Kentucky women’s basketball team concludes home schedule at 7 p.m. ET Thursday vs. UGA
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior Night at the University of Kentucky is always a special event and Thursday will be no different as the No. 15 University of Kentucky women’s basketball team concludes its 2019-20 home schedule by honoring five seniors prior to its 7 p.m. ET vs. Georgia inside Memorial Coliseum.
UK’s annual Senior Night includes a pregame ceremony that will begin at approx. 6:40 p.m. ET where the program will honor seniors Ogechi Anygaligbo, Nae Nae Cole, Sabrina Haines, Amanda Paschal and Jaida Roper for their hard work and dedication to the program. Kentucky is 33-11 all-time in regular-season home finales (1974-75 season not included) and have won 13 of their last 16 games on Senior Night.
Single-game tickets are $10 (all ages) in reserved seating areas, while general admission tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children (ages 6-18) and seniors (age 65+). Children aged 5 and under do not require a ticket in general admission areas. Young fans are encouraged to take advantage of the Kid Zone pregame with games, poster making stations, coloring stations and more. Senior guard Jaida Roper is scheduled to sign autographs on the concourse following the game.
The game vs. Georgia will be broadcast on SEC Network+ with Jeff Piecoro and Dick Gabriel on the call. The action can also be seen through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones or tablets. Darren Headrick will have the call on the UK Sports Network on 630AM WLAP in Lexington. Live stats and free live audio will be available online at UKathletics.com.
Spectator parking is located in all E-lots surrounding Memorial Coliseum and are off control 3 hours prior to tip. Additionally, the South Limestone Garage (PS#5) and the Rose Street Garage (PS#2) are available 2 hours prior to tip. The Bill Gatton Student Center is available as a pay-to-park option. Availability is based on the Gatton Student Center Event Schedule.
Parking is prohibited in any R (Residential) lots. Vehicles parking in R lots without a proper permit, along yellow curbs, grass spaces, or other non-specified and unapproved areas may be subject to ticket and/or tow. Disabled spectator parking is available with a valid, state issues disabled hangtag in the E lot North of the Craft Center. These spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis until full.
Shuttles are available beginning 2 hours prior to tip off and pick up and drop off near the South Limestone Garage (PS#5) and the High Street Lot. Shuttles will start back up after halftime to return guests to their parking areas, the shuttle will discontinue service 1-hour post-game.
Kentucky (20-6, 9-5 Southeastern Conference) is coming off a tough loss to No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday. The UK defense played well in the game, limiting South Carolina to its second-fewest points in a league game this season but the offense could never get going, shooting just 29.6 percent from the field. Sophomore guard Rhyne Howard scored a game-high 24 points adding a team-best 11 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season. Junior forward KeKe McKinney tied a career high with three 3-pointers made.
Howard leads Kentucky this season by ranking third nationally and first in the league with 23.1 points per game. The guard leads UK in rebounding at 6.6 per game while she has 56 assists, 54 steals and 25 blocks. Junior guard Chasity Patterson is averaging 12.2 points per game with 22 steals and 22 assists, while Haines is averaging 10.1 points per game with 4.1 rebounds per game. Roper is averaging 7.9 points per game and leads the Wildcats with 90 assists.
Georgia enters the week with a 15-12 record, including a 6-8 mark in league play and 4-4 record on the road. The Bulldogs are coming off an impressive 73-56 win at LSU on Sunday. In the game, the Bulldogs hit 49.1 percent from the field and went 15-of-16 from the free-throw line. Junior center Jenna Staiti and junior guard Gabby Connally each had 20-point games against the Tigers with Staiti going for 24 points and nine rebounds, while Connally went for 23 points hitting three 3-pointers.
Connally leads the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game while she also has a team-best 97 assists and 40 steals. The guard has hit a team-best 43 3-pointers this season. Staiti is second in scoring on the squad with 10.8 points per game, grabbing a team-best 6.1 rebounds per game with 41 blocks. Junior guard Maya Caldwell is averaging 9.8 points per game and has 56 assists with 38 steals.
Georgia leads the all-time series Kentucky, 37-19, including a 14-10 mark in games played in Lexington. UGA won the last meeting in Lexington 56-42 on Jan. 7, 2018. The Wildcats have won five of the last six games in the series with the home loss on Jan. 7, 2018 being the only loss during that stretch for Kentucky. UK defeated UGA 58-53 last season in Athens on the last game of the regular season. Matthew Mitchell is 10-8 against Georgia as the Kentucky head coach.
