The Kentucky Wildcats fan who spewed the N-word at a Tennessee Volunteers fan during a college basketball game Tuesday night is now apologizing ... acknowledging her words were "hurtful" and "hateful."
Yeah, she's just embarrassed she got caught.
The disgusting scene went down as the Vols were in the process of upsetting the Wildcats on their home court at Rupp Arena in Kentucky.
As UK fans were leaving early, Vols fans were talkin' some harmless smack -- when a woman named Ashley Lyles turned to a heckler and shouted, "N****r ass."
Yeah, she used the hard R .