DU-UK, Women's Style

DURHAM, N.C. -- Since at least March of 1992, when Christian Laettner's bucket at the buzzer stunned Kentucky and lifted Duke to the Final Four, basketball battles between the Blue Devils and the Big Blue have been among the most anticipated and in the country. There have only been four, all on neutral sites, but the fact that about another half-dozen could have taken place in the NCAA Tournament has added fuel to the rivalry fire.

While Duke-Kentucky men's games are rarities, women's basketball contests between the two have become a staple of both schools' nonconference schedules. This December will mark the sixth straight season for a Devils-Wildcats matchup, and if tradition holds, it should be quite a game. Both teams have been nationally ranked for each of the previous five games, four of which have been closely contested and all of which have been well-attended.

Here's what the game has evolved into when played in Lexington: The Wildcats play most of their home games at 8,000-seat Memorial Coliseum, but in December of 2011 the Duke game was moved to Rupp Arena and tickets were sold for $1. A crowd of 14,508 showed up, making it the biggest women's basketball crowd ever at Rupp at the time.

When Duke returned in 2013, that record was smashed as 23,706 poured into the arena, and when the Devils were in town last year they played before 17,150.

This year's contest is set for Dec. 29 at Cameron Indoor and will close out the non-conference slate for the Blue Devils. Just a few days later, Duke will open ACC play with the Wildcats' biggest rival, as Louisville visits on Jan. 2.

Here's a look at the five recent Duke-Kentucky women's games:

Date Rankings/Results Site Attend

Jan. 4, 2011 #3 Duke 54, #10 Kentucky 48 Cameron Indoor 5,314

Dec. 8, 2011 #10 Kentucky 72, #6 Duke 65 Rupp Arena 14,508

Dec. 22, 2013 #2 Duke 69, #5 Kentucky 61 Rupp Arena 23,706

Dec. 21, 2014 #13 Duke 89, #8 Kentucky 68 Cameron Indoor 6,043

Dec. 20, 2015 #8 Kentucky 71, #13 Duke 61 Rupp Arena 17,150

Dec. 29, 2016 Kentucky at Duke, 7:00 pm Cameron Indoor

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