Wildcats looking for school-record fourth-straight Sweet 16 berth on Sunday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After a commanding 97-52 win over Tennessee State on Friday afternoon to open the 2015 NCAA Tournament, the 11th-ranked University of Kentucky women’s basketball team looks to carry that impressive play into Sunday’s matchup against seventh-seeded Dayton in the second round.
Tipoff in Memorial Coliseum is set for approximately 2:30 p.m. ET and will be shown live on ESPN2 with Brenda VanLengen and Carol Ross calling the action. The game can also be heard live on the UK Sports Network with Neil Price.
Fans can follow updates on Twitter at @ukhoopcats and use the hashtag #ncaaw to talk about the game.
Tickets may be purchased:
By calling the UK Athletics ticket office at 800-928-2287 or 859-257-1818
On the Internet at www.UKathletics.com/tickets
In-person at the Joe Craft Center Ticket Office
UK students may show their Wildcard Student ID at the Joe Craft Center ticket windows on Sunday, March 22, beginning at 9 a.m. ET to receive a complimentary Second Round ticket paid for by UK Athletics Marketing. Single session tickets for college students from other universities are $5.00 (one ticket per student with college ID)
Against Tennessee State, sophomore guard Linnae Harper (Chicago) came off the bench to lead six Wildcats in double figures with 16 points. She also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. Freshman forward Alexis Jennings (Madison, Ala.) followed with 15 points, while senior guard Jennifer O’Neill (Bronx, N.Y., senior guard Bria Goss (Indianapolis) and sophomore guard Makayla Epps (Lebanon, Ky.) had 13 points each. Freshman guard Jaycee Coe (Gainesboro, Tenn.) added a career-high 10 points in just 14 minutes of action. It marked the first time since Dec. 29, 2013 vs. Grambling State six or more players have been in double figures.
Kentucky’s signature “40 minutes of dread” defense proved to be too much for the 15-seeded Lady Tigers as the Wildcats forced them into 26 turnovers and limited them to just 26.1 percent shooting. The Wildcats swiped a season- and UK NCAA Tournament-high 18 steals in the game, a career-high five steals coming from senior forward Jelleah Sidney (Queens Village, N.Y.). UK’s defense turned into points for the Wildcats as they used 16-0 run in the first 10 minutes of the game to turn a 3-3 tie into a 19-3 advantage.
Kentucky (24-9) will look to advance to the Sweet 16 for a school-record fourth straight season, and fifth in the last six seasons under head coach Matthew Mitchell. Standing in the way is a tough Dayton squad who is 26-9 over and finished Atlantic-10 play at 14-2 for second place. The Flyers, led by head coach Jim Jabir, advanced to the Lexington Sub-Regional final with a 78-66 win over 10th-seeded Iowa State on Friday in Memorial. Andrea Hoover leads the Flyers in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game this season, and is one of three Flyers in double figures. Senior Ally Malott follows with 15.3 ppg and Amber Deane has 10.2 ppg.
UK is 13-3 all-time vs. Dayton, the last meeting coming in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament in Queens, N.Y. UK defeated the Flyers, 80-74. The Wildcats have won five of the last six matchups with Dayton, including two in a row.
