Kansas deals No. 17 Tennessee its 1st loss, 81-76 in 3rd-place game at Players Era Championship
AP
Nov 26, 2025
LAS VEGAS (AP) Melvin Council Jr. and Elmarko Jackson each scored 17 points and Kansas Jayhawks defeated previously unbeaten No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers 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 Florey Bidunga scored 13.
Nata 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 Council made two layups and two free throws to tie the game at 62-62 with 7:25 left.
Tennessee: At Syracuse on Tuesday.
Kansas: Hosts Connecticut on Tuesday.
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1st Half
KAN
Jayhawks
34
TENN
Volunteers
41
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Flory Bidunga vs. Felix Okpara (Jayhawks gains possession)
19:43
+2
Flory Bidunga makes two point layup (Bryson Tiller assists)
2-0
19:35
Nate Ament turnover (traveling)
19:18
Flory Bidunga misses two point jump shot
19:16
Felix Okpara defensive rebound
18:52
Cade Phillips misses two point jump shot
18:50
Bryson Tiller defensive rebound
18:40
Felix Okpara blocks Flory Bidunga's two point layup
18:38
Nate Ament defensive rebound
18:31
+2
Nate Ament makes two point layup
2-2
18:07
Melvin Council Jr. misses two point jump shot
18:05
Nate Ament defensive rebound
17:42
+2
Nate Ament makes two point layup
2-4
17:24
Bryson Tiller misses three point jump shot
17:22
Tre White offensive rebound
17:21
Bishop Boswell shooting foul (Tre White draws the foul)
17:21
+1
Tre White makes regular free throw 1 of 2
3-4
17:21
+1
Tre White makes regular free throw 2 of 2
4-4
17:04
Bryson Tiller blocks Nate Ament's two point layup
17:02
Volunteers offensive rebound
17:01
Ja'Kobi Gillespie misses three point jump shot
16:59
Flory Bidunga defensive rebound
16:46
Cade Phillips blocks Flory Bidunga's two point layup
16:44
Flory Bidunga offensive rebound
16:42
Flory Bidunga misses two point layup
16:40
Cade Phillips defensive rebound
16:36
Nate Ament turnover (traveling)
16:25
+2
Bryson Tiller makes two point dunk (Tre White assists)
6-4
15:58
+2
J.P. Estrella makes two point dunk (Bishop Boswell assists)
6-6
15:39
Flory Bidunga misses two point hook shot
15:37
Jaylen Carey defensive rebound
15:11
+3
Amaree Abram makes three point jump shot (Jaylen Carey assists)
6-9
14:49
Flory Bidunga misses two point hook shot
14:47
Jaylen Carey defensive rebound
14:37
Flory Bidunga blocks Ja'Kobi Gillespie's two point jump shot
14:36
Volunteers offensive rebound
14:36
TV timeout
14:34
Ja'Kobi Gillespie misses three point jump shot
14:32
Tre White defensive rebound
14:09
+3
Tre White makes three point jump shot (Kohl Rosario assists)
9-9
13:58
+3
J.P. Estrella makes three point jump shot (Ja'Kobi Gillespie assists)
9-12
13:28
Flory Bidunga misses two point jump shot
13:26
Tre White offensive rebound
13:25
Amaree Abram shooting foul (Tre White draws the foul)
13:25
+1
Tre White makes regular free throw 1 of 2
10-12
13:25
+1
Tre White makes regular free throw 2 of 2
11-12
13:05
+3
Nate Ament makes three point jump shot (Jaylen Carey assists)
11-15
12:52
Nate Ament personal foul (Bryson Tiller draws the foul)
12:40
Kohl Rosario misses three point jump shot
12:38
Bryson Tiller offensive rebound
12:35
+3
Kohl Rosario makes three point jump shot (Melvin Council Jr. assists)
14-15
12:18
Tre White shooting foul (Jaylen Carey draws the foul)
12:18
Jaylen Carey misses regular free throw 1 of 2
12:18
+1
Jaylen Carey makes regular free throw 2 of 2
14-16
12:00
Kohl Rosario misses three point jump shot
11:58
Felix Okpara defensive rebound
11:30
+2
Cade Phillips makes two point jump shot
14-18
11:07
Melvin Council Jr. misses two point jump shot
11:05
Nate Ament defensive rebound
10:47
Amaree Abram misses three point jump shot
10:45
Jayhawks defensive rebound
10:44
TV timeout
10:26
Felix Okpara shooting foul (Tre White draws the foul)
10:26
+1
Tre White makes regular free throw 1 of 2
15-18
10:26
+1
Tre White makes regular free throw 2 of 2
16-18
10:16
+2
Ja'Kobi Gillespie makes two point jump shot
16-20
10:00
+3
Jamari McDowell makes three point jump shot (Elmarko Jackson assists)
19-20
9:31
Felix Okpara misses two point hook shot
9:29
Elmarko Jackson defensive rebound
9:22
Elmarko Jackson misses three point jump shot
9:20
Nate Ament defensive rebound
9:04
+2
Cade Phillips makes two point alley-oop dunk (Ja'Kobi Gillespie assists)
19-22
8:43
Melvin Council Jr. misses two point layup
8:41
Nate Ament defensive rebound
8:25
+3
Nate Ament makes three point jump shot (Bishop Boswell assists)
19-25
8:22
Jayhawks 30 second timeout
8:22
TV timeout
8:00
+3
Tre White makes three point jump shot (Kohl Rosario assists)
22-25
7:57
Bishop Boswell flagrant 1 (Jamari McDowell draws the foul)