FORT MYERS, Fla. - Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball aims to protect the nest Sunday against Kentucky at 2 p.m. in Alico Arena. The Power Five opportunity will air on ESPN+.
FGCU silenced the Wildcats a season ago with a 69-63 victory in Memorial Coliseum. Returners Brylee Bartram produced six points, and Maddie Antenucci added three in the win.
FGCU is 2-0 all-time against the Wildcats and has recorded 23 Power Five wins in program history. In 2017, the Green & Blue turned in a 70-64 win in the first-ever meeting versus Kentucky in Alico Arena. The last P5 win for FGCU occurred in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, a 74-63 First Round win over Washington State. FGCU is 7-9 all-time against current SEC foes.
The Eagles enter the prime time matchup 2-1 on the season, fresh off a 33-point win over Florida International University on Tuesday. FGCU struggled from distance but countered with 50 points in the paint to rout the Panthers.
Dolly Cairns led all Eagles with 19 points Tuesday, three points shy of tying a career-high outing. Uju Ezeudu produced her second double-double performance of the season.
Kentucky is also 2-1 on the year, dropping their first game of the 2023-24Â campaign Tuesday against fellow Atlantic Sun Conference member Austin Peay 68-63.
FGCU is ranked No. 4 in latest CollegeInsider.com's mid-major Top 25 poll. FGCU is the only mid-major with four straight Top 25 finishes in the AP Poll over the last four seasons. The Eagles have finished in the Top 25 in five out of the last six years.
FGCU, South Carolina, Stanford and UConn are the only four programs to record 30-or-more wins in three of the last five seasons.
