Big Blue Preview: No. 15/14 Kentucky Women’s Basketball Plays at No. 6/6 South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 15/14 University of Kentucky women’s basketball team will play at No. 6/6 South Carolina on Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m. ET at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. It will mark both teams’ regular-season finales, with the Southeastern Conference Tournament just around the corner on March 5-9.
While the game is sold out, UK fans in the greater-Columbia area can still purchase tickets through Ticketmaster Verified Resale.
Darren Headrick will have the radio call for UK Sports Network, his eighth straight season as the voice of the Wildcats. His call will be carried on 630 AM WLAP (Lexington) and 840 AM WHAS (Louisville).
Big Blue Nation also can watch the game on ESPN, with Roy Philpott and Carolyn Peck on the call.
The Wildcats enter the regular-season finale 22-5 on the season and 11-4 in the SEC. The Cats have reached 11 regular-season league wins just seven times in program history, while this season marked the first time since 2018-19.
Kentucky reached that feat after knocking off No. 11/11 Tennessee last Thursday, 82-58, in front of a sellout crowd in its final home game of the regular season. UK earned its largest margin of victory over UT in the all-time series, while it also earned its second largest margin of victory over an Associated Press Top 25 team in program history (+24).
Clara Strack had a career outing in that game, breaking two program records for herself and contributing to another program record for the team. The sophomore center went 11-of-11 from the field, which included a make from long range, to break the single-game, field-goal percentage school record (minimum of 10 attempts). She added 15 rebounds, three blocks and two assists, contributing to her breaking the single-season blocks school record, while she now has 68 through 27 games in 2024-25.
The Wildcats also set the single-season blocks school record as a team against the Lady Volunteers, currently with 189 on the season. They are first in the league and second in the nation in that column, boasting 7.0 per game in 2024-25.
Moreover, UK’s defense held UT to 31.1 percent from the field, UK’s best field-goal percentage defense against an AP Top 15 team since 2013. In fact, UK has held 13 of its 15 league opponents to under 40.0 percent shooting this season, while the team is second in the conference and eighth in the nation in FG% defense (35.4%).
On the other side of the ball, UK shot 51.5 percent from the field (34-of-66) against UT, marking the seventh game this season it has shot better than 50.0 percent, which is tied for the program’s most over the last 20 years (also accomplished in 2004-05 and 2021-22).
Kentucky, who will have played six ranked teams in its final nine games of the regular season, including the final three straight, approaches tomorrow’s game 5-3 against teams in the AP Top 25. UK’s five wins against teams in the AP Top 25 tie as the second-most in program history, while the school record is set at six and was only accomplished in 2015-16.
Sunday’s game is the 77th all-time meeting between Kentucky and South Carolina. Kentucky narrowly trails the series with South Carolina, 41-35, which began in 1979. UK also trails USC in games played in Columbia, 25-10.
The last time the Wildcats defeated the Gamecocks was in the SEC Tournament Championship Game on March 6, 2022, 103-55, en route to knocking off the one, two and three seeds to be crowned champions. The last time the Cats defeated the Cocks in Columbia was Feb. 21, 2019, 65-57.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
