University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
2-2
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Kansas
4-1
#11 Kansas Outlasts Vols, 82-67, In Orlando
November 28, 2014 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2014
Final Stats |
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tennessee battled #11 Kansas, but dropped an 82-67 decision in the semifinals of the Orlando Classic on Friday afternoon.
The Vols (2-2) will play either #20 Michigan State or Marquette in the Third Place Game on Sunday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2. Kansas (4-1) has advanced to the championship game.
Tennessee was led by senior Josh Richardson, who had 16 points and four rebounds. Junior Kevin Punter added 14 points. Freshman Detrick Mostella tallied 13 on 4-of-8 from 3-point range. The trio combined for 22 points in the second half as the Vols charged back to tied the game late.
The Jayhawks were led by junior Perry Ellis, who had game-highs of 24 points and 13 rebounds. Freshman Cliff Alexander scored 16 points while Wayne Selden Jr., scored 12 points and Frank Mason III had 11 points and handed out six assists and grabbed six boards.
With the game tied at 62, Kansas reeled off seven consecutive points keyed by 3-point play by Alexander as the Jayhawks took a 69-62 lead with 5:15 remaining.
Punter ended Kansas' run with a short jumper to make it 69-64, but the Jayhawks scored the next five points to take control 74-64 with just under three minutes remaining.
The Jayhawks finished scoring 20 of the game's final 25 points.
Tennessee's gritty and gutsy effort on both ends of the floor resulted in the Vols tying the game at 62 with 6:49 left on a pair of Armani Moore free throws.
Down by 13 points, the Vols responded to cut the deficit to one, 54-53, with a 13-1 run, including 10 consecutive points. Mostella connected on back-to-back 3-pointers followed by Punter's layup to cut the deficit to one with 12:15 left. Tennessee's defense forced Kansas into six turnovers during the run of 2:30.
Up seven at the half, Kansas opened the second half strong to take a 53-40 lead on consecutive alley-oops dunks by Alexander, less than four minutes into the stanza.
Kansas held a 40-33 lead at halftime in a high-octane 20 minutes of action. Kansas' Ellis led all players with 11 points. Punter topped the Vols with 10 points. The Jayhawks outrebounded the Vols, 23-13 in the first half.
Mostella converted a 4-point play to put the Vols ahead, 17-15, with 10:45 left in the first half. That was the Vols' first 4-point play in a game since Skylar McBee, the hero of the Vols' 2010 win over Kansas, made one against Vanderbilt on Jan. 15, 2011.
Kansas answered a Vols' 10-1 run, which gave Tennessee its first lead of the game, with a 17-5 spurt to take a 10-point lead at 32-22. Brannen Greene finished the run with a 3-pointer off a feed from Selden with 4:35 left in the first half.
The Vols got within four points again at 35-31 after a 4-point sequence by Punter, who made both free throws after being flagrantly fouled, after a layup.
Kansas doubled the Vols off the glass, 44-22. Tennessee forced Kansas into 16 turnovers and turned those into 24 points.
