Roper Matches Howard with ’30 Piece’ of Her Own
Matthew Mitchell doesn’t have to look at the scoring column to know Jaida Roper is contributing.
With her passing and energy, Roper is essential to Kentucky in her role coming off the bench whether or not shots are falling.
On Wednesday night, the shots were falling just fine.
“I was just real focused,” Roper said. “I came here earlier, got some shots up. I was feeling pretty good. I feel like I always feel pretty good. I was just locked in and when I got going and they were going in my teammates encouraged me.”
Roper had seven points within 75 seconds of checking in and matched her career high of 15 points by the end of the first quarter. The senior guard made her first eight field-goal tries – including three 3-pointers – en route to scoring 30 points in a dominant 91-36 victory for No. 14/11 Kentucky (10-0) over Winthrop at Rupp Arena.
“She just really got into a great rhythm,” Matthew Mitchell said. “She made some really good plays there in the first half cutting the basket. She shot the 3 well and she was doing a good job from the field, but she really made some smart plays and she was able to earn some buckets.”
After halftime, Winthrop put together a rare run of 6-0 to close the deficit to 38 points. With Rhyne Howard sidelined out of “an abundance of caution” after stepping on an opponent’s ankle, Mitchell turned to Roper, who made 12-of-13 field goals overall.
“As it started getting closer there in the second half, I tried to call some things that would give her an opportunity, but we didn’t want to force anything and make it about one player,” Mitchell said. “She just played real smart and I thought she really tough good shots and didn’t force anything tonight. Just played a great floor game. Happy for her. It’s gotta be a great feeling to have that kind of game.”
As Roper piled up the points, it was clear she was not alone in having a good time. Her teammates cheered her on, including Howard. Mere days removed from scoring 30 herself, Howard – who scored 12 points in 13 first-half minutes even after her minor injury – laid down the gauntlet before Roper.
“Well, when I had like 25, she looked at me,” Roper said. “She said, ‘You better get 30.’ So it was a challenge and I had to step up to it.”
Come Sunday, UK’s national player of the year candidate is fully expected to be back on the floor when UK returns to Rupp to host No. 7/7 Louisville. Roper wouldn’t mind it one bit if Howard counters with another 30 points of her own.
“Hopefully she comes back and she gets 30 the next game,” Roper said. “We can play a game, tit for tat.”
