Nov. 4, 2012

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 6/7 Kentucky women’s basketball team opens year six of the Matthew Mitchell era when it plays host to NCAA Division II foe Bellarmine University in the Cats’ lone exhibition contest of the season Monday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. Admission is free.

The game can be heard live on the UK IMG Sports Radio Network with Neil Price calling the action for the eighth consecutive season. In Lexington, the game will be carried on 105.5 WWRW-FM. 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.

Bellarmine University is a Division II school located in Louisville, Ky. The Knights are under the new leadership of head coach Chancellor Dugan who returned to her home state this summer after 13 seasons as the head coach at Florida Atlantic. She returns the leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago in senior Kylie Brady (15.0 ppg) and sophomore Darion Hutchinson (6.5 rpg). The two are joined by four seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen. The Knights, who went 13-14 last season, were picked to finish fourth in the Great Lakes Conference preseason poll.

This is the seventh overall meeting between Kentucky and Bellarmine but just the fourth since UK became a varsity sport in the 1974-75 season. UK has won all six meetings with the last victory coming in a regular-season battle on Feb. 6, 1976 (72-52).

UK returns 10 letter winners and four starters from a team that went 28-7 overall last season, including a school-record 13 Southeastern Conference victories. The Wildcats advanced to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, including their second Elite Eight in the last three seasons.

The Wildcats’ roster is highlighted by the preseason SEC Player of the Year pick in senior guard A’dia Mathies (Louisville, Ky.). Also returning is the 2012 SEC Freshman of the Year Bria Goss (Indianapolis) and preseason All-SEC second-team selection Samarie Walker (West Carrollton, Ohio). Redshirt sophomore Jennifer O’Neill (Bronx, N.Y.), who sat out the 2011-12 season due to injury, and DeNesha Stallworth (Richmond, Calif.), an All-Pac-10 selection who sat out last season due to transfer regulations, also will be available this season. New faces to the roster are sophomore junior college transfer Jelleah Sidney (Queens Village, N.Y.) and freshman McDonald’s All-American Janee Thompson (Chicago).

Due to construction around Memorial Coliseum, UK Hoops is providing two free shuttle services. Below is the updated information on where to park for the upcoming home season.

Spectator parking is located in the following areas:

• Gameday Information
• All E-lots surrounding Memorial Coliseum beginning 3 hours prior to tip-off
• Parking Structure #5 (adjacent to Kennedy’s Bookstore).
• Lexington Authority Transit Center Parking Garage (new for the 2012-13 season).
  • The Lexington Parking Authority Transit Center Parking Garage, located between High Street and Vine Street, is available for parking after 5 p.m. ET during the week and all day on the weekends.  Additionally, a free shuttle service will pick up in the LR Cooke Lot near the corner of High Street and Martin Luther King beginning 1.5 hours prior to tip.
• Handicap parking is available in the E-Lot (Employee Lot) north of the Craft Center, adjacent to the metered spaces running along the frontage of the Craft Center with a valid, state issued handicap tag.  These spaces (typically 20-30 stalls) are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until full.

Please note: parking is prohibited in any R (Residential) lots. Vehicles parking in Residential lots without a proper permit, along yellow curbs, grass spaces, or other non-specified and unapproved areas may be subject to ticket and/or tow.

Shuttle Information:

• Gameday Information
• Shuttles are available beginning 1.5 hours prior to tip off from Parking Structure # 5 located off Limestone and Upper Street and the Transit Center Parking Garage located off High Street and Vine Street.
• Parking Structure # 5 (blue route) picks up/drops off on Administration Drive, at the end of the pedestrian sky bridge accessed from the 3rd floor of the parking garage.
• Transit Center Parking Garage (green route) picks up/drops off near the corner of High Street and Martin Luther King.
• Shuttles will start back up 1.5 hours after tip-off (to return guests to their parking areas).
• See the shuttle map and route information diagrams for additional information.

Gameday Information:

• Gameday Information
• 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, 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) or the Lexington Authority Transit Center Parking Garage.