SEC and rank third nationally in turnover margin (+8.5) and are 25th nationally in steals per game (12.0). Dunlap, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, ranks in the top four of eight SEC statistical categories, including leading the league in scoring (17.4 ppg) and steals (3.4 spg).
Also averaging in double-digit scoring for the Cats this season is Mathies with 14.0 points per game and junior sharpshooter Keyla Snowden (Lexington, Ky.) with 11.6 ppg, respectively.
Vanderbilt enters Sunday’s game at 13-6 overall, 4-2 in SEC play after winning four of its last five games. The only loss during that stretch came at No. 5 Tennessee, 68-56.
This is the 41st meeting in the all-time series with Vanderbilt. The Commodores lead 27-13 overall, including a 10-8 advantage in Lexington. UK won last year’s meeting in Memorial Coliseum 63-53, snapping a 13-game overall losing skid to the `Dores. It was the first win over VU at home since 1999.
Women’s basketball parking is available in the following surface lots and parking structures:
- Student Center Lot – off Euclid Ave
- MLK South Lot – between Lexington Ave and Martin Luther King Boulevard and south (towards Euclid) of the center drive lane. UK STUDENTS ARE BACK – DO NOT PARK IN NORTH MLK LOT (closest to Wildcat Lodge) AS THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL LOT AND SUBJECT TO TICKET/TOW.
- 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
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Parking Structure #5 – entrances off Limestone and S. Upper.
- Doors to the Coliseum will open one hour prior to tipoff.
- UK Athletics encourages women’s basketball fans to arrive early to ease traffic and parking congestion around the Coliseum.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
