Jan. 14, 2011
Cat Scratches: Decision still pending, Smith confirms she's leaning towards returning next year | Video interview with Mitchell
| Promotions |
- National Anthem - Sister Sound
- Halftime - Mascot Basketball
- UK Hoops Card Reward - Present your UK Hoops Card at the promotions gazebo and receive a voucher for a free Coke from the concession stands. Also, enter to win a $50 gift card from Movie Tavern!
- Postgame Autographs - Wildcat and Scratch
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LEXINGTON, Ky. - After an impressive win over South Carolina on Thursday, the 19th-ranked Kentucky women's basketball team looks to continue its winning ways when it plays host to Mississippi State on Sunday, Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. EST in Memorial Coliseum. The game will be televised live on FSN with Dave Baker and Stephanie Ready calling the action. It also will be broadcast live on the Big Blue Sports Radio Network with Neil Price.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now. Season tickets in the upper level chair backs, lower level bleachers and general admission season ticket areas are only $45. Lower level chair backs are $60 for the season. Single-game reserved seats are $7 (regardless of age) while general admission tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for youth/seniors. UK students, faculty and staff are admitted free with valid identification. To purchase tickets, visit the Joe Craft Center in person, call 1-800-928-2287 or go online at UKathletics.com.
Kentucky (12-4, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) captured its first conference victory of the season with an impressive 66-48 win over the Gamecocks on Thursday. The Wildcats shot a season-high 54.5 percent from the field and were paced by 20 points and eight rebounds from All-American Victoria Dunlap (Nashville, Tenn.). The Cats also got a big boost from their bench as redshirt-freshman Bernisha Pinkett (Washington, D.C.) charted a career-high 18 of UK's 31 bench points. Sophomore and reigning SEC Player of the Year A'dia Mathies (Louisville, Ky.) added 15 points as the Cats outscored USC 36-15 in the second half after holding them to just six field goals. Dunlap also added two blocks in the game, moving her to No. 2 on UK's all-time blocks list with 157.
"I was very proud of players vs. South Carolina and felt it was a direct result of two quality days in practice," UK Hoops Coach Matthew Mitchell said. "That is the goal now, to take advantage of our time today and tomorrow on the practice floor. If we can do that we have a chance to take a step forward. Mississippi State is a team that has plenty of athleticism and size. They have enough weapons to give us trouble if we aren't 100 percent focused on what we have to do. Sunday is an important game for us."
Once again this season, defense and Dunlap have been the Cats' key catalysts. The Cats lead the SEC and rank fifth nationally in turnover margin (+8.4) and are 19th nationally in steals per game (12.5). Dunlap, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, ranks in the top four of eight SEC statistical categories, including leading the league in scoring (17.4 ppg) and steals (3.3 spg).
Also averaging in double-digit scoring for the Cats this season is Mathies with 14.1 points per game and junior sharpshooter Keyla Snowden (Lexington, Ky.) with 11.6 ppg, respectively.
Mississippi State travels to Lexington at 8-7 overall, 0-3 in the SEC prior after a 72-55 loss to LSU in Starkville on Thursday. Former Wildcat Catina Bett led the Bulldogs with 15 points.
The Bulldogs, coached by former UK head coach Sharon Fanning, continue to be one of the SEC's top defensive teams again this season. State ranks second in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing its opponent just 56.3 points a game. Through 15 games, Mississippi State has only allowed one team to reach 70 points and that was LSU in its last game.
Junior guard Diamber Johnson paces the Lady Bulldogs in scoring, averaging 11.1 points a game while Mary Kathryn Govero follows with 10.9 ppg. Junior Ashley Brown is the leader on the boards with 9.7 rpg, the third-highest mark in the SEC.
Sunday will mark the 36th meeting between Kentucky and Mississippi State. UK holds a slight 18-17 advantage in the all-time series but trails 8-7 when the game is in Lexington. UK won both meetings against the Bulldogs last season, taking a 69-59 win in Starkville and a 76-65 victory in the SEC Tournament.
Women's basketball parking is available in the following surface lots and parking structures:
- Student Center Lot - off Euclid Ave
- MLK South Lot - between Lexington Ave and Martin Luther King Boulevard and south (towards Euclid) of the center drive lane. UK STUDENTS ARE BACK - DO NOT PARK IN NORTH MLK LOT (closest to Wildcat Lodge) AS THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL LOT AND SUBJECT TO TICKET/TOW.
- Joe Craft Center North E-Lot - large lot located north of the Joe Craft Center and accessible via Lexington Avenue or Rose Street.
- Good Samaritan surface Lot - accessible off Martin Luther King Boulevard
- Parking Structure #5 - entrances off Limestone and S. Upper.
- Doors to the Coliseum will open one hour prior to tipoff.
- 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, Hardymon, MLK and Good Samaritan) typically reach capacity approximately 30-45 minutes prior to tipoff, at which point, vehicles should proceed to Parking Structure #5.
- The parking structure shuttle will begin one hour prior to tip and end one hour postgame. The shuttle picks up on Administration Drive, accessible via the sky bridge located on the third floor of Parking Structure #5.
- Handicapped parking (first come, first served until full) is located in the northeast corner of the MLK South Lot; must have valid state-issued hang tag
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