Three takeaways from UK’s win against Auburn on ‘Rhyne Howard Day’
On a day dedicated to honoring one of the best players in program history, everything went according to plan for Kentucky women’s basketball.
Star senior guard Rhyne Howard was the source of all the pregame accolades and attention as she played what is likely to be her final game in Lexington with Kentucky, and she was the focus once the game started as well.
Howard totaled a season-high 32 points to go with two rebounds and two assists as UK won its sixth straight game, 90-62, over Auburn.
Howard scored 16 points in the first quarter, connecting on four three-pointers, as UK jumped out to a 30-15 lead that it wouldn’t let slip.
Howard set a school record for the most three-pointers made in a half with six before the break. She set another school record for single-game threes with eight in all.
“We knew it was a must-win (game) and we knew that it was emotional for everybody really,” Howard said. “But everybody was locked in and everybody was focused and on the same page.”
The result means Kentucky finishes the regular season with a 15-11 overall record and a 8-8 mark in Southeastern Conference play, a remarkable recovery from the low point of the season less than three weeks ago when the Cats were two games below .500 overall and six games below .500 in conference play.
All elements of Kyra Elzy’s team — disruptive defense and efficient offense — were on display in Sunday’s win, but the day was always going to belong to Howard, and she delivered a performance fitting of the occasion.
Kentucky 90, Auburn 62
The star: Rhyne Howard scored 16 first-quarter points, set two school records for three-pointers and finished with a season-high 32 points to lead Kentucky on 11-for-20 shooting from the field. Howard likely secured the SEC scoring title, too.
The stats: Joining Howard in double figures scoring for UK was Dre’una Edwards, who followed up a 30-point outing at Missouri with 25 points against Auburn, and freshman guard Jada Walker with 15 points.
The status: Kentucky is 15-11 overall and 8-8 in the SEC. Auburn is 10-17 overall and 2-14 in the SEC.
Three takeaways
1. KENTUCKY CELEBRATES RHYNE HOWARD ON SENIOR DAY.
Only one UK player went through Senior Day ceremonies on Sunday in UK’s final home game of the regular season, and it happened to be the player many consider to be one of the best in program history. UK even referred to it instead as “Rhyne Howard Day.”
What was potentially Howard’s final game in Lexington began with an on-court ceremony that celebrated her record-setting accomplishments with the Wildcats.
Howard sported a different jersey for likely her final home game, wearing the No. 5 instead of her usual No. 10 in honor of both deceased former UK men’s basketball player Terrence Clarke and current teammate Blair Green, who hasn’t played this season due to injury.
Howard’s jersey featured the No. 5 and the name “GREEN” on the back of it.
Howard said she knew she would wear the special jersey for “a long, long time,” dating back to when Green suffered her season-ending Achilles injury in late October.
“That’s my sister. We came in together, we’ve lived together all four years,” Howard said. “She wasn’t able to play my last home game with me, but her jersey deserves to be worn. … It meant a lot to both of us.”
The season-high 32 points Howard scored Sunday came in addition to the 29 points Howard scored in UK’s earlier win this season at Auburn on Jan. 25. In that game Howard scored 17 fourth-quarter points to lift a short-handed Kentucky team to its first road win of the season.
“Her mentality has been in the right place to help us get into the position that we’re in,” Elzy said. “I’m so proud of (Howard) and the legacy that she leaves at the University of Kentucky and women’s basketball. She is second-to-none. She is one of a kind and I will forever be blessed that she’s a Wildcat. … I love that she finished it here like she did.”
With Sunday’s dominant scoring day, Howard will also likely win the SEC scoring title. She entered Sunday’s games averaging 19.9 points per game while LSU’s Khayla Pointer averaged 19.0, but Pointer scored just 12 points in LSU’s win at Tennessee on Sunday.
In third place was Mississippi State’s Anastasia Hayes at 18.7 points per game. The Bulldogs are scheduled to host Arkansas on Sunday night.
After Sunday’s record-setting performance, Howard finishes her fourth and final regular season with the Cats with the following career totals: 2,185 points, 757 field goals made, 272 three-pointers made, 94 games with at least one three-pointer made, 46 games with three or more three-pointers made, 97 games with at least 10 points scored and 70 games in which Howard has been UK’s leading scorer.
Her college career will last at least one more game as UK will open SEC Tournament play in Nashville on Thursday against Mississippi State.
2. THE CATS ARE PLAYING LIKE THE TOP-25 TEAM THEY WERE PROJECTED TO BE.
Preseason expectations were high for Kentucky.
The Cats debuted in the Associated Press Top 25 poll at No. 13 in the country and were projected to be as high as a No. 3 seed in preseason bracketology.
There haven’t been too many moments this season when Kentucky has lived up to these expectations, but Sunday was one of them.
The Wildcats led wire-to-wire in a comprehensive and convincing win, something that hasn’t happened often this season.
“We definitely could have won a lot more games than we did,” Howard noted.
The 28-point margin of victory was UK’s largest since Dec. 5 against Merrimack.
Kentucky’s schedule is SEC play was always going to be top heavy, with the more difficult games at the start of conference play and the easier ones at the end. This pattern also coincided with UK being short-handed due to injuries and player suspension.
But the Cats have taken full advantage of a more favorable schedule and a return to full health as the season has progressed, leading to Sunday and one of their most dominant showings of the season.
“This team always had great potential and we are peaking at the right time,” Elzy said.
3. UK WILL ENTER THE SEC TOURNAMENT ON A ROLL.
Kentucky will enter next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville full of momentum.
The Cats have won six straight games, the team’s longest winning streak since Elzy’s first six games as head coach at the start of last season.
This turnaround in form has allowed Kentucky to bypass the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday, as the Cats will be the No. 7 seed in the tournament and play No. 10 seed Mississippi State on Thursday night.
“Our team is playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Elzy said. “We’re still going to stay humble and hungry and our eyes are on the prize. We’re going to stay focused.”
UK’s good form has also seen the Wildcats jump back into the NCAA Tournament picture.
In the latest NCAA Tournament bracketology released by ESPN’s Charlie Creme on Friday morning, Kentucky rejoined the projected 68-team field as a No. 12 seed. Kentucky also avoided being in the First Four in Creme’s projection.
“It shows how much fight we have in us and how we battle adversity,” Howard said of the winning streak.
Common thought following the win over Auburn seems to be that a win on Thursday in the SEC Tournament should lock the Cats into the NCAA Tournament field, capping a manic three-week push to play premier postseason basketball in March.
“It has given us life,” Elzy said of the winning streak in relation to the NCAA Tournament. “I think we’re one of the hottest teams in the SEC right now, so I want us to keep playing with confidence. But I think it has shown the world that when we’re healthy and ready to go, what we’re capable of.”
Up next
With the regular season complete, it’s now time for the SEC Tournament. Kentucky’s late-season surge means the Cats have avoided playing in the first round of the SEC Tournament and now will begin their postseason on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Kentucky is the No. 7 seed for the tournament and will play No. 10 seed Mississippi State at 7 p.m. EST Thursday. The winner of the Kentucky-Mississippi State game will play No. 2 seed LSU on Friday night.
During Kentucky’s current six-game winning streak, the Cats had a frantic 15-point fourth-quarter comeback win at home over Mississippi State. UK lost 78-69 at LSU on Jan. 30.
SEC Tournament schedule
At Bridgestone Arena in Nashville
All times Eastern
Wednesday
Noon: No. 12 Texas A&M (14-14, 4-12) vs. No. 13 Vanderbilt (13-17, 4-12)
About 2:25 p.m.: No. 11 Alabama (15-12, 6-10) vs. No. 14 Auburn (10-17, 2-14)
Thursday
1 p.m.: No. 8 Arkansas (17-12, 7-9) vs. No. 9 Missouri (18-11, 7-9)
About 3:25 p.m.: No. 5 Florida (20-9, 10-6) vs. Texas A&M-Vanderbilt winner
7 p.m.: No. 7 Kentucky (15-11, 8-8) vs. No. 10 Mississippi State
About 9:25 p.m.: No. 6 Georgia (20-8, 9-7) vs. Alabama-Auburn winner
Friday
1 p.m.: No. 1 South Carolina (27-1, 15-1) vs. Arkansas-Missouri winner
About 3:25 p.m.: No. 4 Ole Miss (22-7, 10-6) vs. Florida-Texas A&M-Vanderbilt winner
7 p.m.: No. 2 LSU (25-4, 13-3) vs. Kentucky-Mississippi State winner
About 9:25 p.m.: No. 3 Tennessee (22-7, 11-5) vs. Georgia-Alabama-Auburn winner
Saturday
5 p.m.: First semifinal
About 7:25 p.m.: Second semifinal
Sunday
2 p.m.: Championship game
TV
▪ First round, second round and quarterfinals (SEC Network)
▪ Semifinals (ESPNU)
▪ Championship game (ESPN2)
This story was originally published February 27, 2022 at 6:17 PM.
