Howard surges late as Kentucky women fight off Florida star and SEC Tournament upset
Thanks to its reigning Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team is marching on in the SEC Tournament.
On Tuesday Rhyne Howard was named the league’s top player for the second straight season. On Thursday, she scored 27 points and led the fifth-seeded Wildcats to a 73-64 win over Florida in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. The Wildcats will face fourth-seeded Georgia in Friday’s second quarterfinals matchup.
Howard scored nine points in the final 4:14 as UK (17-7 overall) overcame a four-point fourth-quarter deficit. She converted her third and-one opportunity of the afternoon to give the Cats a 67-62 edge and moments later scored at the rim on a fast break as part of a 9-0 run to seal the win. Howard made 10 of 15 shots from the field to go along with eight rebounds and two assists. She said after the win that she often senses late in a tight game that it’s time to take over.
“Sometimes I feel like, just give me the ball. And I’ll start calling my own plays that I know will work or that will get us open looks,” Howard said. “I’ll just say, ‘All right, give me the ball and I’m gonna create for us, I’m gonna make good things happen for us and we’re gonna get back on top and we’re gonna win this game.’”
UK Coach Kyra Elzy said Howard has free rein to seize control.
“She has a great feel (for) when it’s time to take over the game,” Elzy said. “She made big plays for us today ... Rhyne Time to me is, she’s going to will her team to victory and (do) whatever it takes.”
Blair Green made a pair of crucial jumpers early in the fourth quarter to get the Cats rolling. KeKe McKinney came up with a clutch three-pointer as part of UK’s clinching run. McKinney finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Treasure Hunt and Jazmine Massengill scored nine points each.
Kentucky shot 49 percent from the field and hit six of 16 shots from the perimeter. Florida (11-13) shot 39 percent from the field but made just eight of 16 free throws. UK edged the Gators on the boards, 38-37.
The Cats were able to overcome a career-game from Florida’s Kiara Smith. The senior guard scored a career-high 36 points on 14-for-27 shooting, routinely beating defenders off the dribble for easy layups, but Howard and UK’s other guards dialed up the defense late and were able to shut Smith down with the game hanging in the balance.
“She was getting too many easy looks around the rim, too many uncontested shots,” Howard said. “I just took it upon myself to get up there and make it tough on her, make her uncomfortable.”
Massengill made a quick three-pointer to get the Cats on the board, but Howard provided nearly all of UK’s offense in the first quarter, hitting four of six shots and scoring 10 points in the period.
With the Wildcats leading 8-4, Florida’s Smith went to work. She hit a layup through contact and knocked down the free throw to give the Gators their first lead at 10-8. Smith hit a late three-pointer to send Florida into the second quarter with a 17-15 advantage. Smith scored 15 points in the first quarter.
On consecutive trips down the floor early in the second quarter Howard scored while being fouled and sank her free throw to tie the game 23-23. UK reclaimed the advantage, 26-23, on a three-pointer from Hunt. The teams traded the lead on four straight possessions before Chasity Patterson scored on a layup to give the Cats a four-point edge. Smith hit a late three to pull the Gators within 33-32 at halftime.
Florida kept it close in the first half largely because of its domination down low. The Gators outrebounded UK before halftime 26-18, pulling down 13 offensive boards.
Smith dominated the third quarter, scoring 11 points mostly on driving layups as the Gators pushed ahead 49-46 heading into the fourth.
Tigers tame Bulldogs
In Thursday’s first game, No. 8 LSU knocked off No. 9 Mississippi State 71-62. Three Tigers scored in double figures, led by Ryann Payne’s 17-point effort off the bench. Payne made five of seven shots from the field including both of her three-point attempts. Khayla Pointer had 14 points, four rebounds and four steals and Sarah Shematsi hit four of six threes on her way to 13 points.
LSU shot 43 percent from the field and made six of 14 shots from beyond the arc. Rickea Jackson and Jessika Carter each scored 14 points for the Bulldogs in the loss. LSU will face SEC regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Texas A&M in Friday’s first quarterfinals matchup at 11 a.m. LSU is the only SEC team that’s beaten Texas A&M this season. The Tigers knocked off the Aggies in College Station 54-41 on Feb. 4.
Kentucky did not face LSU this season, with a scheduled February meeting in Lexington canceled because of COVID protocols.
More honors for Howard
UK’s Rhyne Howard on Wednesday was named one of five finalists for the 2021 Cheryl Miller Award. The honor came one day after Howard was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and a semifinalist for Naismith Trophy Women’s National Player of the Year.
This is the second straight season that Howard has been a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award, which is annually given to the top small forward in women’s college basketball. Additional information about the award presentation — including date and time — will be released by the Hall of Fame in the coming weeks.
The winner of the Cheryl Miller Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans can vote by visiting Hoophallawards.com. Voting opens Friday and will run through March 19. The player that wins the fan vote will receive one additional vote for the award. The overall winner will then be selected by the selection committee March 26.
Friday
Kentucky vs. Georgia
What: SEC Tournament quarterfinal
When: About 1:30 p.m.
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630
Records: UK 17-7; Georgia 18-5
Series: Georgia leads 37-21.
Last meeting: Kentucky won 62-58 on Feb. 25, 2021, in Athens, Ga.
SEC Tournament
When: Through Sunday
Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
TV: SEC Network (Friday’s quarterfinals); ESPNU (Saturday’s semifinals); ESPN2 (Sunday’s finals)
Wednesday’s game
No. 12 Florida 69, No. 13 Auburn 62
Thursday’s games
No. 8 LSU 71, No. 9 Mississippi State 62
No. 5 Kentucky 73, No. 12 Florida 64
No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 10 Missouri, (n)
No. 6 Arkansas vs. No. 11 Mississippi, (n)
Friday’s schedule
11 a.m.: No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 8 LSU
About 1:30 p.m.: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 5 Kentucky
6 p.m.: No. 2 South Carolina vs. No. 7 Alabama or No. 10 Missouri
About 8:30 p.m.: No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Arkansas or No. 11 Mississippi
This story was originally published March 4, 2021 at 3:49 PM.
