LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season and could play in a regional at Rupp Arena for the second consecutive year.

The Wildcats were announced as a No. 4 seed in the Lexington region of the 2017 NCAA Tournament Monday. UK will open play at Memorial Coliseum Friday against No. 13 seed Belmont in the first round and could face the winner of No. 5 seed Ohio State and No. 12 seed Western Kentucky on Sunday with a victory in the opener.



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Two victories for UK would advance the Wildcats to Rupp Arena for the tournament’s second weekend where No. 1 seed Notre Dame could await in the Sweet 16. No. 2 seed Stanford and No. 3 seed Texas are the favorites to reach Rupp from the other side of the bracket.

Kentucky has reached the tournament in eight consecutive seasons but is still looking for its first Final Four appearance. The 2017 tournament is the last chance for senior Makayla Epps, the second player in program history to be named first-team All-SEC in three consecutive years, to reach the Final Four.

The Wildcats enter the tournament after a loss to No. 1 seed South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals. The Wildcats tied for third in the SEC in the regular season despite losing six players to transfer between October 2015 and May 2016 and replacing his entire coaching staff before the season.

Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com . Follow him on Twitter @JonHale_CJ .