The SEC Tournament is underway, and it could be win-or-go-home time for Kentucky.

The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team has won six games in a row to resurrect what looked like a rapidly dying 2021-22 season.

That spirit of survival will serve the Wildcats well as they embark Thursday night on the start of postseason play, where every game from here on out could well be UK’s last.

Kentucky (15-11) is the No. 7 seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The Wildcats face No. 10 Mississippi State (15-13) Thursday at 7 p.m. EST.

UK and Mississippi State are both considered to be “on the bubble” for NCAA Tournament admission so Thursday night’s game might not be a win-or-go-home scenario — but it well could be.

Charlie Creme’s NCAA Tournament bracketology predictions for ESPN had the Wildcats in the field as a No. 11 seed entering Thursday. The winner of the SEC Tournament receives the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA field. Fall short of that and you await your fate in the at-large pool on Selection Sunday the night of March 13.

The Kentucky-Mississippi State winner will take on No. 2 SEC seed LSU (25-4) in Friday night’s quarterfinals at 7 p.m.

The SEC Tournament began with two first-round games Wednesday night.

No. 13 seed Vanderbilt defeated No. 12 Texas A&M, 85-69, and No. 11 Alabama took down No. 14 Auburn, 75-68, to reduce the original 14-team field to 12. After Thursday night, eight will remain.

Below is a look at Kentucky’s tournament opener and an update on the rest of the SEC action.

Click here to view the full SEC Tournament bracket.

Thursday

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State

What: SEC women’s basketball tournament

When: 7 p.m. EST

Where: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville

TV: SEC Network

Radio: WLAP-AM 630

Seeding: UK No. 7, MSU No. 10

Records: Kentucky 15-11, Mississippi State 15-13

Last meeting: Kentucky beat MSU, 81-74, on Feb. 15 in Lexington.

SEC Tournament schedule

At Bridgestone Arena in Nashville

All times Eastern

Wednesday

No. 13 Vanderbilt 85, No. 12 Texas A&M 69

No. 11 Alabama 75, No. 14 Auburn 68

Thursday

1 p.m.: No. 8 Arkansas 61, No. 9 Missouri 52

About 3:25 p.m.: No. 5 Florida (20-9) vs. Vanderbilt (14-17)

7 p.m.: No. 7 Kentucky (15-11) vs. No. 10 Mississippi State (15-13)

About 9:25 p.m.: No. 6 Georgia (20-8) vs. Alabama (16-12)

Friday

1 p.m.: No. 1 South Carolina (27-1) vs. Arkansas (18-12)

About 3:25 p.m.: No. 4 Ole Miss (22-7) vs. Florida-Vanderbilt winner

7 p.m.: No. 2 LSU (25-4) vs. Kentucky-Mississippi State winner

About 9:25 p.m.: No. 3 Tennessee (22-7) vs. Georgia-Alabama winner

Saturday

5 p.m.: First semifinal

About 7:25 p.m.: Second semifinal

Sunday

2 p.m.: Championship game

TV

▪ First round, second round and quarterfinals (SEC Network)

▪ Semifinals (ESPNU)

▪ Championship game (ESPN2)

This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 8:34 AM.