With all five of its top scorers returning from last season, Iowa took down No. 13 Oregon 77-69 in the semifinal of the 2K Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Oregon could not overcome a poor first half. While the Ducks did pick up the intensity in the second half, Iowa responded on each run by getting offensive rebounds and hitting timely threes.

Ehab Amin was the lead offensive player for Oregon. The senior guard finished with 25 points, going 5-of-8 from behind the 3-point line.

Bol Bol made his presence felt early with four blocks in six minutes. However, he was the only bright spot on Oregon’s defense. Tyler Cook, a junior forward who led the team in points rebounds and free throws last season, helped the Hawkeyes take the lead early with multiple 3-pointers and dunks. Iowa’s 3-pointers carried the team through the game, and it finished 10-of-28 from behind the line.

Paul White and Payton Pritchard both had off nights, as neither scored in the first half. Pritchard’s first field goal came off of a transition layup with 14:23 to play in the second. Pritchard fouled out in the final minutes with five points and 1-of-9 shooting.

Oregon’s offense was inconsistent in the first half, while Iowa started out hot, opening a 21-9 lead after six minutes. The Hawkeyes shot 8-of-17 from the three-point line in the first half.
The Ducks missed 9-of-10 with 4:30 to go, and Iowa went on another 8-0 over 1:30 run, fueled by multiple turnovers from Pritchard and Richardson. By halftime, Iowa built a 39-28 lead. The Ducks only had eight field goals on 31 attempts.

Oregon will play No. 15 Syracuse for the first time ever on Friday.
Follow August Howell on Twitter @howell_august