Howard, Three-Point Shooting Lead Cats Past Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – All-American Rhyne Howard scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Kentucky hit 10 of 22 from behind the arc as the Wildcats topped Arkansas 78-55 on Sunday at Bud Walton Arena. The win was Kentucky’s fourth straight.

Howard made nine of 16 from the field, including five of 10 from long-range and made all six of her free throws in the game. She also had two blocked shots and two assists in the win.

Dre’una Edwards also had a double-double for Kentucky, scoring 17 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Edwards added three assists in the victory.

Kentucky (13-11, 6-8 SEC) also got 11 points from Robyn Benton. The Cats won the rebounding battle 44-33 and had 32 bench points compared to nine for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas (16-10, 6-7) scored first on an Amber Ramirez three. But Kentucky started its long-range assault with threes from Howard and Jada Walker to take a 6-3 lead. Arkansas scored the next five, including another three from Ramirez, before Kentucky ran off nine in a row, five by Howard and four by Edwards, to lead 15-8 with 4:17 left in the first.

After Arkansas cut the UK lead to three, UK got threes from Howard and Edwards to extend the lead to 21-12. The Cats would hold a 23-14 lead after one period.

The Razorbacks scored the first three points of the second period before UK got a three from Treasure Hunt to lead 26-17. Arkansas would answer with four straight points before Kentucky got a basket and free throw from Nyah Leveretter and a three from Howard to lead 32-21, forcing an Arkansas timeout with 4:49 left in the half.

Kentucky would get an Edwards layup out of the timeout to close a 10-0 run and give the Cats a 36-21 lead. Arkansas would close the half on an 8-4 run to cut the UK lead to 40-29 at the half. Howard led all scorers with 16 points in the first half.

The teams would each score a pair of baskets to start the third quarter, keeping the UK lead at 11. But the Cats then went on a 10-0 run to extend the lead to 54-33 with 4:37 left in the third. Howard and Edwards each had four points in the run.

Arkansas would stop the run with a basket and free throw from Makayla Daniels. But Kentucky answered with a three from Robyn Benton to lead by 21 again. UK would lead 66-44 after three periods.

The Razorbacks would attempt to chip away at the UK lead in the fourth quarter. But each time Arkansas got closer, Kentucky had an answer.

Kentucky returns to action on Thursday, visiting Missouri in the Cats’ final road game of the season. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on SEC Network Plus.