Jayhawks Storm Back to Top No. 17 Tennessee

Wednesday, November 26

Las Vegas, Nev.

6:00 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

6-2,0-0Big 12

Tennessee

7-1,0-0SEC

Kansas

Tennessee

Jayhawks Storm Back to Top No. 17 Tennessee

11/26/2025 8:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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LAS VEGAS (AP)— Melvin Council Jr. and Elmarko Jackson each scored 17 points and Kansas defeated previously unbeaten No. 17 Tennessee 81-76 in the third-place game of the Players Era Championship on Wednesday night.

Tre White added 14 points for Kansas (6-2) before fouling out and Flory Bidunga scored 13 as the Jayhawks erased a 12-point second half deficit. Jackson's 17 points set a new career high. The redshirt sophomore was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Coach Bill Self's team outscored Tennessee 47-35 in the second half after trailing by seven at the break.

Nate Ament led Tennessee (7-1) with 20 points. Jaylen Carey and Ja'Kobe Gillespie each scored 11 points and J.P. Estrella added 10.

Kansas, which trailed most of the second half, took the lead with 5:36 remaining on Paul Mbiya's layup and extended the lead to four points at 68-64 on a driving layup by Jackson with 5:08 left.

The Jayhawks extended the lead to seven points at 75-68 with 2:02 left before Tennessee cut the lead to 75-73 with 56 seconds left. Bidunga made two free throws and stole a pass with 20 seconds left, and the Jayhawks held on for the win.

With 15:06 remaining the second half, Tennessee had built a 12-point lead. But, the Jayhawks ran off eight straight points on two 3-pointers and two free throws by Jackson to pull within 55-51 with 12:09 remaining.

Tennessee built back a six-point advantage with 8:21 left, but the Jayhawks' Melvin Councill Jr. made two layups and two free throws to tie the game at 62-62 with 7:25 left.

The win completed a 3-0 week for Kansas in Las Vegas in its first trip to the Players Era. The Jayhawks topped Notre Dame on Monday and Syracuse on Tuesday, before picking up a win against the 17th-ranked Volunteers.

Up next

Tennessee: At Syracuse on Tuesday.

Kansas: Hosts Connecticut on Tuesday.