BLOOMINGTON, Indiana (AP) — Trayce Jackson-Davis grew up dreaming of winning college flagship games.
On Wednesday night, Indiana’s oldest forward finally had a chance to celebrate a big, nationally televised victory.
He had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 10 Indiana past No. 18 North Carolina 77-65. Afterwards, Jackson-Davis soaked it up with a rare smile and some hilarious analogies.
“I just thought our defenses are very confining, like an anaconda,” he said, eliciting laughter. “It just sucked the life out of UNC early on. They couldn’t get any big shots early on and we kind of rode it to the end of the game.
The Hoosiers dropped against last year’s runner-up and this year’s preseason No. 1 never after. It was a defensive performance that former coach Bob Knight could have cheered.
Two days after cracking the top 10 for the first time since 2017 and a day after Knight observed Indiana’s practice, the Hoosiers (7-0) delivered their most impressive game of the season. They outclassed North Carolina 50-24 and held the Tar Heels on 8 of 28 shooting in the first half and 1 of 7 to start the second.
Sure, they faced a team that played three games in four days in Portland, Oregon last weekend and lost to No. 18 Alabama in four-time overtime on Sunday before heading to a cross-country excursion. But Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis didn’t blame that loss on exhaustion.
“The difference was Trayce Jackson-Davis,” Davis said. “They have a player who they can lead on offense and who can score points with every possession and at the moment we don’t have that. We don’t have that in the mail.”
Pete Nance had 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead North Carolina (5-3), who have lost three straight games for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Caleb Love scored 13 points.
And the Hoosiers made it look relatively easy.
They used a 7-0 run in the first half to pull away. After Puff Johnson briefly stopped it with two free throws, the Hoosiers scored six straight goals to make it 34-24.
North Carolina reduced the deficit to 35-29 at halftime, but Indiana opened the second with an 11-2 attack to take a 46-31 lead, and the Tar Heels again couldn’t get closer than seven.
“It was huge for us,” said Jackson-Davis. “You have to beat the best to be the best, Coach (Mike) Woodson always says, and he’s not afraid to be the best.”
BACOTS NIGHT
Jackson-Davis defeated Armando Bacot in a preseason All-Americans matchup.
Bacot came into the game with an injured right ankle and went briefly to the dressing room after injuring his right shoulder just 3 1/2 minutes into the game. Bacot struggled badly on his return and struggled with his shot feeling as he scored four points in the first half.
At halftime, he added duct tape to the shoulder and finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 4-of-10.
BIG PICTURE
North Carolina: The Tar Heels have not lived up to expectations this past week. Is it injuries? Could it be the grueling schedule? Whatever the explanation, this team is too talented to have lost three times in a row. Davis needs to find a solution before play begins in earnest at the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Indiana: The Hoosiers were in serious trouble and still found a way to end the game. It reflects just how much depth Woodson has created in just two seasons. In a league that had a strong November, the Hoosiers are one of the Big Ten’s true contenders.
EARLY ARRIVAL
The Indiana students didn’t wait for the official line to begin forming Wednesday afternoon. Some spent Tuesday night across the street from the assembly hall on a cool, windy night to ensure they would be among the first in the arena.
Three hours before the start, the line snaked from the student entrance, around the front of the assembly hall and down the side of the Indiana practice facility, with students lined up wide in groups of five or more. When the game started almost every seat was occupied by a fan wearing a white shirt.
They weren’t the only ones keen to get in. All 30 NBA teams had representatives at the game.
NEXT
North Carolina: Completes a five-game stretch from Chapel Hill at ACC foe Virginia Tech on Sunday.
Indiana: Big Ten plays at Rutgers on Saturday.
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