Kansas Jayhawks Outlast Notre Dame Fighting Irish At Players Era Festival
In the bright lights of Las Vegas, the Kansas Jayhawks looked less like high rollers and more like a team just trying to find a hot streak. They managed to hold off a scrappy Notre Dame squad 71-61 in the Players Era tournament opener, but it was far from a jackpot performance. This was a game that felt like a grind from the opening tip, a street fight in the middle of a casino.
The Fighting Irish just wouldn’t go away. Every time Kansas seemed ready to pull away and make this a laugher, Notre Dame would claw right back. The Jayhawks were depleted, looked exhausted, and frankly, were lucky to escape with a win.
A Tale Of Two Halves (Sort Of)
The game’s pivotal moment came with about eight minutes left. Notre Dame had sliced the lead to a nail-biting four points. The momentum was all theirs. Cole Certa, with ice in his veins, stepped up for a three that could have sent the Kansas bench into a full-blown panic. The ball circled the rim, flirted with destiny, and then cruelly rolled out. You could almost hear a collective sigh of relief from the Jayhawk faithful. A turnover on the next possession, and just like that, the Irish luck ran out.
Kansas, smelling blood in the water, went to work. Bryson Tiller, who played like a man possessed, scored two massive buckets inside, and the storm was weathered. It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough.
Who Stepped Up For Kansas?
Without their star players, the Jayhawks had to rely on their young guns, and boy, did they deliver. Flory Bidunga was an absolute monster in the post, dropping 18 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and swatting 5 blocks like he was playing against middle schoolers. His partner in crime, Tiller, wasn’t far behind with 17 points and 9 boards of his own. These two carried Kansas on their backs.
Veteran Tre White also deserves a shoutout. After taking a nasty shot to the face that sent him to the locker room, he came back and provided the steady hand they desperately needed, finishing with 16 points. It was a gutsy performance that won’t show up in the highlight reels but was crucial to the win.
What’s Next For the Jayhawks?
Let’s be honest, this was an ugly win. The Jayhawks looked a step slow on defense, got into foul trouble, and seemed to lose focus at critical moments. They let Notre Dame’s star guard, Markus Burton, go off for 24 points. If not for a few lucky bounces and the heroics of Bidunga and Tiller, this could have easily been a loss.
They’ll have to clean things up quickly as they continue in the tournament. But for now, a win is a win, even if it feels like you just survived a 12-round boxing match. The Jayhawks limp away from this one, bruised but not beaten, ready to fight another day in Sin City.
