Kentucky Travels to Missouri Thursday for Regular-Season Road Finale
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fresh off its dominating win at Arkansas last Sunday where it secured its first four-game winning streak in Southeastern Conference play since 2020, the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team will look to keep its winning ways alive Thursday as it travels for a 8 p.m. ET tip vs. Missouri at Mizzou Arena.
Thursday’s game will be broadcast live on SEC Network+ with Ben Arnet and Jordan Roundtree on the call. Darren Headrick will have the call on the UK Sports Network (630AM in Lexington). Live stats and free live audio will be available online at UKathletics.com.
Kentucky is coming off arguably its best performance of the year Sunday at Arkansas, taking down the Razorbacks 78-55 inside one of the largest crowds in program history at Bud Walton Arena. It was senior guard Rhyne Howard that got it going early and often for the Wildcats, scoring 29 points with 10 rebounds, five 3s, two assists and two blocks. Two other Wildcats scored in double figures with redshirt junior forward Dre’una Edwards scoring 17 points with 13 rebounds, adding a team-best three assists. Senior guard Robyn Benton gave UK a huge spark off the bench, scoring 11 points with two 3s, adding two steals.
As a team, Kentucky shot 44 percent from the field and 46 percent from long range. UK was 10-of-22 from 3, marking the first time in league play it has hit 10 or more 3s in a game. The 23-point win was Kentucky’s first against an SEC opponent since taking down Tennessee by 20+ in March of 2020 in the SEC Tournament. The Wildcats won the rebounding battle by 11, including a 15-11 edge in offensive rebounds. UK had 24 second-chance points and 22 points off turnovers.
Howard has led Kentucky this season, averaging 20 points per game with 7.8 rebounds per game. She leads the team in 3s with 49, steals with 61 and blocks with 32, while she is second on the team with 79 assists. Edwards is averaging 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while freshman guard Jada Walker is averaging 10.3 points per game with 26 3s, 48 assists and 36 steals.
Kentucky and Missouri will meet for the 14th time Thursday, including the seventh time in Columbia, Missouri. UK leads the all-time series 9-4 with the series tied 3-3 in Columbia. Kentucky has won three of the last four meetings, including the last meeting in Columbia on Jan. 20, 2020 – 62-47. Prior to that outing, UK hadn’t won in Columbia since 2015. Last season, the two teams met in Lexington with UK earning a 61-55 victory.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
