Wildcats survive ‘rock fight,’ show their will to win against tough Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp
By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Ole Miss gave Kentucky its best shot. In the end, Kentucky had a will to win.
The 12th-ranked Wildcats weren’t at their best in their first Saturday home game in more than a month but made six free throws down the stretch and escaped with a 67-62 win over the Rebels for their fourth consecutive victory.
“This was like a rock fight,” Kentucky coach John Calipari...
Walton-Verona teammates capture state wrestling titles with pins in championship bracket finals
By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Walton-Verona’s wrestling team finished the season with two individual state champions for the third time in the last four years.
In the final round of the state tournament on Saturday, Walton-Verona senior Daulton Mayer and his sophomore teammate Spencer Moore pinned their opponents to earn state titles. The Bearcats also had dual state champions in 2017...
Local college roundup: Thomas More men notch 20th victory; NKU women halt IUPUI win streak at 13
NKyTribune staff
Five Thomas More players scored in double figures Saturday afternoon as the Saints posted an 85-71 win over the Cumberlands (Ky.) at the Connor Convocation Center.
Ryan Batte scored 18 points to lead Thomas More, which won its fifth consecutive game and improved to 20-6 overall, 7-5 in the Mid-South Conference. Reid Jolly added 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Saints shot 60.4 percent...
Ward trainees take Cincinnati Trophy, John Battaglia Memorial stakes’ at Turfway Park Friday night
NKyTribune staff
Both stakes for 3-year-olds Friday at Turfway Park went into the win column of trainer Wesley Ward, with Invader taking the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial (listed) and Karak obliterating her competition in the $75,000 black-type Cincinnati Trophy.
Invader (8) and Albin Jimenez dialed back to an easy win in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park. Two races later, Karak...
Cats set to face surging Ole Miss as they return to Rupp for first weekend home game in four weeks
By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky will be spending the weekend at home for the first time in more than a month.
Coming off a 78-64 win at Vanderbilt earlier this week, the Wildcats carry a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s game, the team’s first weekend home game since a 76-67 win over Alabama on Jan. 11.
Kentucky played its previous four Saturday games on the road and compiled a...
Tate nets career-high 31 points, extinguishes IUPUI upset attempt (and NKU alarms) during 84-70 win
By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter
With Northern Kentucky struggling against IUPUI on Friday night, the alarm system inside BB&T Arena accidentally went off and created a temporary panic during the first half.
Not because IUPUI owned a 20-13 lead over NKU. Nor was it a reaction to leading scorer and rebounder Dantez Walton sitting on the Norse sideline in a walking boot.
On a strange, brutally cold...
Mike Battaglia’s Turfway Park selections for Saturday
Turfway Park’s Mike Battaglia provides daily selections and comments for the Tribune during the live racing meets.
Battaglia
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2020
RACE 1
MISTER CARSON set the pace until deep stretch last out and drops a notch in class for this one. He figures to be front again and gets the nod for Tom Drury with Malcolm Franklin back aboard. HIGLEY O’PRADO figures to be the one to beat....
Prep Sports Notebook: Ryle coach begins promoting Maddie Scherr for Miss Kentucky Basketball Award
By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Ryle girls basketball coach Katie Haitz started promoting senior point guard Maddie Scherr for Miss Kentucky Basketball less than two hours after the player was named a finalist for the prestigious award.
On Friday morning, the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches in conjunction with the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation released the names of 19 girls...
New project will finance synthetic turf athletic fields at all four Boone County public high schools
By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
It didn’t take long for students at Cooper, Conner and Boone County high schools to find out they’ll soon be getting synthetic turf athletic fields built on campus.
“Once the story kind of broke on social media (Friday), I had a good amount of football kids coming in (my office) with big smiles on their faces,” said Randy Borchers, athletic director...
Mike Battaglia’s Turfway Park selections for Friday, card includes the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes
Turfway Park’s Mike Battaglia provides daily selections and comments for the Tribune during the live racing meets.
Battaglia
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020:
RACE 1
MY SWEET BABOO was no match for a runaway winner last out but was well clear of the third-place finisher in that one. Maker drops her a notch in class and she should get her maiden win tonight. MAGIC FINNISH is lightly raced and drops in for...
Garcia pours in 20 points, NKU women coast to 78-35 win over Illinois-Chicago on Thursday night
NKyTribune staff
Freshman guard Carissa Garcia scored a career-high 20 points as the Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team coasted to a 78-35 win over Illinois-Chicago on Thursday night at BB&T Arena.
Garcia buried four shots from 3-point range and added three steals as NKU improved to 15-10 overall, 9-5 in Horizon League play. The Norse held UIC (3-23 overall, 2-13 Horizon League)...
Mike Battaglia’s Turfway Park selections for Thursday
Turfway Park’s Mike Battaglia provides daily selections and comments for the Tribune during the live racing meets.
Battaglia
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020
RACE 1
STOCK CHAIN has shown big improvement in his last two races over the Turfway Poly. He rates the slight edge with Lezcano back aboard for Jose Fernandez. OUT OF THE BLUE was a length behind the top pick last out after being bothered badly leaving...
Don Owen: Seeking a national title, unbeaten San Diego State desperately needs a loss — just ask NKU
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be writing about San Diego State unless the Aztecs were playing Northern Kentucky University on the basketball court.
But this is the exception since San Diego State is unbeaten (25-0) and ranked No. 4 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The Aztecs are seeking their first-ever national championship and are the only remaining unbeaten college basketball...
Kentucky uses another second-half rally to complete sweep of Vandy in Nashville
By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (KT) — Comebacks are customary when Kentucky plays Vanderbilt no matter the circumstances. The Wildcats did it again Tuesday night at Memorial Gymnasium.
Kentucky rallied and notched its third consecutive victory and 11th in its last 13 contests with a 78-64 win over the Commodores. The 12th-ranked Wildcats (19-5, 9-2 Southeastern Conference) outscored...
9th Region champion will close out first round of Sweet 16 boys state basketball tournament
By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The winner of the 9th Region boys basketball tournament will play the final first-round game in the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Sweet 16 state tournament at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 19 at Rupp Arena.
The 9th Region champion will play the 12th Region champion in that first-round game, according to state tournament pairings decided in a televised draw conducted on Tuesday.
CovCath...
