Howard ties record with 43 in win for No. 14 Kentucky women

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Rhyne Howard scored a program-tying 43 points and No. 14 Kentucky beat Alabama 81-71 on Thursday night.

Howard, whose previous scoring high of 37 came on Sunday in a win over Tennessee, bested that with 14-of-21 shooting, tying her career best for the third time with seven 3-pointers on 11 attempts. Her scoring total tied Jennifer O'Neill, who had 43 against Baylor on Dec. 6, 2013. The sophomore guard added a team-high six rebounds plus five steals. She's the first player in program history with at least 25 points in five straight games.

Sabrina Haines added 11 points and Amanda Paschal 10 for the Wildcats (13-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference), who made 16 of 31 3-point attempts for 52%, bettering their overall mark of 47%.

Jasmine Walker and Ariyah Copeland scored 15 points each with Jordan Lewis adding 11 for the Crimson Tide (10-6, 0-3).

Alabama held the lead until midway through the second quarter when Kentucky ended the half on a 16-2 run with nine points from Howard for a 37-24 lead. Howard scored seven points in a 9-2 run that left the Wildcats ahead by 15 with three minutes left in the game.

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