At the Buzzer: Indiana 77, North Carolina 65

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.