The Kentucky women's basketball team returns to Memorial Coliseum Sunday to take on Florida A&M and try to tie the school record for consecutive wins to start a season.
The Wildcats (8-0) won their eighth straight game over a week ago at Cincinnati, equaling the best start since 2005-06. The school record is a 9-0 start by the 1980-81 squad. UK, which ranks eighth nationally and second in the Southeastern Conference in scoring margin, has defeated all eight opponents by at least 10 points.
"It will be good to get back on the court and play again," Coach Matthew Mitchell said. "It has been a good break for us. We've had a good chance for us to practice and get better in some areas that we needed to get better in."
Kentucky ranks fourth nationally in turnover margin (plus-9), 11th in scoring offense (80.5 points per game) and 12th in blocked shots (5.9 per game). Junior forward Victoria Dunlap continues to dominate on both ends of the court, leading UK in scoring (18.5), rebounding (10.5), blocks (2.4) and steals (3.0) per game. She also is the Southeastern Conference leader in blocks and steals.
Following Dunlap in the scoring column is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, A'dia Mathies. The freshman guard ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.1 points and has netted double figures in six of the eight games this season.
Florida A&M, located in Tallahassee, is 5-2 overall and 1-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference after wins over Florida (72-71) and Bethune-Cookman (65-62) last week. The Lady Rattlers also won their first three games of the season, highlighted by a season-opening upset at South Florida, 73-68 in overtime. Their two losses came against Missouri and Auburn.
"It's a big test. It's a good game for us to have to go and play hard, assert ourselves and play well to win," Mitchell said.
