AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Jonathan Holmes scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half and Texas erased a 17-point deficit to pick up an 84-77 win over South Alabama on Tuesday night.
Texas (2-0) scored the first basket but did not lead again until late in the second half. South Alabama (1-1) opened the game on 18-8 run and eventually took a 45-31 halftime lead, hitting 10 of 21 3-pointers in the first half.
But Holmes scored the Longhorns' first eight points of the second half, fueling a 17-7 Texas run. Prince Ibeh's lay-up with 6:22 to go made it a one-possession game for the first time since the 16:58 mark of the first half and Isaiah Taylor converted a lay-up to give the Longhorns a 73-72 lead, their first since there was 19:09 remaining in the first half.
Mychal Ammons quickly responded with one of the Jaguars' 13 3-pointers to put them back on top, but Taylor once again gave the Longhorns the lead, this time for good, with another lay-up with 1:51 to play.
Connor Lammert tied the game at 75 with a jumper and, following another Ammons bucket, Felix tied the game again at 77 with a pair of free throws with 2:22 to go. After Taylor's lay-up, Felix, who scored 15 points for the Longhorns, sealed the victory by knocking down a jumper with 23.3 seconds remaining.
Augustine Rubit, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year, led South Alabama with 22 points on 7 of 18 shooting, making him one of four South Alabama players to score in double figures. Antoine Allen scored all 12 of his points in the first half while Barrington Stevens contributed 12 points and Ammons scored 16 for the Jaguars.
Freshman Isaiah Taylor, who scored a game-high 17 points in the Longhorns' season-opening win over Mercer last Friday, scored 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting. Holmes, who hit 4 of 7 3-pointers on the night, also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Texas has started 2-0 for the 12th straight year.
