Quick thoughts on a 77-65 win against North Carolina:
How it happened
The first half was a defensive clinic for Indiana on Branch McCracken Court. The Hoosiers smothered North Carolina and held the Tar Heels to 29 points on just 8-for-28 shooting. But even with the stellar defensive effort, Indiana couldn’t separate itself from last season’s national runner-up.
Fouls were a big reason, as the Hoosiers committed 11 of them and sent North Carolina to the free throw line 14 times. The Tar Heels led 22-21 at the 7:41 mark before a 13-2 run put the Hoosiers ahead 34-24. Indiana, which scored 1.12 points per possession in the first half, led 35-29 at intermission. Jalen Hood-Schifino was a major factor offensively in the opening 20 minutes as he had 12 points in 19 minutes. Trayce Jackson-Davis wasn’t far behind with 10 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes.
The Hoosiers started strong in the second half, pushing the lead to out to 15 at 46-31 on a Jackson-Davis layup with 15:59 to play. By the under-12 media timeout, Indiana led 52-41. After North Carolina closed to within nine after the timeout, Indiana scored the next five points to push the lead back to 14 at 57-43. The Tar Heels got within seven with 6:39 to play, but Indiana answered again. Trey Galloway, who was a pest all night defensively, had a huge steal and a layup with just over six minutes to play to give the Hoosiers a 61-52 lead. Out of the final media timeout, Caleb Love hit a 3-pointer to get Carolina within eight at 65-57. The Tar Heels would get no closer the rest of the way as IU improved to 7-0.
Standout performers
Jackson-Davis led all scorers with 21 points and had 10 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. Johnson had 20 points, Hood-Schifino added a career-high 14 points, and Galloway, in his return from injury, was the fourth Hoosier in double figures with 11 points.
Statistics that stand out
Indiana dominated the points in the paint, outscoring North Carolina 50-24. Indiana also won the points off of turnovers battle 17-4.
Final IU individual statistics
Final tempo-free statistics
Assembly Call postgame show
Filed to: North Carolina Tar Heels
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