NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Alabama (17-12, 7-9 SEC) will play its first game of the Southeastern Conference Women's Basketball Tournament on Thursday when it takes on Kentucky (14-16, 6-10 SEC). The eighth-seeded Crimson Tide and ninth-seeded Wildcats will face off in the day's first of four contests, which tips at 12 p.m. CT in Bridgestone Arena.

THE BROADCAST

• Thursday's game will air on the SEC Network with Courtney Lyle, Tamika Catchings and Steffi Sorensen on the call.

• The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network on 93.3 FM in Tuscaloosa with Roger Hoover on the broadcast.

OPENING TIP

• Alabama heads into the 2018 Southeastern Conference Tournament as the No. 8 seed and will face ninth-seeded Kentucky in the second round.

• Last time out, the Crimson Tide lost its second overtime game in a row to a top-25 team, falling by one point at LSU, 79-78.

• Alabama won four of its Southeastern Conference games on the road this season, which is the most since it had four during the 1997-98 season.

• Alabama senior Ashley Williams was recognized as the SEC Player of the Week in addition to earning a spot on ncaaW's Starting Five after recording a pair of double-doubles in the wins at No. 11 Tennessee and at home against Auburn.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Wednesday's game will be the second between the Tide and Wildcats this season.

• Kentucky leads the series against Alabama, 29-17, and has won the last five meetings versus the Tide.

• Alabama and Kentucky played a back-and-forth game for three quarters in Lexington earlier this season before the Wildcats took control in the fourth to prevail.

• This will be the second year in a row that the two teams will be meeting in the SEC tournament as they faced off in the 2017 installment of the tournament in the quarterfinals (UK won, 65-55) and the sixth time meeting in the conference tournament overall (UK has won all five games).

• The Tide's last win in the series came in Lexington on Jan. 23, 2014, 57-55.

SCOUTING ALABAMA

• Alabama enters Wednesday's game with a 17-12 overall record and wrapped up SEC play with a 7-9 mark.

• UA is 0-2 in neutral site games this year, having lost both of its matchups in Fort Lauderdale at the Puerto Rico Clasico in November (NC State, Elon).

• The Crimson Tide is led in scoring by senior Hannah Cook , who averages 11.4 points per game and in rebounding by fellow senior Ashley Williams , who averages 7.0 boards per contest. Sophomore Jordan Lewis leads the way in assists with 3.3 per game.

• Sophomore Ashley Knight leads the team and ranks fourth in the SEC and 43rd nationally in blocks per game with an average of 2.03. She is currently second in career blocks at Alabama (149) and is 38 away from tying Yolanda Watkins (187) for most in program history.

• In three of its last five games, UA shot over 80 percent from the free throw line, hitting 82.4 percent (28-34) at Ole Miss, 87.4 percent (14-16) at Tennessee and 89.3 percent (25-28) against Auburn.

• As a team, the Crimson Tide is averaging 67.7 points per game, 5.4 more than its opponents, and is outrebounding the opposition 40.0-35.8.

• After finishing the 2016-17 season last in the SEC in free throw percentage, Alabama has jumped up to sixth, hitting 72.3 percent of its attempts as a team.

• In 22 of its 29 games this season, Alabama has had eight or more in the scoring column. In nine of those 22 games, 10 or more scored for the Crimson Tide.

ALABAMA IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT

• Alabama holds a 27-38 record all-time in the Southeastern Conference tournament.

• Last season, the Tide won two games for the first time since 1999. It defeated Vanderbilt, 77-57, on day one of the tournament and followed that up on Thursday by knocking out Tennessee in the round of eight, 72-64.

• Alabama bowed out of the 2017 tournament in the quarterfinals, losing by 10 to Kentucky, 65-55. It was the Tide's first appearance in the quarterfinals since 2005.

SCOUTING KENTUCKY

• Kentucky stands at 14-16 overall and ended its SEC slate with a 6-10 record.

• Wednesday's game will be the first at a neutral site this season for the Wildcats.

• Last time out, Kentucky fell at No. 2 Mississippi State, 85-63. Junior Maci Morris finished with 22 points, three rebounds, two assists, three blocks and three steals.

• The Wildcats are led in scoring by Morris (17.2 ppg) and in rebounding by senior Alyssa Rice (5.9 rpg), while junior Taylor Murray leads the team in assists (4.3 apg).

• Kentucky is under the direction of Matthew Mitchell, who is in his 11th year with the Wildcats. Mitchell, UK's all-time winningest coach, has led his teams to the postseason in each of his previous 10 seasons, including eight NCAA tournament appearances and two WNIT berths. The Wildcats have reached the NCAA Elite Eight three times under Mitchell in 2010, 2012 and 2013.