WASHINGTON STATE (5-5) at #18 KENTUCKY (8-3) 
9:00 a.m. PT | Wednesday | Dec. 21, 2016
Lexington, Ken. | Memorial Coliseum (8,000)

SERIES HISTORY
The Cougs close out non-conference play at #18 Kentucky with a final game before the Christmas break. The game is the middle of a six-game road trip for the Cougars who start Pac-12 play at #9 Washington on Dec. 27. The two have met just once, back in 2006 in Lexington, with Kentucky winning 80-51. The Wildcats continue as one of the top teams in the nation and sit at 8-3 on the year with all eight wins coming at home where they are averaging over 4,500 fans a contest. They advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season where they fell to Washington, 85-72. Kentucky has struggled against the Pac-12 this season with two of their three losses coming to the conference (Colorado, 79-69 & Arizona State, 73-71).

LAST TIME OUT
Despite a furious rally in the final 10 minutes of play, the Washington State women's basketball team could not finish off their comeback as Saint Louis survived to take a 73-70 win over the Cougars on Sunday afternoon. Down 10 heading into the fourth quarter, the Cougars caught fire just as they had done to start the contest as WSU erased the Billikens' lead in just six minutes thanks to three of their 13 threes. The barrage was part of a 17-5 run to start the quarter as WSU took its first lead of the game since early in the second quarter. Unfortunately for WSU, the Hailey three with 2:40 would be the final score of the game for the Cougs who saw their comeback stall out in the final minutes. The Cougars hit a season-best 13 three-pointers, matching their start of the season output against LMU and finishing one-shy of the program's all-time single game record. The shooting display from deep was led by Alexys Swedlund who hit four of seven from behind the arc as the sophomore equaled a career mark while scoring a team-best 12 points. The Cougs would put four in double-figures in the loss.

ABOUT THE WILDCATS
The Wildcats enter the week ranked No. 18 int he country in the AP poll after taking a 59-36 win over Radford on Sunday at home in Memorial Coliseum. Kentucky is 8-1 at home on the year with their lone loss coming to Arizona State in overtime. Four players are averaging double-figures for the Wildcats led by Makayla Epps at 17.7 ppg. However, the Wildcats lost their starting point guard, Taylor Murray for the foreseeable future as the sophomore broke her finger in the loss to Arizona State. Prior to the injury, Murray was averaging 12.4 ppg.