Rhyne Howard saves the day again for Kentucky WBB
“Rhyne Time” isn’t necessarily a secret anymore. Nonetheless, Kentucky senior guard Rhyne Howard continuously finds ways to keep surprising fans around the nation.
In Kentucky Women Basketball’s 67-55 win over Auburn on Tuesday night, Howard dropped 29 points on 9-21 shooting from the field. Kentucky desperately needed all of her contributions, too. Howard wasn’t a stranger to this fact.
Howard on her jaw-dropping night
Despite her late-game heroics, the All-American insisted she treated this game the same as any other.
“I try to come in every game like the same, level-headed and focused. Just come out focused, and if shots fall then it makes it 10 times better,” Howard said postgame.
Coming into Auburn Arena, the ‘Cats were on a four-game losing streak with their last victory coming on Jan. 6 against Georgia. Although UK led most of the contest, Auburn secured their first lead of the game with 7:48 left in the game.
Fortunately for Kentucky, Howard wasn’t planning on losing. The reigning back-to-back SEC Player of the Year scored 17 points in the final frame, including three baskets from deep.
“[Auburn] ended up taking the lead and I was like ‘you know we’re not losing this game. We’ve worked so hard to get back to this,'” Howard said. “‘We’re going to come out on top.'”
Howard can confidently say she left her all out on the court. The star ‘Cat played all but one minute of the grueling contest.
Howard’s effort is even more impressive when examining the team’s recent schedule. Auburn was UK’s third opponent in five days. Moreover, Kentucky has to play another two contests across the next five days.
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Despite the heavy load, Howard isn’t worried about fatigue.
“I actually don’t think it’s been a huge part [of the issue]. We are in really good shape. It’s just about playing smarter, not harder,” Howard said.
Kyra Elzy on her star player
While Howard is humble about her spectacular scoring ability, head coach Kyra Elzy bragged on her star player after the game.
“The thing about Rhyne: she’s a competitor,” Elzy said. “When it’s Rhyne Time, she takes over, and I’m glad it was Rhyne Time today.”
Howard’s 17-point outburst in the fourth quarter was more points than any of her teammates scored throughout the whole game. However, even Howard’s teammates’ streams of scoring can often be traced back to her endless fountain of offense.
“Her ability to make other people better, that’s what makes her special. And we can move her around. She literally can play the one through the five, as you saw. We moved her to the post today and she’s efficient in all areas,” Elzy said.
Howard will have to keep her hot streak going as Kentucky Women’s Basketball takes on the Vanderbilt Commodores on Thursday in Nashville at 8 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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