Sunday marks the 28th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day/Girl Scouts Day
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 13/12 Kentucky women’s basketball team returns to the friendly confines of Memorial Coliseum, where it has compiled a 70-6 mark over the last five seasons, to play host to 14th-ranked Louisiana State for the 28th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day/Girl Scouts Day. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports South with Dave Baker and former Maryland standout Christy Winters Scott calling the action. It also will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and the UK IMG Sports Radio Network with Neil Price. Fans can follow Twitter updates on @UKHoopCats.
In conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sports Day/Girl Scouts Day, UK has several festivities taking place surrounding Sunday’s game.
· Student-athletes from UK’s women’s golf, women’s soccer, swimming/diving and volleyball teams will sign autographs prior to the game on the east concourse in Memorial. Doors will open at 11 a.m. ET.
· The Girl Scouts of Kentucky will celebrate National Girl Scout Cookie Day by selling cookies near the marketing gazebo on the west concourse in Memorial. Cookies are $3.50 per box with cash or check only.
· UK will honor Pat Deacon, a former UK alumna and long-time athletics administrator, coach and professor at Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky., by giving her the seventh annual Sue Feamster Trailblazer Award.
· Several UK alumni will be in attendance to take part in UK Alumni Association Day.
Single-game reserved tickets cost of $9 for all ages. General admission tickets for adults are $8 while single-game general admission tickets for seniors and children (ages 6-18, 65 and over) are only $5. UK faculty, staff and children ages five and under are admitted free in the general admission seating area, while supplies last.
Kentucky (16-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) looks to get back on the winning track after falling in a heartbreaker at Georgia on Thursday, 58-56. The Wildcats shot a season-low 30.2 percent from the field (16-of-53), including just 29.2 percent (7-of-24) in the decisive second half. Senior forward Samarie Walker (West Carrollton, Ohio) was the only player in double digits with 10 points. Senior Kastine Evans (Salem, Conn.) followed with nine points.
“We have a big challenge ahead of us on Sunday,” UK Hoops Coach Matthew Mitchell said. “LSU is one of the better teams in the country and certainly one of the better teams in our conference. They have a lot of talented players and are well-coached. They’ll be a tough opponent, so we’ll have to practice really hard this afternoon and try to practice well the next couple days and see if we can get a win on Sunday afternoon.”
The Lady Tigers have won their last three conference matchups and enter Sunday’s game at 17-4 overall, 6-2 in SEC play after a 65-56 win over Mississippi State on Thursday in Baton Rouge, La.. LSU also has league wins over Tennessee (80-77), Florida (82-68), Missouri (87-68), Auburn (71-60) and Ole Miss (66-56).
Senior All-SEC forward Theresa Plaisance leads the Lady Tigers in scoring and rebounding at 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Senior guard Jeanne Kenney and freshman guard Raigyne Moncrief round out the double-figure scorers for LSU with 11.1 and 11.0 points per game, respectively. Kenney leads the team in assists at 3.8 per game and ranks second in the SEC in 3-point percentage (.422).
Four Wildcats are averaging in double digits this season for Kentucky, led by junior point guard Jennifer O’Neill (Bronx, N.Y.). She is putting up 12.1 points per game, while senior forwards DeNesha Stallworth (Richmond, Calif.) and Samarie Walker (West Carrollton, Ohio) follow with 11.0 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. Evans adds 10.1 points per game.
Walker ranks second overall in SEC rebounding with 9.1 rebounds per game, and ranks third in SEC games only with 8.8 boards per game.
Junior guard Bria Goss, who averages 9.8 points per game, ranks sixth nationally and leads the SEC in free-throw shooting percentage, hitting 92.1 percent clip (58-of-63). She has hit 17 consecutive free throws spanning seven games.
LSU leads the all-time series with Kentucky 31-11, including an 11-6 advantage when the game is played in Lexington. UK has won the last two matchups over the Lady Tigers in Memorial Coliseum, including last year’s game on Jan. 27, 2013, 73-60.
Six of the last nine matchups have been decided by 10 points or less. UK went 3-3 in those games.
Please note that fans arriving approximately 1 hour or less before tip-off are highly encouraged to park at the Transit Center Parking Garage (see shuttle info below) or Parking Structure #5 next to Kennedy’s bookstore. Both are a 5-10 minute walk or a short shuttle ride over to the Coliseum. All surface lots near the Coliseum will likely be full one hour prior to tip-off and you will be re-directed to one of these options. Doors to Memorial Coliseum will open at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday.
Changes to parking are highlighted in yellow:
All E-lots (Employee Lots) surrounding Memorial Coliseum beginning 3 hours prior to tip-off
Parking Structure #5 (adjacent to Kennedy’s Bookstore) –access from Limestone or Upper Street beginning 1.5 hours prior to tip. No vouchers or coupons are necessary for free parking unless otherwise noted.
Lexington Authority Transit Center Parking Garage, located between High Street and Vine Street, is available for all remaining games. If parking in this garage, bring the yellow token and game ticket to the Guest Service table at the Lexington Ave entrance to request a free parking coupon.
Handicap parking is available in the E-Lot (Employee Lot) north of the Craft Center, adjacent to the metered spaces running along the frontage of the Craft Center with a valid, state issued handicap tag. These spaces (typically 20-30 stalls) are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until full. Game day shuttles are also handicap accessible should these spaces fill before game time.
Please note: parking is prohibited in any R (Residential) lots. Vehicles parking in Residential 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.
Shuttle Information:
Shuttles are available beginning 1.5 hours prior to tip off from Parking Structure # 5 located off Limestone and Upper Street and the Transit Center Parking Garage located off High Street and Vine Street.
Parking Structure # 5 (blue route) picks up/drops off on Administration Drive, at the end of the pedestrian sky bridge accessed from the 3rd floor of the parking garage. This shuttle will drop off at the front of Memorial Coliseum.
Transit Center Parking Garage (green route) picks up/drops off near the corner of High Street and Martin Luther King. This shuttle will drop off at the Lexington Ave entrance near the ticket office.
Shuttles will start back up at halftime (to return guests to their parking areas) and end 1 hour post-game.
For more information on parking around Memorial Coliseum and other game-day questions visit www.ukathletics.com/wbbgameday.
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