FINAL: Kentucky WBB breezes past Arkansas 78-55, wins 4th straight

Just keep on winning…

That’s been the unofficial motto for Kentucky Women’s Basketball the last couple of weeks ever since the team returned to full health. And what has UK done? Just kept on winning…

The Wildcats (13-11, 6-8 in SEC play) flat-out embarrassed Arkansas (16-10, 6-7 in SEC play) down in Fayetteville on Sunday afternoon, smacking the Razorbacks on Senior Day by a final score of 78-55. The contest was never truly close, either. Kentucky led by nine after the first quarter, 11 at halftime, and 22 heading into the final 10 minutes.

UK guard Rhyne Howard was unbelievably impressive, posting 29 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals on 9-16 shooting overall and 5-10 from distance. The ‘Cats shot 44 percent from the field and an efficient 10-22 from the 3-point arc. Dre’Una Edwards added 17 points and 13 rebounds while Robyn Benton contributed 11 points of her own.

Well that was fun 😺

Fourth win in a row for the Cats!#CommitToIt pic.twitter.com/QvSHn74hjm

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) February 20, 2022

Howard came out on a mission, channeling her inner Immanuel Quickley after the two were honored during Saturday’s MBB win over Alabama. The two-time reigning SEC Player of the Year drilled her first look from deep to get Kentucky on the board before hitting two more in the first quarter alone. Howard had 11 points on a perfect 4-4 shooting in the opening 10 minutes as the ‘Cats pounced all over Arkansas.

UK ballooned its lead to seven midway through the first before settling on a 23-14 advantage entering the second frame. Arkansas did a good job of keeping the score close early, but Kentucky always found a way to punch right back. The Razorbacks trimmed the UK lead down to as little as five points before the ‘Cats went on an impressive stretch. Kentucky rattled off a 12-2 run to take a 16-point lead at one point, ultimately bringing a 40-29 lead into the halftime break.

Howard was up to 16 points, five rebounds, and two assists on 6-9 shooting in just the first half of action.

That said, Arkansas still had hope as the third quarter began, but Kentucky put the Razorbacks to bed in a matter of minutes. UK pushed its lead to 20-plus points with three minutes left in the frame, watching it grow as high as 24 points. Howard added another nine points as the ‘Cats pummeled Arkansas 26-15 in the third quarter to take a 22-point lead into the fourth.

With a massive lead in hand, Kentucky took care of business down the stretch with ease. UK settled on the 23-point victory to extend its winning streak to four with just two games left until the SEC Tournament.

Four wins in seven days. Not a bad stretch for a team that is still getting better.