[B][I][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std][/FONT][/I][/B]
[B][I][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std][/FONT][/I][/B]
[B][I][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Wildcats look for the third win over top-10 opponent this season[/FONT][/I][/B]
[FONT=Arial Narrow] [/FONT]
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After a week-long break for final exams, the No. 8/7 undefeated Kentucky women’s basketball team will put its 10-game winning streak on the line when it travels to No. 3 Notre Dame on Sunday for a battle of two top-10 teams. The game will be played at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind., and will be televised on ESPNU at 1 p.m. ET.
Notre Dame is UK’s third ranked opponent of the non-conference schedule, including its third in the last four games. The Wildcats are 2-0 vs. ranked teams this season with both games played in Lexington. UK looks for its first win over a top-10 team on the road since defeating No. 8 Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, Ky., on Dec. 11, 1991 (67-66).
“We have been preparing extremely hard all week for Notre Dame,” UK Hoops Coach Matthew Mitchell said. “They are an absolutely fantastic opponent we will be facing in what we know will be a tremendous atmosphere. They have great, passionate fans, and we know that it will be a real challenge for us to go on the road and compete with them. We’ve worked hard in practice and I like where the team is. It will be exciting to see if we can have a good showing on Sunday.”
Sunday’s game also marks the debut of sophomore forward Samarie Walker (West Carrollton, Ohio), who is now eligible for action after transferring from Connecticut following the fall semester last season.
“She’s just been excellent this week,” Mitchell said. “What we’ve really tried all season long is to practice her as if she were a starter or would have the chance to start. We’ve talked about them earning time in practice and I haven’t seen a huge difference. I thought maybe she might be hyped up in a negative way, and tight, but she’s performed great. She’s had some of the best practices of the week. She’s a really, really good player and the only thing I see her behind in just a little bit is defensively, but I just think that’s going to come. She makes so many plays offensively for us that I just think she’s going to be a big addition. But she’s practiced really, really well.”
Kentucky is 10-0 after impressive wins over No. 6/5 Duke and Arkansas-Pine Bluff last week. In front of a school-record 14,508 fans in Rupp Arena, the Wildcats upset the Blue Devils, 72-65, led by A’dia Mathies’ (Louisville, Ky.) season-high 23 points and career-high tying four 3-pointers. Freshmen roommates Bria Goss (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Azia Bishop (Toledo, Ohio) were also crucial to the Cats’ signature win as they combined for 31 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and four steals.
Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, UK did what it does best, force turnovers. The Cats forced a school-record 49 turnovers en route to a 101-43 win. Goss and senior Keyla Snowden (Lexington, Ky.) led five players in double digits with 19 points apiece.
The Wildcats’ defensive pressure, often dubbed “40 minutes of dread,” has once again been their bread and butter as they lead the nation in turnover margin (+17.0) and steals (16.5). The Cats have forced a league-high 349 turnovers for an average of 34.9 forced turnovers per game.
Leading the charge is Mathies who already ranks in the top 10 on UK’s all-time steals list. The 5-foot-9 junior and member of the Naismith preseason watch list, averages a Southeastern Conference-high 4.1 steals per game to go along with her team-best 16.8 points per game. She has netted double-figure points in all nine games played this season. Goss has also been a key contributor as she averages 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. Sophomore Samantha Drake (Bardstown, Ky.) is the team’s leading rebounder with 6.8 rebounds per game.
Notre Dame (9-1) is located in South Bend, Ind., and is a member of the Big East Conference. The Fighting Irish enter Sunday’s contest coming off a 66-38 victory over No. 22/22 Purdue. The Irish were led by senior forward Devereaux Peters, who had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Lexington, Ky., native Natalie Novosel, who scored a team-high 17 points.
The Fighting Irish have been led this season by junior All-America guard Skylar Diggins, who is averaging 16.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.3 steals per game. Peters leads Notre Dame on the glass, averaging 7.3 boards per game to go with 10.0 points per game. Notre Dame has four players averaging at least 10 points per game.
The Wildcats are 1-0 all-time vs. Notre Dame after an 81-76 win over the 12th-ranked Fighting Irish last season in Memorial Coliseum.
Sunday’s game can be heard on the UK IMG Sports Radio Network with Neil Price calling the action. Fans can also follow the UK Hoops team on Twitter at @UKHoopCats and use #UKHoops to comment on the game.
