Sports

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mevlin 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 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 the Jayhawks’ Melvin Councill Jr. 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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CINCINNATI (AP) — Carlos Hart scored 15 points, and Eastern Michigan built a big early lead and held off Cincinnati for a 64-56 victory on Wednesday night.

Eastern Michigan, which rebounded from a 41-point loss against sixth-ranked Louisville on Monday, led by as many as 17 points in the first half and had its largest lead in the second, 38-23, with 17:41 left. Cincinnati later used a 15-2 run to cut the deficit to 48-47 with 5:03 remaining. Day Day Thomas hit two 3-pointers and Kerr Kriisa had one for the Bearcats during the stretch.

The Eagles then pulled away with four free throws and a Hart 3-pointer to push the advantage to 55-47. The Bearcats got within 59-54 but didn't get closer.

Hart finished with a pair of 3s and was 5-of-5 shooting from the line. Mohammad Habhab added 13 points and made 7 of his 8 free-throw attempts for Eastern Michigan (4-3), which shot 43% overall and 86% (19 of 22) from the free-throw line. Jon Sanders II finished with 10 points.

Thomas made four 3-pointers and scored 17 points to lead Cincinnati (5-2). Sencire Harris added 12 points.

Sanders and Mak Manciel scored eight points apiece as Eastern Michigan shot 50% (13 of 26) overall and built a 36-23 halftime lead. Thomas scored eight first-half points to pace the Cincinnati, which shot 30% (9 of 30) from the floor.

Eastern Michigan hosts NJIT on Friday.

Cincinnati hosts Tarleton State on Monday.

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