Photo by Britney Howard | UK Athletics
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Looking to continue its momentum after an impressive run to the 2018 Paradise Jam title last week, the No. 25 University of Kentucky women’s basketball team hosts in-state foe Morehead State on Wednesday at Noon ET inside Memorial Coliseum.
The game will be streamed on SEC Network+ with Christi Thomas and Jeff Piecoro 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 630 AM in Lexington. Live stats and free live audio will be available online at UKathletics.com.
All spectators attending the game Wednesday are encouraged to park in Parking Structure 5 or any E lot surrounding the Joe Craft Center and Memorial Coliseum beginning at 9 a.m. ET. Spectators wishing to park in Parking Structure 5 are encouraged to collect a parking vouchers from event staff at their desired entrance, allowing patrons to exit the structure free of charge. Shuttles are available beginning two hours prior to tip and will pick up and drop off near Parking Structure 5 and the Transit Center Parking Garage and High Street Lot. Shuttles will start back up after halftime to return guests to their parking areas, the shuttle will discontinue service 1-hour postgame.
Doors to Memorial Coliseum open 1.5 hours before tip and UK Athletics encourages women’s basketball fans to arrive early to ease traffic and parking congestion around the Coliseum. For more information on parking around Memorial Coliseum and other game-day questions visit UKathletics.com.
Kentucky, which entered the AP Top 25 and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 at No. 25 this week, earned the 2018 Paradise Jam Island Division Championship last week with a 85-63 win over No. 17 South Florida, 75-74 overtime win vs. (rv) UCLA and 85-75 comeback win vs. North Carolina. The Wildcats were paced at the event by freshman guard Rhyne Howard, who led UK in scoring all three games including two 20-point performances, earning MVP and Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week honors. Howard averaged 21 points and hit the game-tying layup off an offensive rebound to send the UCLA game to overtime before eventually winning the game with a free throw. Senior guard Taylor Murray was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 18.7 points during the three-day event. Murray, who was named College Sports Madness National Player of the Week and SEC Player of the Week by the league office, had an incredible stat line against North Carolina with 23 points, 10 assists, seven steals and six rebounds.
Howard has led Kentucky this season by averaging 18.3 points per game with a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game. The native of Cleveland, Tenn., has 13 assists and 13 steals this season and has scored 20 or more three times while leading UK in scoring four times. Murray has been impressive this season averaging 15.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while leading UK with 31 assists and 24 steals. Senior guard Maci Morris is also averaging double digits this season at 13.9 points per game. The native of Bell County, Ky., has hit 18 3-pointers and is averaging 3.0 rebounds per game. Junior guard Jaida Roper is averaging 8.3 points per game and is 11-for-19 from long range with 16 assists. As a team, UK is averaging 79.6 points per game while limiting opponents to just 55.4 points per game. The Wildcats are hitting 40.9 percent from the field, 41.9 percent from long range and have +14.1 turnover margin.
Morehead State enters Wednesday’s game with a 6-1 record and ranked as one of the best offensive teams in the nation, averaging 94.7 points per game which ranks third nationally. The Eagles have a +30.1 scoring margin and are hitting 51.8 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from 3 this season. MSU has a +10.4 turnover margin and are forcing opponents into 26.7 turnovers per game.
Senior guard Miranda Crockett is the team’s leading scorer at 21.1 points per game adding 6.6 rebounds per game, while junior guard Aliyah Jeune is averaging 20.2 points per game with a team-best 16 3-pointers made. Senior Darianne Seward is averaging 12.9 points per game with a team-best 36 assists while graduate student Mckenzie Calvert is averaging 11.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. The Eagles have wins this season over North Carolina A&T, Gardner-Webb, Valparaiso, Chicago State, Alice Lloyd and Kentucky Christian. The lone loss came against St. Francis Brooklyn, 101-94.
Kentucky holds a 30-4 all-time record against Morehead State, including a 20-1 mark in games played in Lexington. UK has won each of the last 13 meetings in the series with the last loss coming Jan. 3 1989 in Morehead. The two schools have played each other nine of the last 10 seasons since Matthew Mitchell left the Eagles to take the UK head coaching position. Mitchell is 8-0 all-time against Morehead State as a head coach.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.comor follow @KentuckyWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, or Kentucky Women’s Basketball on Facebook.
