Wildcats, No. 24/23 Razorbacks Ring in the New Year in Memorial Coliseum
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program will ring in the new year by playing host No. 24/23 Arkansas on Sunday, Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. ET inside Memorial Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+, with Jeff Piecoro and Christi Thomas on the call.
The Wildcats would like to invite Big Blue Nation to “Kick Off the New Year” by joining the program in wearing your best pair of kicks. Fans are also encouraged to enter a raffle at the door for a free pair of custom shoes.
Doors to Memorial Coliseum will open one hour prior to the tip time.
Bags must adhere to the UK Athletics Clear Bag policy, and bags and items will be searched. To avoid additional touch points, fans are strongly encouraged to not bring unnecessary bags to Memorial Coliseum. More on UK Athletics’ Clear Bag policy can be found online here.
Parking for games is available starting three hours prior to tipoff in a majority of surface lots surrounding Memorial Coliseum, including the High Street Lot, East Maxwell Lot, Joe Craft Center Lot, College View Lot, Alumni Center Lot and Career Center Lot. The Cornerstone Garage and Parking Structure No. 2 will open two hours prior to tip. The Gatton Student Center Lot is pay-to-park while all other parking options are free. The JCC Lot is primarily used for limited mobility/handicap parking.
For fans that are unable to attend the game, Darren Headrick will have the call on the UK Sports Network on 630AM WLAP in Lexington. Free live audio will be available online at UKathletics.com and live stats will be available online at KentuckyStats.com.
The Wildcats are 8-5 this season, including 6-3 at home and 0-1 in the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky is coming off a stinger loss at Missouri, 74-71, in the conference opener in Columbia, Missouri, last Thursday. UK outscored Mizzou in the first, third and fourth quarters, but a 29-11 deficit in the second quarter was too much to overcome. Despite the loss, the Wildcats made at least 10 shots from long range for just the second time this season, while they also forced the Tigers to commit 25 turnovers, scoring 36 points off those miscues.
Benton, who has led the team in scoring for the last five straight games and has scored in double digits in all 13 games this season, is leading the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game. She is coming off back-to-back, 20-plus points games. The graduate guards needs just three more points to eclipse 1,000 career points. If she accomplishes that feat, she will have become the 36 Wildcat in program history to record as many.
Walker is behind her with 13.3 points per game in 2022-23.
As a team, the Wildcats are shooting 42.5 percent from the field and averaging 72.9 points per game. The Cats’ defense is holding opponents to 40.7 shooting from the field and 65.1 points per game.
Arkansas boasts a 13-3 overall record, including a 3-0 road record. It is coming off its first loss at home of the season to No. 9/9 LSU, 69-45, on Dec. 29. The Razorbacks shot 27.9 percent from the field, while holding the Tigers to 34.0 percent, as the Backs were outrebounded, 62-30.
Four Razorbacks are averaging double-digit scoring, including Samara Spencer (16.3), Erynn Barnum (15.3), Makayla Daniels (13.6) and Chrissy Carr (11.2), while the team is shooting 40.9 percent from the floor and averaging 75.7 points per game. Their leading rebounder is freshman Saylor Poffenbarger (8.1), who has recorded three double-doubles already this season.
Kentucky leads the all-time meetings with Arkansas, 25-14, in a series that began in 1983. UK also leads games played in Lexington, 16-3. The Wildcats have won 11 of the last 12 meetings.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
