RECAP: No. 19 Kentucky WBB bounces back with 45-point blowout over Winthrop

Rhyne Howard posted a triple-double as No. 19 Kentucky Women’s Basketball (3-1) got back on track Sunday afternoon against Winthrop (0-4).

The Wildcats entered the matchup against the Eagles coming off a disappointing 88-67 blowout loss to Indiana exactly one week ago. Kentucky fought hard against the Hoosiers in the first half before foul trouble and a lack of depth hurt the team down the stretch. But Indiana is now a consensus Top 5 team in the country following the win over UK. So while it was frustrating, it’s hardly the end of the season.

Kentucky emphatically recovered on Sunday, cruising to a 45-point, 92-47 victory over Winthrop. Howard finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, dropping just the third-ever triple-double in program history and the first of her career. Kentucky shot nearly 50 percent from the field and went 10-23 from distance while turning the Eagles over 28 times.

Big win for the Cats! 💪#CommitToIt pic.twitter.com/XP3r69uHGz

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) November 21, 2021

The loss to Indiana was just a step in a season-long learning process. Kentucky learned a lot against Winthrop.

“Coming off a loss it’s an opportunity to learn and grow,” Head coach Kyra Elzy said at her press conference on Thursday morning. “We went back to the fundamentals of defense: our basic shell, moving with the ball, seeing the ball, helping outside the paint, doubling in the post, finishing with the box out.”

The fundamentals were on full display against Winthrop, too.

Kentucky got off to a hot start, something the squad had not done in its first two home games against Presbyterian College and North Alabama. The ‘Cats took a quick 6-0 lead and turned it into a 25-6 advantage on Sunday, never looking back. UK scored at least 25 points each in the first three quarters and turned the ball over just 11 times throughout the entire game. Five Wildcats finished in double-figure scoring.

While the offense for Kentucky was spectacular–scoring 52 points in the paint coupled with 30 points from distance on 25 total assists–the defense was even more impressive.

As Elzy said, she took her squad back to the basics. Winthrop did not score more than 15 points in any quarter on Sunday. The Eagles shot just 34 percent from the floor and 6-19 (31.6 percent) from beyond the arc. Winthrop struggled to establish any offensive rhythm and was limited to attacking in the halfcourt.

Granted, Winthrop is not a great team. On the season, the Eagles have now dropped all four outings by a combined score of 323-170, losing by an average of 38.3 points. That’s about as bad as it can get; but to cut Winthrop some slack, all four games have been on the road. The Eagles played Duke in the season-opener, too, losing by 46. It’s been a tough road thus far.

But it was nice to see Kentucky WBB step on the gas and not let up. Dre’Una Edwards finished with 20 points and seven rebounds on 9-14 shooting. Robyn Benton added 14 points and five steals on a 6-15 shooting clip while Treasure Hunt went for 11 points and eight boards. First-year point guard Jada Walker continues her impressive start, contributing 10 points, three assists, three rebounds, and three steals.

Back to Howard’s special day, though. The superstar senior and Preseason SEC Player of the Year did more than just drop a triple-double. She also stole the ball five times while shooting 8-16 from the floor and 4-8 from behind the arc. Most exciting though were her zero turnovers.

“So proud of Rhyne. You know that’s just another accolade to add to the long list that she already has at the University of Kentucky,” Elzy said after the win over Winthrop. “But that was big for her. I hope that’s a confidence builder for her but 22 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds, and she wanted them bad.

“I took her out. I was going to rest her for a second. She’s like Coach, I only need two assists and two rebounds. I was like, well, you have about a minute and a half to get it done. So you better hurry. And she looked at Jaz (Massengill), she was like I’m coming right back to you with this three and you better hit it. So she was excited about it and something that was on her mind. And I thought that made her play more aggressive today, which was good.”

An aggressive Rhyne Howard is the best version of Rhyne Howard. That’s exactly what Kentucky and Coach Elzy got on Sunday night and it culminated in a 45-point win.

Kentucky WBB will return to action on Saturday when the ‘Cats play host to La Salle at 8:30 p.m. EST on the SEC Network.