Samford Bulldogs @ Kentucky Wildcats
Howard scores 30, No. 16 Kentucky women whip Samford 79-49
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Rhyne Howard scored a career-high 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including five 3-pointers, and No. 16 Kentucky rolled to a 79-49 win over Samford on Sunday.
The Wildcats went 11 of 23 from 3-point range and shot 53% overall while forcing 18 Samford turnovers they turned into 21 points. Sabrina Haines added 12 points for Kentucky (9-0) and Jaida Roper had seven assists and six rebounds to go with three points.
Shauntai Battle led Samford (3-8) with nine points. The Bulldogs shot 28% in the first half to fall behind 41-20 but shot 50% in the second half.
Howard opened the game with a pair of 3-pointers in the first minute and Haines hit a 3 for a 9-0 lead. Samford's first four baskets were 3-pointers, the first two by Paige Serup and the last two by Battle for a 12-11 lead.
Kentucky closed the first quarter with three 3s for a 22-14 lead. Amanda Paschal scored the first hoop of the second quarter to make it an 11-0 run for a 24-14 lead. The Wildcats had a 19-6 scoring advantage in the second quarter including the last nine points. Samford made just 2 of 13 shots in the second period.
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Game Information
Lexington, KY
Referee:Doug Knight
Referee:Missy Brooks
Referee:Darren McClure
2025-26 Standings
| Southern ConferenceSouthern Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | 10-4 | - | 20-11 |
| East Tennessee State | 10-4 | - | 18-13 |
| Wofford | 10-4 | - | 16-13 |
| Furman | 9-5 | 1 | 18-13 |
| Mercer | 7-7 | 3 | 17-13 |
| Samford | 6-8 | 4 | 16-19 |
| UNC Greensboro | 4-10 | 6 | 14-16 |
| Western Carolina | 0-14 | 10 | 3-26 |
| Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 15-1 | - | 36-4 |
| Texas | 13-3 | 2 | 35-4 |
| Vanderbilt | 13-3 | 2 | 29-5 |
| LSU | 12-4 | 3 | 29-6 |
| Oklahoma | 11-5 | 4 | 26-8 |
| Kentucky | 8-8 | 7 | 25-11 |
| Georgia | 8-8 | 7 | 22-10 |
| Ole Miss | 8-8 | 7 | 24-12 |
| Tennessee | 8-8 | 7 | 16-14 |
| Alabama | 7-9 | 8 | 24-11 |
| Texas A&M | 7-9 | 8 | 14-13 |
| Mississippi State | 5-11 | 10 | 18-13 |
| Florida | 5-11 | 10 | 18-15 |
| Missouri | 4-12 | 11 | 17-17 |
| Auburn | 3-13 | 12 | 15-17 |
| Arkansas | 1-15 | 14 | 12-20 |
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