Texas 71 – Iowa 57
1st Half: Iowa 30 – Texas 24‘”
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[*]The Horns did not look ready to play, letting the Hawkeyes race out to a 10-2 lead to start the game. Texas slept through the first 5:00, playing little defense.
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[*]The story on offense in the first half was a complete lack of rhythm. Entry passes were too slow, spacing was poor, and the entire team seemed content to watch whoever had the ball instead of running offense.
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[*]The Longhorns were turnover machines – 10 in the first 20 minutes.
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[*]Most offensive possessions needed an additional pass.
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[*]Iowa dominated ‘hustle plays’ throughout the half, and it really showed up in the rebound column.
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2nd Half: Texas 47 – Iowas 27‘”
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[*]Johnathan Holmes went on an 8-2 run to start the half and tied the game before Iowa knew what hit them.
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[*]Texas made more shots in the first 9:30 of the 2nd half (11) than they did in the entire 1st half (10).
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[*]With less than 7 minutes to go in the half, Iowa still did not have any points in the paint.
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[*]Isaiah Taylor drove to the rim at will throughout the half. The team’s offensive run in the first five minutes spread the Hawkeyes out on defense and Taylor took advantage.
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[*]Scary moment at 2:06 when Taylor hit the floor hard after a flagrant foul. That’s the player that Texas can least afford to lose to injury. Trainers were working on his left wrist after he went to the bench.
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Top takeaways
1. It was truly a tale of two halves. Several of the bad habits from recent seasons reared their head in the first stanza, only to have the team play with urgency and use their athleticism in the second half.
2. After shooting only 32% in the opening 20:00, Texas ran away on 61% shooting in the 2nd half. It was the same story when they cut the turnovers in half in the second period. (10 in 1st to 5 in 2nd).
The stat story
After scoring just 2 points in the first half, Jonathan Holmes ripped the Hawkeyes for 17 points in the second half. Holmes’ ball fake that was followed by a drive and dunk was the play of the game for the Horns.
Looking ahead
Texas will play the winner of the California vs Syracuse in the championship game on Friday night. The game is slated to tip at 6:30 CST. Syracuse is the favorite in the second game, and Texas would face a hostile crowd on Friday if the Orange beat the Bears.
