Big Blue Preview: No. 7/9 Kentucky Women’s Basketball Plays Host to Florida on Thursday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 7/9 University of Kentucky women’s basketball program (16-2, 3-1 Southeastern Conference), who also is eighth in the latest NET rankings, will play host to Florida (12-7, 0-4 SEC) in Historic Memorial Coliseum on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. ET.
It is the program’s annual We Back Pat game, which aims to bring awareness to research, care and education about Alzheimer’s disease. The game will focus on highlighting the effects of the disease and those that actively fight it in our community.
The Mascot Scrimmage also returns to Historic Memorial Coliseum at halftime Thursday.
Doors open to fans one hour prior to tip.
Fans can still purchase single-game tickets to the Kentucky-Florida game and all six of the program’s remaining home games this season. To shop single-game tickets, click here, and for a full list of the program’s nonconference promotional lineup, click here.
Darren Headrick will have the Kentucky-Florida radio call for UK Sports Network on 630 AM WLAP in Lexington and on 790 AM WKRD in Louisville. It also will be carried on SiriusXM channel 162 or 191 and on the SiriusXM App.
Big Blue Nation also can watch the game on SEC Network+, with Noah Frary and Christi Thomas on the call and Michelle Knezovic on the sideline.
UK Athletics recommends nine parking locations for fans attending games this season, including two parking locations with shuttle transportation (The Cornerstone Garage, High Street Lot). The shuttle at those parking locations starts 90 minutes prior to tip-off and breaks at the end of the first quarter. It resumes at the start of the third quarter and runs one hour postgame.
The Wildcats enter the game 16-2 overall on the season, including 3-1 in the SEC and 9-0 in Historic Memorial Coliseum.
Down a key starter in Teonni Key, Kentucky is coming off a triumph over No. 5/5 Oklahoma at home on Sunday, 63-57. It marked the first time in school history that the program has defeated two top-five opponents in a regular season (also at No. 5 LSU on Jan. 1). It also marked the program’s first win against an Associated Press Top Five opponent at home since knocking off No. 3 Mississippi State on Feb. 23, 2017.
Kentucky overcame a 13-point deficit in the first quarter against Oklahoma, the program’s third largest comeback against an AP Top Five opponent in school history.
The Sooners entered the game ranked second in the nation in scoring offense (90.1), as Kentucky held Oklahoma to 57 points.
Kentucky has held its opponents below their scoring averages in 17-of-18 games this season. UK has played (and beat) the No. 1 and No. 2 scoring offenses in the country thus far, holding them to an average of 31.6 below their scoring averages at the time of the game.
Even after playing the Nos. 1 and 2 scoring offenses in the country, UK is leading the SEC in scoring defense as of Jan. 12.
Tonie Morgan led UK in scoring against OU on 22 points, including a pair of 3s. She added eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Clara Strack, the team’s leading scorer through 18 games, logged her ninth double-double of the season, which is ranked sixth in the nation, on 18 points and 12 rebounds. She also smacked three blocks and dished out one assist.
Thursday’s game will mark Kenny Brooks’ 50th game coaching in the Blue and White.
It is the 66th all-meeting between Kentucky and Florida. Kentucky leads Florida, 38-27, in the series. UK leads UF, 17-12, in Lexington.
The Wildcats have won four straight games, six of the last seven games and 11 of the last 13.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
