NEW YORK (AP) — Iowa learned a lot last season. The Hawkeyes are putting those lessons to good use right now. Tyler Cook scored 26 points, Luka Garza had 22 and Iowa beat Connecticut 91-72 in the 2K Classic championship game on Friday night.

The Hawkeyes went 14-19 last season, losing to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament. But they shot 51 percent (29 for 57) from the field while improving to 4-0 this year. Cook said the biggest difference is the team is more together for this campaign. “We’re more connected on both ends of the floor,” he said. “And we’re playing for one another and our coaching staff and our program with more pride than we did a year ago.”

Garza was named MVP of the tournament. He also joined Cook, UConn’s Eric Cobb, Oregon’s Bol Bol and Syracuse’s Jalen Carey on the all-tournament team. Bol led No. 13 Oregon to an 80-65 victory over No. 15 Syracuse in the consolation game. He finished with 26 points and nine rebounds on his 19th birthday.

Iowa improved to 3-1 all-time against UConn. It was the first meeting between the schools since Iowa’s 70-68 win on Nov. 11, 1999, also at Madison Square Garden.