KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Perry Ellis scored 14 points, including the go-ahead basket in the closing minutes, and No. 10 Kansas held on after blowing a 21-point second-half lead to beat No. 13 Utah 63-60 on Saturday.
Jamari Traylor added 13 points and Frank Mason III had 10 for the Jayhawks (8-1), who led 42-21 early in the second half before the Utes (7-2) stormed back to take the lead.
Jakob Poeltl’s basket with 4:38 left gave Utah a 55-53 lead, but Mason scored on a driving layup moments later to knot the game. Ellis then swooped through the lane and converted a floater for his only field-goal of the second half to give the Jayhawks the lead back.
Kansas made six straight free throws down the stretch, including two by Brannen Greene with 13.7 seconds left. Utah never got a good look at tying it, settling for an off-balance 3 from 7-foot Poeltl from the corner that was partially blocked.
Delon Wright finished with 23 points for the Utes, who nearly dealt the Jayhawks’ the worst blown lead in a loss in school history. Kansas blew a 20-point lead in losing to Arizona in 2003.
