UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. ARKANSAS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2022
BUD WALTON ARENA – FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.
 
Kentucky 78, Arkansas 55 – FINAL
 
Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 13-11, 6-8 in the SEC this season, while Arkansas is 16-10, 6-7 in league play.
  • This was the 40th all-time meeting between Kentucky and Arkansas.
  • The Wildcats lead the series all-time 26-14.
  • Arkansas leads the series in games played in Fayetteville, 10-8.
  • Today is the fewest points allowed by Kentucky against Arkansas (55) since Feb. 26, 2015 (51).
  • Today is Kentucky’s largest margin of victory against Arkansas (23 points) since Feb. 18, 2007 (27 points).
  • Today is Kentucky’s second largest margin of victory against Arkansas in Fayetteville in program history (23 points) (won by 29 points on Feb. 12, 2006).
• Kentucky is in its 48th season with a 875-569 (.606) all-time record.
• Kyra Elzy is in her second season as the head coach of the Wildcats, holding a 31-20 overall record.
• Kentucky will be back in action Thursday, Feb. 24 at Missouri inside Mizzou Arena. The game will tip at 8 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ and the UK Sports Network.  

 
Team Notes

• Kentucky used the starting combination of senior guards Rhyne Howard and Jazmine Massengill, sophomore forward Treasure Hunt and Nyah Leveretter, and freshman guard Jada Walker.
  • This is the third time that UK has used this starting combination this season. UK is 3-0 with this combination.
  • Rhyne Howard scored first for Kentucky in the game. It was the team-leading eighth time this season she has scored first.
  • Dre’una Edwards was the first sub for Kentucky. It was the fifth time she has been the first Wildcat off the bench.
  • Arkansas won the opening tip. It was the 16th time that UK has lost the opening tip.  
• Kentucky led 23-14 at the end of the first quarter thanks to shooting 53 percent from the field and 5-of-6 from 3.
  • UK had three offensive rebounds in the first quarter for eight second-chance points.
  • UK forced Arkansas into four first-quarter turnovers and had eight points off turnovers.
  • Six of Kentucky’s first nine field goals were assisted.
  • Rhyne Howard had 11 first-quarter points, while Dre’una Edwards had seven in the first 10 minutes.
• The Wildcats started the second quarter with four turnovers in their first five possessions, but rallied from that to go on a 8-0 run and force a Arkansas timeout up 34-21 with 4:49 to go in the first half.
  • The run was an and-one by Leveretter, 3-pointer by Howard and jumper by Howard. The run continued with an Edwards layup to go 10-0. It ended with an Arkansas free throw.
• Kentucky held a 16-point lead at one point in the second quarter, but Arkansas ended the quarter on 7-2 run to make it 40-29 at the break.
  • UK was 16-of-32 from the field in the first half, including 7-of-12 from 3.
  • Arkansas was 12-of-28 from the field and 3-of-9 from 3.
  • UK led the rebounding battle at the break 19-14, including a 7-4 edge in offensive rebounds.
  • UK had a 11-5 advantage in second-chance points.
  • Paint points were tied 16-16 at halftime.
  • Both teams had seven turnovers in the first half with UK scoring 11 points off Arkansas errors, while the Razorbacks score eight points off UK miscues.
• Kentucky started the third quarter on a 12-4 run to take a 52-33 lead with 5:21 to go in the third quarter and force a Arkansas timeout.
  • UK hit four of its first seven shots to start the second half, while Arkansas hit just two of its first 10, including missing its first five 3s.
  • The run continued out of the timeout with UK getting a steal and a layup to make it 10-0.
• UK outscored Arkansas 26-15 in the third quarter to take a 66-44 lead into the fourth quarter.
  • UK was 10-of-19 from the field in the third quarter, including 3-of-6 from 3.
  • Arkansas was 5-of-18 and 0-of-6 from 3.
  • UK forced three third-quarter turnovers and scored nine points off those errors in the third quarter alone.
  • Kentucky had nine second-chance points in the third quarter.
  • Robyn Benton was huge off the bench in the second quarter, scoring eight points with two 3s.
• Kentucky won the fourth quarter 12-11, taking time off the clock the entire quarter to sustain the lead and earn the win.
• This is the second four-game winning streak of the season for Kentucky and the first in league play.
  • It is the first time that Elzy has won four straight league games since taking over as head coach.
• Kentucky hit 10 3s in the game, marking the third straight games UK has hit seven or more 3s.
  • UK has hit seven or more 3s in three straight games for the second time this season and first time in league play.
• The points in the paint battle was tied 30-30 at the end of the game.
• Kentucky has 24 second-chance points, which is its third most all year and most in a league game this season.
• Kentucky’s 22 points off turnovers was its most in a league game this season.
• Kentucky has scored 25 or more bench points in each of the last four games and are 7-0 this season when they score 25 or more from the bench.
• This is the first time Kentucky has won a SEC game by 20+ points since defeating Tennessee 86-65 in the SEC Tournament on March 6, 2020.
• Kentucky is 26-7 under Kyra Elzy when it has a lead at the half, including a 11-3 mark this season. UK is 4-2 in the SEC this season when leading at the half.
• This was Kentucky’s most made three-point field goals in an SEC road game (10) since Jan. 21, 2021 at Auburn (10).
• This was Kentucky’s largest rebounding margin in an SEC road game (+11) since Feb. 20, 2020 at Ole Miss (+14).
• Kentucky today had two players record a double-double in an SEC road game (Rhyne Howard and Dre’una Edwards) for the first time since Jan. 19, 2017 at LSU (Evelyn Akhator and Taylor Murray)

 
Player Notes

• Rhyne Howard scored 29 points with 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks, adding five 3-pointers.   

  • For her career, Howard has scored 2,134 career points sitting second in UK history in points scored. Against Vanderbilt, Howard scored her 2,000 career points, becoming just the third Wildcat in school history – both men’s and women’s – to record 2,000 or more points in 100 games or less. She joined Hall of Famers Dan Issel and Valerie Still in that category.
  • Howard ranks second in school history in career scoring average at 19.9, while she is third in field-goals made with 741, second in career 3s made with 263 and fourth in career 3-point field-goal percentage at 37.5. She is also fourth in UK history in steals per game at 2.377.
  • In 107 career games, Howard has …
    • Hit at least one 3 in 92 career games, including 19 times this season.
    • Made three or more 3s in 45 career games, including eight this season.
    • Made five or more 3s in 15 career games, including three times this season.
    • Scored 10+ points in 95 career game, including 21 times this season.
    • Scored 15+ points in 79 career games, including 20 times this season.
    • Scored 20+ points in 58 career games, including 14 times this season.
    • Scored 25+ points in 31 career games, including five times this season.
    • Scored 30+ points in 8 career games, including one this season.
    • Led UK in scoring in 69 career games, including 15 times this season.
    • Led UK in rebounding in 58 career games, including 13 times this season.
    • Led UK in assists in 39 career games, including 10 times this season.
    • Led UK in steals in 46 career games, including 15 times this season.
    • Led UK in blocks in 42 career games, including 11 times this season.
    • Has 26 career double-doubles, including nine this season.
    • Has 1 triple double.
• Dre’una Edwards scored 17 points with 13 rebounds, adding a team-best three steals.
  • Edwards has scored 15 or more points 11 times this season, including each of the last four games.
  • This was the fourth time she has led UK In assists this season.
  • This was the eighth time she has had 10 or more rebounds.
  • This was the eighth double-double of the season for Edwards.
• Jada Walker scored seven points with two steals and three rebounds in the game.
  • Walker hit a 3 and has a steal in seven straight games.
• Robyn Benton scored 11 points, going 3-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3.
  • This was the 10th double-figure scoring game for Benton.