4:15 p.m. ET
What a win for UMass and head coach Derek Kellogg!

Harris finishes with 17 points to lead the Minutemen. Lowe and Lynch had 11 and 10 respectively to finish in double-figures. Gaffney finishes with six points, 12 rebounds, five blocks, three steals and three blocks.

To quote Kellogg yesterday when talking to the team, "We can beat these dudes!" ... and they did.

UMass knocks off the defending national champs for the second season in a row. Its also its first non-conference win over a ranked opponent since Maryland in 1997 (0-14 since then until today).

Thanks so much for reading today's blog. It was an incredible game to watch and a huge win for this team.We will see you at the Mullins Center next Saturday for Hofstra at 4 p.m.

Go celebrate!

4:08 p.m. ET
UMass' defense steps up huge and forces a miss and Lowe knocks the ball away and the clock runs out! UMass pulls off the upset of the defending national champs!

4:06 p.m. ET
Harris and Lowe break the press. Lowe is fouled, goes to the line for two ... misses both.

Lowe fouls, his fourth, as UMass had one to give. KU ball with 13.3 left. UMass timeout.

UMass 61, Kansas 60, 13.3 2nd

4:04 p.m. ET
UMass has to call timeout before inbounding as KU went to a face-guarding fullcourt press while taking the man off the inbounder and using him as a safety of sorts.

4:00 p.m. ET
After KU made one of two free throws, UMass struggled with the press ... The Minutemen got bailed out by a foul call in the backcourt that the crowd did not like at all.

Lowe hits one of two.

Collins then hits a huge deep three that gets KU within one.

Timeout. This is going to be a nailbiting 27 seconds.

UMass 61, Kansas 60, :27.8 2nd

3:56 p.m. ET
KU got three shots off on the last possession but couldn't score ... Gaffney got stripped on the next possession and Morningstar missed a three, rebound UMass. Lynch got an offensive board on his own miss, but was called out of bounds.

Kansas calls timeout.

UMass 60, Kansas 56, 0:55 left

3:52 p.m. ET
UMass just got called for another shot clock violation.

Tyrell Lynch now has a career high with 10 points.

Kansas is 1-1 at the Sprint Center this season. They defeated Washington and then picked up their lone loss in that overtime game against Syracuse I mentioned earlier.

UMass is trying to beat their second half demons. The Minutemen are 1-5 when leading at the half this year.

UMass 58, Kansas 56, 3:34 2nd

3:49 p.m. ET
After a Kansas hoop got this already loud crowd even louder, Lynch silenced them with a layup and foul for a 3-point play.

As this game went under five minutes, this is the first time they have trailed this season at the five-minute mark. They led at that time in their OT loss to Syracuse.

UMass 58, Kansas 54, 4:23 2nd

3:46 p.m. ET
KU coach Bill Self was just called for a technical foul after a foul was called on KU. Harris hit both FT's.

Former Jayhawk, NBAer, and current Kansas assistant Danny Manning stayed between Self and the officials to keep him from getting a second T.

UMass 55, Kansas 52, 5:04 2nd

3:44 p.m. ET
UMass called for shot clock violation. sixth turnover of the half. KU has none this half after 10 in the first.

UMass 53, KU 52, 5:45 2nd

3:41 p.m. ET
Action is heating up as the teams are going back and forth. With the score knotted at 50, David Gibbs hit a 3-pointer, his second of the game.

Gaffney now has 11 rebounds, five blocks, three steals, and three assists to go with six points ... filling the stat sheet as usual.

UMass 53, Kansas 50, 7:19 2nd

3:30 p.m. ET
A 3-pointer gave KU its first lead since midway in the first half, but Tyrell Lynch's offensive board and putback (Aldridge was called for goaltending) gives UMass the lead back at the under-12 timeout.

UMass is 5-for-12 from 3-point range, while KU is only 2-for-9.

UMass 47, Kansas 46, 11:56 2nd

3:27 p.m. ET
After Harris' shot in the lane was blocked by Aldrich, Sherron Collins is able to score at the other end to tie the game up. Kellogg called timeout as the KU went to a fullcourt press and Gaffney couldn't find an open man to inbound to.

UMass 43, Kansas 43, 13:22 2nd

3:20 p.m. ET
At the first media timeout, KU has cut the deficit to four. Lowe was just called for a travel in the lane that there looked to be a lot of contact on as he was double-teamed.

UMass 42, Kansas 38, 15:26 2nd

3:15 p.m. ET
There's a timeout for blood on the floor (Tyrel Reed's I think).

UMass 40, Kansas 34, 17:31 2nd

3:10 p.m. ET
Harris led all scorers with 14 in the first half. Lowe and Glass added seven, while Gaffney had six rebounds and four blocks, but picked up his third fould just before the half.

Kansas is being led by Aldrich with eight points and eight rebounds.

UMass forced 10 turnovers, while giving it away only six times.

UMass outshot KU, 55.6% to 28.6%.

KU had the advantage on the glass, 24-11.

Travis Ford's family is here watching the game (Heather and the kids). Steve Middleton's wife and kids are with her as well (Ok. State is at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi). UMass is 1-0 with a Ford family member in attendance this season (Travis' father against Ark.-Monticello). That's your random stat of the day.

2:58 p.m. ET
Lowe drives on Aldrich, draws a ton of contact (no call) and hits the layup with three seconds left in the half.

UMass goes into hafltime leading, despite KU closing the half on a 12-4 run.

UMass 36, Kansas 30, Halftime

2:51 p.m. ET
Kansas and the crowd have come to life. The Jayhawks are on a 10-2 run.

UMass 34, Kansas 28, 1:15 1st

2:46 p.m. ET
Glass hits the FT ... he seems to have his game going again after scoring six last game, he has seven today ... then he takes a charge on defense.

Gaffney scores again. UMass has the defending national champs down by 14.

UMass 32, Kansas 18, 3:15 1st

2:41 p.m. ET
Tony Gaffney just drew boos from the crowd for holding the game up after a foul when he had to run back to the other end of the court to get his shoe, which had fallen off. He smiled and got a bit of a laugh from it and adidas got some extra TV time.

Matt Glass just hit a 3-pointer and was fouled on the play, he'll shoot one after the timeout. He'll be looking to be the first Minuteman with a 4-point play since Gary Forbes in the first Syracuse game last season.

UMass 29, Kansas 18, 3:50 1st

2:37 p.m. ET
Harris is scoring faster than I can type. He hits a three, Tyrell Lynch hits a long two, and UMass has KU on its heels.

UMass 26, KU 15, 4:30 1st

2:35 p.m. ET
Gaffney came out of nowhere to block a shot, then on the next defensive possession, he knocks a pass away that Harris picks up and takes the length of the floor for the layin and UMass widens its lead and forces a KU timeout.

UMass 21, Kansas 15, 6:00 1st

2:33 p.m. ET
Harris hits a three from the corner and the Minutemen take their first lead since the beginning of the game. He has seven points, while Lowe has five.

Kansas has five turnovers, while UMass has four.

UMass 17, Kansas 15, 7:18 1st

2:28 p.m. ET
Another steal and this time Harris goes in alone for the layup.

Gurley scores on UMass next possession and the Minutemen tie it up.

UMass 14, Kansas 14, 8:18 1st

UMass is holding the Jayhawks to 33.3% shooting, while UMass is shooting 42.9%. KU has a big 14-7 edge on the boards, mainly because of 6-11 center Cole Aldrich's four.

2:22 p.m. ET
Ricky Harris is looking good early on. After hitting a jumper, he makes the steal at the defensive end and is fouled on his way to the rim. He'll shoot two after the media timeout.

Kansas 11, UMass 8, 11:42 1st

2:20 p.m. ET
Tyrell Lynch checks in for UMass' first sub, coming in for Matt Glass. David Gibbs goes in shortly after for Chris Lowe.

KU by three, 9-6 with 13:30 left.

2:14 p.m. ET
At the first media timeout, KU leads UMass, 6-3, with 15:48 left in the half.

UMass is trying to be the second A-10 team to knock off a ranked opponent today. Temple beat #8 Tennessee, 88-72.

2:10 p.m. ET
These Big 12 officials are being tough on the Minutemen early on, calling two offensive fouls in a row on UMass (Gurley and Lowe).

2:08 p.m. ET
Matt Glass, making his second start in a row, hits a 3-pointer on UMass' first possession to give the Minutemen the 3-0 lead.

2:06 p.m. ET
Before the KU starters were introduced, a video played on the scoreboard that included footage of the Jayhawks' victory over Memphis in last season's national championship game. As those shots played, including Mario Chalmers' miracle shot, Derek Kellogg looked at the scoreboard, smiled, and made a comment to his team that drew some laughter from the guys.

2:04 p.m. ET
Fans are still filing in as the starters are introduced. This 18,500-seat arena is just about completely full now of crimson and blue.

1:57 p.m. ET
The teams are now on the floor for their final warmups before the anthem. There are some UMass fans here in attendance if you look behind the Minutemen bench. I spotted Tony Gaffney's family. His father and two brothers are here.

1:45 p.m. ET
It's great to see some of UMass' local media made the trip for today's game. Matt Vautour from the Daily Hampshire Gazette (and UMass alum) is here covering the game. Harry Plumer, who did an internship over the summer with the Springfield Republican, is here writing for them today. Gerry Fraley, verteran baseball writer for The Sporting News, is writing for the Boston Globe. Mike Walsh and Chris Marovelli from WMUA 91.1 FM are here broadcasting the game. Of course as always, Josh Maurer and Tim Kenney are calling the action on UMass' flagship WRNX 100.9 FM.

Even if you are watching the game on ESPN, be sure at halftime to tune your radios to WRNX or click the listen link at UMassAthletics.com to hear Maurer's interview with UMass great, NBA great and Hall of Famer Julius Erving.

Today's ESPN crew calling the game, Ron Franklin and Fran Fraschilla, also called UMass' NIT game at MSG last season against Florida, the last time the Minutemen took on a defending national champ.

Fraschilla happened to graduate from the same high school as UMass' head manager Matt Vogel, James Madison High in Brooklyn.

1:15 p.m. ET
Today's game in Missouri makes it five states the Minutemen and Jayhawks have played against each other in. They played in the preseason NIT in 1993 in New York, the Wooden Classic in California in 1994, in Kansas in 1997, and at the Mullins Center in 1999.

UMass is one of five Atlantic 10 teams to be playing on the ESPN family of networks this weekend. Temple and Tennessee lead in to the UMass game, while Villanova and La Salle play on ESPNU tomorrow, VCU and Richmond play on "the U" today at 2, and Xavier and Cincinnati play tonight on ESPN2.

1:00 p.m. ET
Welcome to today's live blog of the game between the Minutemen and the national champion Jayhawks. This is Dave Gunn from the UMass Media Relations Office blogging to you today from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. As you watch the game on ESPN or listen on WRNX, we will try to bring you all the extra info and tidbits to make your experience more enjoyable.

The Sprint Center is a new (opened in 2007) 18,500-seat arena in the heart of Kansas City, adjacent to the revitalized "Power & Light District", an area of restaurants, bars, and shops.

The team left from Bradley Airport yesterday morning at 11:00. After a transfer in Chicago, the Minutemen arrived in Kansas City around 3:00 Central Time. The team had a shootaround at the Sprint Center before going to dinner. This morning the team had its pregame meal at the team hotel, where Kansas also happens to be staying.