Women's Basketball
December 30, 2023 - 09:58 AM

Kentucky, Samford Square Off in Final Nonconference Game of Regular Season

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program will play host to Samford on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. ET at the Clive M. Beck Center on the campus of Transylvania University. It will mark UK’s final nonconference game of the regular season and its final game hosted at Clive M. Beck Center in 2023-24.

Throughout the contest, the program will celebrate the upcoming New Year through in-game activities and announcements.

The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+, with Jeff Piecoro and Christi Thomas on the call. Big Blue Nation can also listen in to the play-by-play on UK Sports Network and / or 630 AM WLAP (locally), with the Voice of the Wildcats Darren Headrick on the mic.

The Wildcats are 6-7 this season, including 6-2 at home and 3-0 at the Clive M. Beck Center. They’re coming off a pair of wins against Furman (Dec. 17) and Lipscomb (Dec. 21) at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center before the winter break, putting together a couple of their best performances of the season. Between the two games, the Cats set season-highs in points scored (87 against Lipscomb), field-goal percentage (54.4 against Furman), 3-pointers (eight against Lipscomb), assists (20 against Furman), steals (12 against Furman) and turnovers forced (25 against Furman).

Four players are averaging double-digit scoring, including leading scorer Maddie Scherr (16.0). Ajae Petty (15.4), Saniah Tyler (10.1) and Amiya Jenkins (10.0) are also averaging 10-or-more points a game. Scherr (25 points), Tyler (22 points) and Jenkins (20) all scored at least 20 points in Kentucky’s 13-point comeback win over Lipscomb on Dec. 21, which marked the first time UK has produced at least three 20+ point scorers since 2015, while those performances also helped UK reach 900 program wins.

Samford is putting up 59.85 points per game, while it boasts two players averaging double-digit scorers in Masyn Marchbanks (10.3) and Carly Heidger (10.0). Bulldog Emily Bowman is another key contributor averaging 7.2 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game.

The two teams have had four meetings in the all-time series, with Kentucky leading Samford, 4-0. Sunday’s contest will mark the teams’ first meeting since 2020, when the Cats defeated the Dogs, 88-54, on Dec. 13.

Big Blue Nation is encouraged to stay up to date with the nonconference schedule promotions and game themes. For the Kentucky-Samford game, the promotions and game themes are as follows:

PROMOTIONAL(S) / GAME THEMES

Happy New Year’s Eve: Celebrate the coming new year with the women’s basketball program all afternoon!

FAN PARKING

There are numerous parking options for Big Blue Nation, relatively close to the Clive M. Beck Center.

Fans is encouraged to use any of the lots marked with a “P” on the parking map.
- Lots marked with a “P” are available for spectators all day, because its a weekend game.
Fans may also choose to park in the BTSU lot and shuttle to and from the arena, which is also labeled on the parking map.
- The shuttle service begins 90 minutes prior to tip off.