In a highly-anticipated matchup, the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team is set to take on the No. 1/1 South Carolina Gamecocks on Monday, January 15th at 7 p.m. ET at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network, with Courtney Lyle and Steffi Sorensen providing commentary. Kentucky fans can also tune in to UK Sports Network and 630 AM WLAP to listen to the play-by-play, delivered by Darren Headrick.
Kentucky enters the game with an 8-9 overall record, including a 1-2 record in the Southeastern Conference. They started off conference play with a victory against Arkansas, followed by losses to Tennessee and Vanderbilt. However, despite their recent defeat to Vanderbilt, senior forward Ajae Petty had a standout performance, scoring 23 points and grabbing a career-high 21 rebounds. This marked the first 20-20 game for the program since Valerie Still accomplished the feat in 1982.
Petty has been a reliable leader for the Wildcats this season, leading the team in both scoring (16.5) and rebounding (11.3). Senior guard Maddie Scherr is also a key contributor, ranking second in scoring (14.9) and rebounding (3.9). Kentucky has shown improvement in conference play, averaging 71.1 points per game and 37.8 rebounds per game.
Both Kentucky and South Carolina have faced tough competition in their nonconference schedules. They are the only two teams in the SEC to have played at least six Power 5 opponents, with South Carolina facing seven. Despite the challenging schedule, Kentucky has managed to win six of their last 10 games, including a four-game winning streak leading up to January 4th.
In the all-time series between the Wildcats and the Gamecocks, South Carolina holds a narrow 39-35 advantage. However, when playing in Columbia, Kentucky has struggled with a record of 10-24.
On the other side, the South Carolina Gamecocks boast an impressive undefeated record of 15-0, with a perfect 3-0 record in conference play. They lead the nation in scoring margin, three-point percentage, and blocks per game. Additionally, they rank second in rebounds per game. Their balanced offense is led by four players averaging double-digit scoring, including Kamila Cardoso, Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall, and MiLaysia Fulwiley. Cardoso also leads the team in rebounding with 10.5 per game.
It’s worth noting that Scherr and Paopao were teammates at Oregon during their freshman and sophomore seasons.
With both teams coming off impressive performances, this matchup promises to be an exciting battle between two talented squads. Kentucky will be looking to hand South Carolina their first loss of the season, while the Gamecocks aim to maintain their perfect record. Fans of women’s college basketball won’t want to miss this showdown.
