No. 16 Kentucky women’s basketball (18-6, 5-5 SEC) was unable to maintain its lead on the Commodores, falling to No. 7 Vanderbilt (22-2, 8-2 SEC).

The Wildcats entered the court to the largest sea of blue that Historic Memorial Coliseum has seen so far this season.

Kentucky asserted control from the tip, with Key earning the Cats the first chance at offense. A three from Amelia Hassett from the jump enabled Kentucky to find a fast start to the night.

Kentucky would go on to hold the Commodores off for two minutes until leading scorer Mikayla Blakes found success from the mid-range.

The Cats led Vandy for the first six minutes of action, shooting 57% from the field and 67% from the three. A three from Vanderbilt’s Justine Pissott sealed the Commodores’ first lead of the game at 12-11 with just over four minutes left in the first.

After the first, Vanderbilt would have the largest lead of the game so far, leading the Cats 19-16. Whether Kentucky was ahead or the Commodores, a one-point margin was the average between the two teams.

To close out the first quarter, the stat line proved to be similar between the two teams. Kentucky shot 43% from the field and 60% from the three, while Vandy shot 41% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. 

Kentucky was forced into five turnovers in the first, where the Commodores managed to convert six points from the Kentucky mistakes. 

Kentucky would hit 11 turnovers before Vanderbilt was forced into its first one. 

Vandy would lead by as much as seven with 4:26 left in the first half, yet Kentucky managed to regain its footing and close the margin. 

Kentucky wasn’t letting up just like that, though. 

With only 39 seconds left in the half, Kentucky was holding one of the best teams in the nation to a 3:47 scoring drought, while holding a 10-0 run itself. 

A 3-pointer from Asia Boone during the Vanderbilt drought returned the lead to Kentucky, and in typical fashion, Boone closed out the first half with another beyond the arc to give the Cats a 38-34 lead. 

Kentucky also capped the half performing at some of the best numbers it has seen this season. The Cats were sitting at 54% from the field, 67% from the arc and 67% from the charity stripe. 

Conversely, the Commodores were seeing some of its worst numbers this season, shooting 36% from the field and 31% from the arc. 

Getting the second underway, it was the Dores’ turn to keep their foot on the gas. Vanderbilt’s Blakes found herself open from the three and immediately fired 30 seconds in to close the margin back up to one. 

A layup from Vanderbilt’s Sacha Washington, followed by a Blake’s layup would see the Dores regain its lead at 41-38. Kentucky, however, was leading once again a minute later. 

With just under three minutes left in the third quarter, Kentucky extended the lead to nine to force the Commodores to call a timeout. 

Coming out of the break, Vanderbilt managed to close the deficit back to four, forcing yet another turnover from Kentucky. 

At this point in the game, Kentucky had 15 turnovers compared to Vanderbilt’s three. 

The Commodores were successful in forcing turnovers due to their intense, double-team pressure when any Wildcat got on the ball. Sometimes, the Cats would see three players on them as soon as the ball hit their hands. 

Kentucky’s height did well to expose the gaps on the court in situations where they weren’t forced into the turnover. 

After three, Kentucky was leading 58-54. 

Into the fourth, Vanderbilt’s Blakes managed to get the Commodores back on top by three, forcing the Cats into a timeout.

At this point in the night, Tonie Morgan also asked Head Coach Kenny Brooks to leave the court, where she was seen limping off after a hard foul. 

She returned following the Kentucky timeout. 

Kentucky had the chance to get within one when Teonni Key was fouled, yet she went 1-2 from the charity line and Vanderbilt was rewarded a free throw of its own immediately after. 

With 6:31 left in the game, Vanderbilt would earn the next largest lead of the game at 10, to move to a 72-62 lead over the cats. 

At this point in the game, Vanderbilt found itself on a 6-8 run courtesy of Blakes and freshman Aubrey Galvan, who were the key contributors to the run. 

Moreover, at this point in the game, Blakes had reached 31 points on the night. Kentucky, however, found its groove again, going on an 8-0 run over 2:30. 

Blakes is the one to answer to the Commodore scoring drought, where she went to the line and built the margin back up to four. With 2:25 left to go, the Commodores were up by six. 

With just 90 seconds left in the game, a Key offensive rebound put the Cats back within four, and a Key defensive rebound allowed Kentucky to get Strack on the ball to get it within two. 

Kentucky and Vanderbilt would go back and forth with under a minute left, where Kentucky would find success from the field, and then foul to send a Dore to the line. 

Brooks called a timeout on the game with just 19.5 seconds left in the game, where the Cats trailed 82-79. 

Morgan drove towards the bucket to get it back within one with 13 seconds left in the game. 

The Cats and Commodores would continue to do the same song and dance, and a final layup of the night from Key would close out the game. 

The Cats finished off shooting on a 6-7 run. Kentucky led most of the game, but Vanderbilt did more to make the win happen in its favor. 

Thursday’s loss now moves Kentucky to 3-3 against top AP teams so far this regular season. 

The Commodores now lead the Wildcats 34-28 all-time. 

Kentucky women’s basketball will return to the road, traveling down to No. 4 Texas (21-2, 6-2 SEC) on Sunday, Feb. 9, where the Cats will look to get back to winning against top AP teams.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST and can be streamed on the SEC Network. 

The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky at the University of Kentucky, has earned international accreditation from ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum for its work in horticulture and native plant conservation.

The Arboretum, located on UK’s campus,  is a 100-acre public garden with native plant collections, a living museum and walking trails. 

“ArbNet Accreditation highlights the Arboretum’s commitment to horticulture and conservation, and our commitment to serve the people and communities of Kentucky through our mission,” Scott Smith, The Arboretum director at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, said.

Founded in 1991 and designated the Official State Botanical Garden of Kentucky in 2000, The Arboretum promotes environmental education, research and conservation through year-round programming and attractions such as Walk Across Kentucky and the Kentucky Children’s Garden, according to ArbNet.

The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program, in partnership with The Morton Arboretum, recognizes arboreta that meet professional standards for plant collections, horticulture, conservation and education. 

The Arboretum has received a level three accreditation. According to ArbNet, “Level III accreditation is granted to arboreta with a minimum of 500 species or taxa and those that contribute meaningful involvement in scientific research, conservation, or ex situ collections.”

Level three accreditation also requires a governing group, paid management, extensive educational and public programming initiatives and collaboration with other institutions, according to ArbNet.

“Accreditation is a significant step on our path to excellence and distinction at the Arboretum,” Smith said. “It is worth noting that accreditation is not only about great botanical collections but is also based on excellence in community education and programming.”

With this recognition, The Arboretum is now listed in the Morton Register Arboreta, a global database that shares arboreta and gardens dedicated to plant conservation.

An infamous chapter in Kentucky history will make its big screen debut at the renowned 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival, held in Austin, Texas in March.

Part true crime, part cartoon — and featuring a whole lot of weed — festival organizers announced that “Cornbread Mafia,” directed by Louisville native Evan Mascagni and produced by Merry-Kay Poe, CEO of Unbridled Films, will make its world premiere at the annual event.

“This is a true Kentucky grown story and we are really excited and honored to have the film included in the lineup at the 2026 SXSW,” Poe told the Courier Journal. “This is the second largest film festival in the country after Sundance so it’s a big deal for the project and the Kentucky film industry.”

The festival will be the Kentucky-made documentary’s world premiere, telling the true story of the Cornbread Mafia, a group of Kentucky farmers, all sons of tobacco farmers, moonshiners, and bootleggers, who built the largest domestic marijuana syndicate in U.S. history.

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What followed was straight out of Kentucky folklore: lion cubs on the farm, backroad police chases, and a code of silence that baffled prosecutors. Part true crime and part cartoon, the film blends community, the war on drugs, and a whole lot of weed with the humor and heart of the folks who lived it.

The Cornbread Mafia was run by Johnny Boone, a charismatic modern-day folk hero who came to be known as the “Godfather of Grass.” Boone died in 2024 but several living members of the group, including Joe Keith Bickett, Jimmy Bickett, and Bobby Joe Shewmaker, will attend the SXSW film premiere in March and sit on a panel.

“Cornbread Mafia” is scheduled to screen three times at SXSW on March 12, 16 and 18.

“After ‘Cornbread Mafia’ screens at the festival, our plan is to sell the documentary to a streaming service,” Poe said. “We’d also like to created a scripted series. It’s such a crazy story.”

The SXSW Festival, founded in 1987, features conferences, festivals and workshops and is known as a major destination for innovation. The 2026 SXSW Festival runs March 12-18.

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.