UK women rips apart Arkansas 78-55

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – All-American Rhyne Howard scored 29 points and grabbed ten 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 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. 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 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.