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After turbulent season, Texas defeats Lipscomb to win second NIT championship in school history

The second-seeded Longhorns cruised past fifth-seeded Lipscomb on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, 81-66, to win the NIT championship. Texas finished the season 21-16 overall.

Here are three takeaways from Thursday's championship:

1. Defense, 3-point shooting lifts Texas

Texas' defense was once again impressive when it mattered most. After holding TCU to 28 percent shooting and 44 points in Tuesday night's semifinals, the Longhorns held Lipscomb in check on Thursday.

Texas started very slow but eventually found a groove in the first half. The Longhorns closed the half on a big 22-5 run to take a 41-27 lead into the locker room.