Kentucky completes sweep of Alabama thanks to clutch play late
With sophomore star Rhyne Howard out for a third straight game, it was Sabrina Haines who stepped into the void and gave the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team a big lift on Thursday.
Haines scored a team-high 14 points and came up with a clutch play late as the 15th-ranked Wildcats knocked off Alabama 66-62 in Memorial Coliseum. With less than two minutes to play and Kentucky leading by five, Haines swiped a steal and made a fast-break layup to make it 61-54 Wildcats.
Haines hit a three from the corner at the third-quarter buzzer, then rattled home another trey for UK’s first bucket of the fourth. She went 4-for-7 from the perimeter and added six rebounds and four assists.
The Wildcats missed 10 straight shots in the first quarter before Chasity Patterson came off the bench and hit a pull-up jumper on a fast break to give them their first lead at 6-5. Haines hit back-to-back three-pointers down the stretch as UK built a 14-10 lead heading into the second quarter.
Kentucky (18-4 overall, 7-3 SEC) led 31-27 at halftime, despite shooting just 35 percent from the field while Alabama (13-10, 3-7) shot 55 percent.
After taking a shot to the nose that sent her to the floor for a moment, Jaida Roper nailed a three-pointer from the corner to put the Cats up 57-49 with less than four minutes to play. She hit a pair of free throws to put the Wildcats up 66-62 with 21 seconds left.
Imminent return of Rhyne?
Rhyne Howard appears on pace to meet or exceed the mid-February timetable predicted for her return from a broken finger. On Thursday her elbow-length cast had been replaced by a splint and medical tape. She participated in pregame warm-ups with the team, knocking down several three-pointers.
Next game
No. 15 Kentucky at No. 25 Arkansas
4 p.m. EST Sunday (ESPN2)
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 9:13 PM.
