1 - University of Kentucky Athletics

No. 15/16 Kentucky opened the year by hosting
the Women’s Sports Foundation Tournament
in Memorial Coliseum. All 12 of UK’s players saw
action and scored at least two points in an 80-51
opening-night victory against Washington State.
Two days later, however, the Wildcats shot just
24.6 percent from the floor and managed only
14.7 percent shooting in the second half in a 54-
51 loss to Indiana in the championship game.
It was clear that things were now different for
the Wildcats, who had spent much of the previous
season surprising team-after-team and scoring
numerous upset victories. Kentucky now had
to deal with high expectations and the challenge
of facing opponents looking to pull off upsets of
their own.
Senior guard Jenny Pfeiffer, the team’s signature
sharpshooter, helped the Cats get back on the
winning track in a tough road game at traditionrich
Old Dominion. Pfeiffer scored 22 points,
including five three pointers, and sophomore
point guard Carly Ormerod added 18 points and
seven assists in a 69-55 win in Norfolk, Va.
The Wildcats then headed West over the
Thanksgiving holiday to participate in the
Odwalla Classic hosted by the University of San
Francisco. Kentucky led Delaware by 11 points
with just over four minutes remaining in the first
half of the tournament’s opening game, but the
Blue Hens made a strong run before halftime
and opened the second period on an 11-4 tear en
route to an 86-70 victory. The following night,
Kentucky used a balanced attack as five players
scored in double figures for the first time in nearly
a year as the Wildcats stopped the Southern
Illinois Salukis in a 78-59 rout.
UK returned home for the first time in three
weeks to play host to Detroit and the Wildcats
trailed 28-25 at intermission. But after a stern talk
from DeMoss at halftime, the Cats stormed out of
the break on a 15-0 streak to earn their coach her
100th career victory with a 79-44 victory. Junior
center Sarah Elliott scored 22 points and senior
forward/center Jennifer Humphrey had 12 points
and 15 rebounds to lead the charge.
In the first-ever “Battle of the Bluegrass” in
which both teams were ranked, the 24th-ranked
Wildcats traveled to the Derby City for a showdown
with No. 19 Louisville. Four UK players
fouled out of the game and the Cardinals had
two players score 20 or more points as Louisville
pulled off an 83-75 victory.
Kentucky returned home for four consecutive
games, which helped the Wildcats find their
rhythm and the start of an eight-game winning
streak. The Cats clicked on all cylinders in
defeating four Southwest Athletic Conference
members to send the players into the holiday
break on a high note.
The Wildcats headed South to San Antonio
to participate in the Wells Fargo New Year’s
Classic as UK extended its winning streak to six
games. Ormerod had 17 points as one of three
Cats in double figures and Kentucky nailed a
season-high nine three-pointers as it defeated
Kent State 82-47. After two ties and eight lead
changes in the first 17 minutes of the next
night’s game against Memphis, the Wildcats
finally found their groove to notch an 86-51 victory
and claim the Classic title. Elliott earned
All-Classic honors.
Humphrey recorded her second consecutive
double-double as the Wildcats christened the
New Year with a resounding 77-45 win against
Texas Pan American in Memorial Coliseum.
The victory gave UK its best 14-game start since
the 1998-99 season.
South Carolina came to town to commence
Southeastern Conference in a match-up between
two of the league’s top defensive teams. A pair of
clutch charity shots by junior guard Samantha
Mahoney helped the Wildcats hold off a late
rally by the Gamecocks for a 59-55 win.
Kentucky then headed North for a nationally
televised showdown with No. 7/8 Ohio State on
CBS. In a low-scoring first half, the Wildcats
trailed 24-15 at intermission. But UK mounted a
furious second-half charge that tied the game at
51-51 with seconds left. The Buckeyes’ Marscilla
Packer knocked down a jumper with 16 seconds
left and Mahoney’s shot under the basket with
one tick remaining was deflected as Ohio State
took a 53-31 victory.
The Wildcats found themselves in a similar
• UK captured back-to-back 20-win seasons for
the first time since the 1989-90 and 1990-91
teams accomplished the feat.
• The Wildcats participated in their third straight
postseason tournament with a third-round finish
in the postseason WNIT.
• Kentucky finished 22nd nationally and third in
the SEC in rebounding margin at +4.6.
• UK either won or tied the rebounding battle in
all but 12 games. Thirteen contests were won
by 10 rebounds or more. UK is 37-8 over the
past two seasons when winning the rebounding
battle.
• Fifteen of Kentucky’s last 20 games were
decided by 10 points or less, including three
games decided at the buzzer and three concluded
in overtime. UK went 7-8 in those 15
games.
• Nine games were decided by five points or
less. UK went 4-5 in those games.
• UK has held 26 of the last 29 opponents to 50
percent shooting or less, including five straight.
• The Wildcats held seven opponents below 30
percent shooting or lower and ended the season
ranking third in the SEC in field goal percentage
defense.
• UK scored at least 70 points in all but 14
games. The Cats were 16-7 when scoring 70
or more and 6-9 when scoring less than 70. UK
was 8-0 when scoring 80 points or more.
• UK had at least three players score in double
figures in all but 11 games. UK went 16-7 in
those games.
• UK ranked in the nation’s top 20 in average
attendance for the fourth consecutive season.
The Cats were 13th nationally and second in the
SEC, averaging a school-record 5,863 fans per
game.
• Six of UK’s opponents were ranked in the Top
25 Associated Press Poll, including four teams
ranked in the top 10.
situation in Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum. Kentucky
trailed 62-59 with 46 seconds to go in the
game, but Elliott knocked in a shot and UK
forced a steal with 19 seconds left, but Pfeiffer’s
three-point attempt missed the mark. UK immediately
fouled Alabama’s Talisha Chandler, who
missed both of her free throws. UK’s Mahoney
then connected on a five-foot jumper with 1.8
seconds remaining to give the Cats a 63-62 win,
their first victory in Tuscaloosa since 2003.
But then the road got rocky. The Wildcats
dropped five of their next six contests. Kentucky
had No. 15 Vanderbilt on the ropes in the final
game of that skid. Freshman guard/forward Amani
Franklin scored inside with 11 seconds remaining
to put Kentucky up by one, but Vandy’s Dee Davis
connected on a driving lay-up with two ticks left to
give the Commodores a 63-62 victory.
Kentucky got back on the winning track with
an 84-74 win against Florida in Memorial Coliseum
on Super Bowl Sunday. Mahoney scored a
game-high 21 points to lead four Wildcats in
103 • 2007-08 Women’s Basketball