New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Jonathan Holmes scored 17 of his 19 points in a lopsided second half as No. 10 Texas upended Iowa 71-57 in a 2K Classic semifinal at Madison Square Garden.
Texas outscored the Hawkeyes 47-27 after halftime and will play California on Friday night for the event's title.
Isaiah Taylor chipped in 15 points, Javan Felix added 11 and the Longhorns (3-0) held Iowa to 29.6 percent shooting.
Aaron White scored a game-high 23 points for the Hawkeyes (2-1), though 14 came at the foul line.
Iowa jumped out to a 13-2 lead less than five minutes in thanks to the Longhorns missing five of their first six shots and turning the ball over on three straight possessions.
The Hawkeyes took a 30-24 advantage into the locker room, but Texas turned things around quickly.
Holmes scored eight points in the first two minutes alone, then made a 3- pointer shortly afterward that gave the Longhorns a 39-37 lead.
Though the Hawkeyes never led again, they did pull even at 43-43 before a 13-0 run by Texas turned the tide for good. Holmes scored five points during the six-plus minute stretch, and Taylor netted the final four.
With under six minutes to play, Felix beat the shot clock with a straightaway 3-pointer to give Texas a 63-48 lead, and it was smooth sailing for the Big 12 representatives from there.
Game Notes
Iowa outscored Texas at the free throw line 21-11 ... Texas assisted on only 10 of its 27 field goals ... Both programs won their opening two games of the season by an average of over 30 points ... These teams had split four previous meetings.
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