Texas beats Stephen F Austin 72-62

Nov 16, 2013, 12:13 am

AUSTIN, Texas -- Demarcus Holland scored a career-high 21 points and Texas improved to 3-0 for the first time in three years with a 72-62 over Stephen F. Austin on Friday.

The Longhorns (3-0) started the game on an 11-0 run but Stephen F. Austin (2-1) quickly erased that lead and led by as many as seven points in the first half, taking a 35-31 lead into halftime. Deshaunt Walker hit five of his six 3-pointers in the first half, matching his career high with 15 points in the first half for the Lumberjacks.

Jonathan Holmes' dunk broke a 60-60 tie with 2:37 to go and Isaiah Taylor's lay-up on the following Texas possession gave the Longhorns a 64-60 lead they would not relinquish. Holmes blocked Stephen F. Austin's next shot, leading to a pair of Connor Lammert free throws that put the game out of reach.

Javan Felix hobbled off the court after hitting a floater in the first half and did not return until the second half but scored 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting in the victory. Stephen F. Austin hit eight of 16 3-pointers in the first half but cooled off in the second half, knocking down only three of eight three-pointers after halftime.

Texas outscored Stephen F. Austin, 41-27, and shot 68.2 percent from the floor in the second half. When the Lumberjacks took a 40-35 lead with 16:31 remaining, Holmes hit one of only two 3-pointers by Texas in the game before a finger roll by Holland tied the game at 40.

Holland scored six points during an 11-3 Longhorns run that left them up on the Lumberjacks, 46-43. Holmes and Holland were two of five Texas players to score in double figures Friday night, joining Felix, Lammert (12 points) and Isaiah Taylor, who scored eight of his 10 points in the second half.

Walker and Dallas Cameron, who scored 15 points on 5 of 13 shooting from the floor, combined for 39 points on a collective 16 of 29 shooting while the rest of the Lumberjacks knocked down only 6 of 28 field goal attempts.

The Longhorns are now 6-0 all-time against the Lumberjacks, who won a school-record 27 games last season, and have won 43 consecutive home games against unranked non-conference opponents.