‘Going to Disney World’: Jayhawks beat Vols, head to resort

Kansas guard Frank Mason pulls away a rebound during the second half against Tennessee on Friday, Nov. 28, 2014 at the HP Field House in Kissimmee, Florida.

• Box score

Kissimmee, Fla ? Frank Mason III had something in common with various Super Bowl MVP’s in the wake of Kansas University’s 82-67 Orlando Classic semifinal victory over Tennessee on Friday at HP Field House.

He was “going to Disney World.”

“I’m just excited to go … never been,” 5-foot-11 sophomore point guard Mason said after scoring 11 points, dishing a season-high seven assists (including four alley-oop lobs) and grabbing a career-best six rebounds while playing a whopping 39 minutes.

If one of those famous Disney World commercials had been filmed after the Jayhawks’ fourth win over the season (in five tries), it most certainly would have featured Mason or junior Perry Ellis, who erupted for 24 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes.

“I thought he did great tonight. He led the team. He really did,” Ellis said of Mason, before hopping on the team bus and heading to the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center to get cleaned up before getting dropped off with his teammates at Disney’s “Magic Kingdom.”

“He had the ball the majority of time coming up on the press and I thought he did real well,” Ellis added.

Mason hit one of two free throws with 6:31 left to bust a 62-62 tie, putting KU ahead for good against the pesky, pressing (2-2) Volunteers.

Wayne Selden Jr. next hit one of two free throws after Cliff Alexander’s vicious block of an Armani Moore shot — Alexander’s only block on a day he erupted for 16 points.

With KU up two, Mason swiped the ball from UT’s Kevin Punter and missed a driving layup with no foul called. Ellis missed a stick-back attempt, but Alexander followed with a rebound, bucket and free throw and KU led, 67-62, at 5:37.

Following another steal, Selden was hacked hard on a drive to the hoop and hit two more free throws, giving KU a 69-62 lead at 5:15.

Mason hit a jumper to make it 71-64 at 3:42, then grabbed a rebound off a Tennessee miss. Ellis converted on the other end off an assist from Mason as the score upped to 74-64 at 2:56. Ellis then scored four points and Alexander one and KU led 79-66 with under a minute left.

In all, the fivesome of Mason, Ellis, Selden, Alexander and Brannen Greene outscored Tennessee 20-5 to close out a tight game.

“I thought Frank played great. He played too many minutes obviously,” said KU coach Bill Self, who said he used Mason 20 minutes, Ellis 19 and Selden 18 the final half because he was “just trying to win the game.”

“He (Mason) made a couple bonehead plays not getting back in transition on a missed free throw, a couple things. I thought overall he was probably as well as anybody on the court with the exception of Perry. I thought Perry played really well,” Self added.

Mason said that KU, which led by 11 points with 15 minutes left, was motivated to finish strong.

“I think we all wanted the same thing. We all wanted to win bad. We all wanted to get stops and get great shots, just tried to get the ball inside, to play inside/out,” Mason said.

He fed Alexander three times for vicious alley-oop lobs and Ellis once.

“I always look for the lobs. In the zone, the middle guy, once he seams and steps up, I just look at that and it’s pretty much open,” Mason said.

Noted Alexander: “It feels pretty good. Frank threw one from halfcourt. We’ve just got that connect. Our chemistry is getting a lot better since I first got here … just point up to the rim and he’s throwing it to me.”

Mason was just four rebounds and three assists away from a triple double. He had three turnovers to go with the seven dimes.

“I think confidence and (being) better conditioned,” Petersburg, Virginia native Mason said, asked the main reason for his improvement this season. “Just knowing what to do, knowing the offense and knowing what Coach Self wants.

“I just try to do anything to help the team win — rebound, passing the ball, getting others involved, just doing all the little things.”

Self obviously approved of his Jayhawks’ play during crunch time. Prior to the game-ending 20-5 run, KU quickly saw a 54-43 lead cut to 54-53. Mason, by the way, was the guy to connect from three at that point to give the Jayhawks breathing room at 57-53.

“I think we scored at the end of the clock a couple times,” Self said. “I thought Frank did a great job down the stretch. We made our free throws (26 of 34 to UT’s 13 of 23). The big thing is we got stops. We didn’t do a great job of guarding the ball for a stretch obviously and then I thought late we made them earn everything.

“We were fortunate they missed a couple shots. We took care of the ball (16 turnovers to UT’s 10; 17 assists to UT’s eight) and basically made them chase us.”

The Jayhawks will practice Saturday on a rare off day in a unique early-season tourney format. Game time for the title game is noon, Central time, Sunday at HP Field House.