Ending the regular season the right way.

So far the 2023-24 season has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Kim Mulkey and LSU women's basketball. It handily lost to Colorado to tip off the season in Las Vegas, star Angel Reese was away from the team for four games. Sophomore forward Sa'Myah Smith was lost for the season with a knee injury, LSU beat Virginia Tech before losing games to Auburn, South Carolina and Mississippi State.

But now, the No. 9 Tigers (25-4, 12-3 SEC) are riding a seven-game win streak and will host Kentucky (11-18, 4-11) inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in their regular-season finale Sunday (1 p.m., SEC Network).

LSU has clinched the No. 2 seed for the SEC Tournament next week in Greenville, South Carolina, and wants to carry all the momentum of playing its best basketball into postseason play.

Kentucky Wildcats have been a mess this season

Very little has gone right for Kyra Elzy and her Wildcats this season.

Kentucky was hit hard with transfer portal defects following last season. And with the circumstances of building a new gymnasium and having to play some home games at nearby Transylvania University, recruiting replacements wasn't an easy task.

For the first time since 2003-04, Kentucky will finish with its second straight losing season. Elzy's team has only won six SEC games the last two seasons.

The Wildcats manage 65.6 points per game, good enough for 13th out of 14 teams. Teams average more than 80 points per game against them.

Name to recall: Ajae Petty

As bas as things have been for Kentucky, the lone bright spot has been the play of senior forward Ajae Petty.

And LSU women's basketball fans should remember Petty, who signed with LSU out of high school when former coach Nikki Fargas at the helm. Mulkey inherited her in her first season in Baton Rouge.

She played OK for Kentucky last season, but her game has been transformed this season. She's become the Wildcats' first option on offense. Petty has one of the top shooting percentages in the SEC at 52.5%, and her 14.6 points per games ranks 12th in the league.

The Wildcats run their offense through Petty as well as shooting guard Maddie Scherr to create a formidable one-two punch.

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LSU will honor Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith during senior recognition festivities Sunday. But the looming question swirling around both Tiger star players is if this in fact will be their last season in purple and gold.

Due to COVID-19, Van Lith and Reese each one remaining season of eligibility in college. As of now, it remains to be seen what either player will do.

Reese is projected to be a top-eight pick in April's 2024 WNBA Draft and has helped guide the LSU program to new heights by capturing an NCAA championship last season.

Van Lith hasn't really been discussed as a draft choice. The former Louisville guard came to LSU to learn the point guard position under Mulkey and has had an up-and-down campaign. But of late, she's caught fire offensively, leading the team in scoring the last two games with 26 points at Tennessee and 18 points at Georgia.

LSU women's basketball score prediction vs. Kentucky

LSU 95, Kentucky 48: This has blowout written all over it. LSU should dominate on ends of the floor.

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU women's basketball vs. Kentucky: Score prediction, scouting report