Kentucky
Freshman Justin Edwards scores 28, leading No. 17 Kentucky past No. 13 Alabama 117-95
LEXINGTON, Ky (AP) β Kentucky coach John Calipari kept telling Justin Edwards he believed in him, even as the freshman struggled through an inconsistent season.
That belief paid off Saturday as Edwards scored a season-high 28 points, leading No. 17 Kentucky to a 117-95 win over No. 13 Alabama.
Edwards scored his previous high against Vanderbilt on Feb. 6, when he finished with 17 points.
βI kept saying youβre going to break through. I believe in you,β Calipari said. βHe said βCoach, I believe in you.β And I said, you just got to stay the course.β
Against Alabama, Edwards was 10 for 10 from the field and 4 for 4 from 3-point distance. His only miss came at the free throw line, where he finished 4 for 5.
βIt felt good to go out and show I can play like I did,β Edwards said. βIt means a lot because (my teammates) believe in me. I knew I hadnβt missed (a shot), but I knocked on wood.β
Antonio Reeves scored 24 points, and Zvonimir Ivisic came off the bench to score 18 points for the Wildcats (19-8, 9-5 SEC). Kentucky shot 63% from the field, 54% from 3-point distance and finished a point short of its highest scoring game of the season, a 118-82 win over Marshall on Nov. 25. It was the second-most points Kentucky has scored in an SEC game in Rupp Arena since posting 127 against LSU in 1995.
Rylan Griffen scored 21 points and Mark Sears added 20 for Alabama (19-8, 11-3), which shot 56% from the field and turned the ball over 16 times, leading to 29 points by Kentucky.
βKentucky was ready to play tonight and we werenβt. They were great and we looked awful,β Alabama coach Nate Oats said. βI told our guys we have had question marks about our defense all year.β
The conference showdown between the pair of highly ranked teams and the two top scoring offenses in the nation got off to a quick start. Alabama held a 29-28 lead with 9:39 left in the first half before Kentucky went on a 20-2 run over the next six minutes, seizing control of the game and carrying a 58-42 lead into halftime.
Alabama got within 14 in the second half at 68-54 with 16:45 left, but Kentucky shut down any hopes of rally with 12 unanswered points in less than 90 seconds, with Edwards accounting for seven of those points, including a four-point play.
BIG PICTURE
Alabama: The Tide lost their tenuous hold on first-place in the SEC as No. 5 Tennessee beat Texas A&M 86-51 on Saturday night and moved into a tie atop the conference standings.
Kentucky: The Wildcats sorely needed a dominating home win after dropping three of their last four games in Rupp Arena. Kentucky kept alive a path to a double-bye in the conference tournament.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Alabama: The Tide should not be hurt too much by another road loss, although they did need overtime to beat Florida 98-93 on Wednesday.
Kentucky: The Wildcats should stay about where they are in the polls, despite blowing a 15-point lead on the road to LSU on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Alabama: At Mississippi on Wednesday.
Kentucky: At Mississippi State on Tuesday.
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Kentucky
Body found in Ohio River in northeast Kentucky ID’d as Columbus man
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Authorities said a body recovered May 4 from the Ohio River in northeast Kentucky has been identified as a Columbus man, Dispatch news partner NBC4/WMCH-TV reported.
Lewis County Sheriff Johnny Bivens said the body has been identified as Jason D. Frisbie, 38, of Columbus. Bivens said authorities in Kentucky worked with Ohio officials to identify Frisbie this week.
Bivens said Lewis County took a call around 4:30 p.m. May 4 about a body in the river in Vanceburg, Kentucky, a few miles south of Ohioβs Shawnee State Park. Bivens said responding agencies took the body to the Kentucky State Medical Examinerβs Office.
Lewis County authorities asked for public help identifying the body. On May 9, Bivens confirmed Frisbieβs identity after working with Ohio officials and local responders.
Bivens said the death remains under investigation, and authorities did not offer information about a suspected cause.
Kentucky
Two ‘dangerous’ inmates escape Kentucky detention center, sparking multi-agency manhunt across region
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Two inmates described as “dangerous” escaped Friday evening from a Kentucky detention center, prompting a multi-agency manhunt, police said.
The Morehead Police Department warned the surrounding community that two inmates had “walked away” from the Rowan County Detention Center.
Investigators said multiple law enforcement agencies are actively searching for the escapees, with Kentucky State Police leading the investigation.
“These inmates should be considered dangerous,” police said, warning the community not to approach anyone suspicious or unfamiliar.
KENTUCKY DAD RAGES AFTER COURT-APPROVED RELEASE OF REPEAT OFFENDER LEADS TO FAMILYβS KIDNAPPING
Two inmates described as “dangerous” escaped from a Kentucky detention center, prompting a multi-agency manhunt. (Morehead Police Department)
One of the inmates was identified as Michael Fogleman, 29, who is described as 6 feet tall and 188 pounds.
He has short or closely shaved hair and a short beard along his jawline and chin, according to police.
The second inmate was identified as James Smallwood, 52, who is listed at 6 feet 1 inch tall and about 215 pounds.
MANHUNTS ACROSS AMERICA IN 2025: FIVE CASES THAT LEFT CITIES, CAMPUSES AND TOWNS ON EDGE
Michael Fogleman, 29, is one of two inmates who escaped from a Kentucky detention center, police said. (Morehead Police Department)
He is described as having a medium to stocky build with gray facial hair around the mouth and chin area.
Smallwood was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans and possibly a hat, police said.
James Smallwood, 52, is one of two inmates on the run after escaping from a Kentucky jail, authorities said. (Morehead Police Department)
Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and call 911 immediately if they see anything suspicious or have information about the escapees.
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Law enforcement agencies are searching for two escaped inmates in Kentucky, authorities said. (Silas Walker/Lexington Herald-Leader/Tribune News Service)
Investigators said they will provide more information as it becomes available.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kentucky State Police and Rowan County Detention Center for comment.
Kentucky
Kentucky Girls Jumpers Surge as State Records Come Into Range
The Kentucky high school 2026 outdoor track and field season has been exceptional, especially the girls competition.
In particular, the sprints and horizontal jumps.
Long Jump Leaders Set the Pace
First, the long jump.
Christian Educational Consortiumβs Jade Hartlage, a rising superstar of track and field in its totality, has the stateβs leading jump, 19feet, 9 inches, set March 26. She is partially homeschooled and not eligible for in KHSAA postseason.
Hartlageβs mark is followed by Simon Kentonβs Alexis Howard (19-0, March 26). Howard is another standout athlete. She was selected as a 2025 All-State Honorable Mention in soccer. Howard won the 3A indoor title in early March, recording a mark of 18-7 1/4.
Howard, Svidal Among Top Contenders
Walden School senior Natalie Svidal sailed to an 18-4 1/2 mark at the Walden Small School Championships May 5. That ties her for third in the state with Taleigha Nash of Great Crossing High School.
Triple Jump Competition Tightens
In the triple jump, Howard is atop the performance list. She leapt 40-5, April 25.
However, Svidal is close. She recorded 40-2 1/4 this past week.
Multi-Sport Stars Making Impact
Teigh Yeast, yet another standout athlete, who helped George Rogers Clark win a state basketball title in March and is a Robert Morris University basketball commit, logged a 40-0 1/2 jump April 21. Yeast was last seasonβs 3A champion at 39-5.25.
How Kentucky Stacks Up Nationally
Perspective and context need to be applied here. Here’s how Kentucky compares nationally.
National Benchmarks Set the Bar
Parker Coes of Morton Ranch High School (Katy, Texas) has surpassed 21 feet twice in 2026. Abigail Mecklenburg of Linn-Mar High School (Marion, Iowa) is approaching the 21-foot threshold.
Coesβ marks were achieved in the early indoor season. The Texan has jumped 20-10 1/2 outdoors (April 3) but her last mark was 18-11 3/4, May 2.
Mecklenburg is yet to replicate her indoor marks outdoors.
The top outdoor jump so far in 2026 is 42-7.5, set by Daniela Hughes of Los Altos High School (Los Altos, California).
A significant challenge for the Bluegrass jumpers to surpass. But if there is a season for top-10 national rankings or records.
State Records Within Reach
With that said, the Kentucky state records are potentially breakable in the next two weeks. The current records are 20-4 (Maxine Graham, Fleming County High School, 1975) and 41-7 (Sophie Galloway, Marshall County High School, 2021).
Each has the speed and explosiveness to challenge those marks.
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