Nov. 4, 2011

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 18/15 Kentucky women’s basketball team opens year five of the Matthew Mitchell era when it plays host to NCAA Division II foe Coker College in the Cats’ lone exhibition contest of the season Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. Admission is free.

Gameday Information
Kentucky vs. Coker College (exh) Sun., Nov. 6 – 2:00 p.m. ET Lexington, Ky. Memorial Coliseum Fan Guide Game Notes: UK
Coverage
Radio: UK IMG Live Video (subscription) Live Audio Live Blog Text Updates

The game can be heard live on the UK IMG Sports Radio Network with Neil Price calling the action for the sixth consecutive season. Fans can follow the UK Hoops team on Twitter at @UKHoopCats and use #UKHoops to comment on the game. A live video stream is available on the subscription video portion of www.UKathletics.com.

The game will serve as a homecoming of sorts for former Kentucky standout Jenny Pfeiffer Finora (2003-04, 2006-07) as she returns to the opposite sidelines as the head coach of the Coker Cobras. Finora, who graduated from UK with a degree in health communication in 2005 and a master’s degree in sports leadership in 2007, is in her second season at Coker. Finora, who went 5-21 in her debut last season, is the all-time leader at Kentucky in career free-throw percentage (.861) and ranks third all-time in 3-point field goals made (162).

Coker, located in Hartsville, S.C., returns one senior, Jasmine Alston, and has 10 new players, including four transfers and six freshmen.

Mitchell welcomes back 10 letter winners, including four starters from last year’s 25-9 team, as well as redshirt senior guard Amber Smith (Winter Haven, Fla.), who started in all 36 games during UK’s magical run to the Elite Eight in 2010. Also returning for the Cats is junior guard A’dia Mathies (Louisville, Ky.), who was a second-team preseason All-America choice by Sporting News and a first-team All-SEC selection.

Additional returning letter winners include senior guards Crystal Riley (Memphis, Tenn.) and Keyla Snowden (Lexington, Ky.), one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in UK Hoops history, junior forward Brittany Henderson (Pasadena, Calif.), sophomore guard Maegan Conwright (Arlington, Texas), sophomore forward/center Samantha Drake (Bardstown, Ky.), sophomore guard Kastine Evans (Salem, Conn.), sophomore guard Jennifer O’Neill (Bronx, N.Y.) and All-SEC freshman team selection Bernisha Pinkett (Washington, D.C.). Kentucky also welcomes three talented freshmen to the roster in Bra’Shey Ali (Plainfield, N.J.), Azia Bishop (Toledo, Ohio) and McDonald’s All-American Bria Goss (Indianapolis). Sophomore transfer Samarie Walker (West Carrollton, Ohio) will add talent and depth to the UK front court. The Connecticut transfer will be eligible to play after the conclusion of the 2011 fall semester, per NCAA transfer rules.

Kentucky will open its 38th season of varsity women’s basketball on Nov. 11 at Morehead State at 7 p.m. ET. UK Hoops’ home opener is Nov. 15 against Jacksonville State at 11 a.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum.

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 MLK Blvd. and south (towards Euclid) of the center drive lane.  DO NOT PARK IN NORTH MLK LOT (closest to Wildcat Lodge) AS THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL LOT AND SUBJECT TO TICKET/TOW
• 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
• Joe Craft Center North E-Lot – large lot located north of the Joe Craft Center, and accessible via Lexington Avenue or Rose St.
• Good Samaritan surface Lot – accessible off MLK Blvd
• Parking Structure #5 – entrances off Limestone and S. Upper
  • Doors to the Coliseum will open one (1) hour prior to tip-off. 
  • 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, South MLK, Joe Craft Center North and Good Samaritan Surface Lot) typically reach capacity approximately 45 minutes prior to tip-off, at which point, vehicles should proceed to Parking Structure #5 (PS#5).  
  • The PS #5 shuttle will begin one hour prior to tip and end one hour post-game. The PS #5 shuttle picks up on Administration Drive, accessible via the sky bridge located on the 3rd Floor of PS#5.