It can be hard to keep up with everything going on in the University of Kentucky’s 22 varsity sports. With that in mind, we will highlight the best from around Kentucky sports each week. We’ll recognize the best performances from Wildcat teams and players, we’ll show you the coolest videos and photos that you may have missed and we’ll mix in some new stuff along the way. Here are your award winners for this week:
Team of the Week – Men’s Tennis captures outright SEC title
For the first time since 1992, the men’s tennis team can lay claim to the Southeastern Conference Championship after completing an 11-0 record in the conference for the first time in school history. They finished off their undefeated conference slate with an impressive 6-1 victory over No. 43 Vanderbilt.
The Wildcats dominated in doubles, winning all three matches. Then in singles, only dropped one match and got wins from Eric Quigley, Anthony Rossi, Alex Musialek, Alejandro Gomez and Grant Roberts.
Kentucky has wrapped up the top seed in the SEC Tournament this week, which starts Thursday in Starkville, Miss. The Wildcats have a first round bye and will begin play on Friday.
Player of the Week – Cumbess hurls no-hitter to clinch series win over Georgia
For the first time in her career, Lauren Cumbess threw a no-hitter on Saturday to defeat No. 10 Georgia, 4-0. Kentucky got a big win Friday night on national television, where Cumbess went 2-for-3 on the night at the plate, but it was on the mound Saturday where she made her greatest impact.
Cumbess shut down an impressive hitting Georgia team and struck out seven Bulldogs on the day while allowing just five base runners. The win was important in that it got UK to .500 in the SEC as the Wildcats battle for postseason position in the SEC Tournament.
Game of the Week – Baseball holds on to take series in finale
After dropping a heart-breaking game at Arkansas in the series opener, the UK baseball team rallied on Saturday and swept a double header to take their first series in Fayetteville since 2002.
Kentucky got a 5-4 win in first game of the twin bill, and got involved in another one-run game in series finale. The Wildcats tallied their only runs of the game on Cameron Flynn’s fourth inning two-runner homer in the fourth inning. Correy Littrell turned in another stellar outing in the rubber match allowing just one run in 6.1 innings. Tim Peterson, Alex Phillips and Trevor Gott finished things off. Gott came in with two men on and two outs in the eighth inning, and promptly got the final out of the eighth and retired the side in order in the ninth to preserve a 2-1 victory for his eighth save of the season.
Photo – SEC champs
Video – Highlights from Cumbess’ no-hitter
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Alumnae/Alumnus of the Week – Daniel Orton has best professional game
With All-Star center Dwight Howard out with a herniated disk, the Orlando Magic turned to former Wildcat Daniel Orton for big minutes Sunday. Orton logged over 28 minutes against Cavaliers filling in for Howard and had his best day as a pro. Orton went 5-8 from the field while scoring 11 points, pulling down four rebounds and five steals.
Orton’s previous career-high in minutes was 11 on April 9, and his previous high in points was 4. Orton more than doubled both figures in the Magic’s 100-84 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
