Kentucky guard Briscoe (back) out against Cleveland State

Briscoe, Kentucky's leading scorer, sat out Wednesday's game against Cleveland State, and will be evaluated daily.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Leading scorer Isaiah Briscoe sat out top-ranked Kentucky's game against Cleveland State on Wednesday with a back injury the school says will be evaluated daily.

Briscoe, a sophomore guard averaging 18 points a game, was in sweats during pregame warmups and cheered on teammates during the first half. Senior guard Dominique Hawkins started in his place for the Wildcats, who didn't miss a beat in jumping out to a 16-2 lead that grew to 25 late en route to a 56-35 advantage at the break.

Back-to-back 21-point games against Canisius and Michigan State have boosted Briscoe, who returned for a second season after working out with several NBA teams last spring.