Bennett Stirtz scored a season-high 29 points and Iowa remained unbeaten by handing Ole Miss its first loss, 74-69 in the first round of the Acrisure Classic on Tuesday in Palm Desert, Calif.
Cooper Koch added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (6-0), who will face either Grand Canyon or Utah for the event’s championship on Wednesday.
AJ Storr scored 22 points, Kezza Giffa had 13 and Ilias Kamardine 12 to lead the Rebels (5-1), who will face the Lopes or the Utes in a consolation game on Wednesday.
Storr made two free throws to start the second-half scoring and give Ole Miss a 33-31 lead. Stirtz scored five points during a 10-2 run that gave Iowa a six-point lead. Storr and Giffa made consecutive 3-pointers to tie the score at 41.
The game was tied again at 44 before Stirtz sank a 3-pointer with 10:58 to go. The Rebels got within one point on three occasions before Eduardo Klafke’s two free throws gave them a 55-54 lead with 7:22 remaining.
Stirtz and teammate Alvaro Folgueiras each made a 3-pointer as the Hawkeyes opened a 64-57 lead with 4:31 to go.
Ole Miss got within four points twice the rest of the way, but no closer.
Both teams had difficulty scoring in the early going. Each side had just two field goals after nearly nine minutes before a dunk by Corey Chest gave Ole Miss its first lead, 8-7. Stirtz scored the next seven points to give Iowa a 14-8 lead.
The Hawkeyes led by six points a second time, but Storr made two free throws and Augusto Cassia and Kamardine had consecutive dunks to produce the third tie of the game.
The score was tied a fourth time before the Rebels scored four straight points for a 22-18 lead. Koch made consecutive field goals, Stirtz added a 3-pointer and Kael Combs made a layup during a 9-0 run that gave Iowa a 27-22 advantage.
Giffa stopped the run by making a layup, and he scored seven of Ole Miss’ last nine points to produce a 31-all tie at halftime.
