No. 16 Indiana stays undefeated with 69-58 win over UNC Greensboro

Myles Rice scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half, freshman Bryson Tucker finished with a season-high 14 and No. 16 Indiana beat UNC Greensboro 69-58 on Thursday night.

Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo each scored nine points as the Hoosiers (4-0) won their fourth straight by double digits. Ballo added 11 rebounds and Reneau had 10.

Ronald Polite III led the Spartans with a season-best 17 points, and Donovan Atwell added 10 for UNC Greensboro (2-2).

Indiana never trailed, but the Spartans made it interesting when they tied it at the 40 on Malik Henry’s three-pointer with 4:03 left in the second half. Tucker responded with five straight points, and the Hoosiers kept UNC Greensboro at bay for the rest of the game.

[Related: Mike Woodson has Hoosiers dreaming big: ‘I expect us to play at a high level and win’]

The taker

UNC Greensboro: In general, the Spartans rely on strong 3-point shooting. Despite shooting 28.1% from 3, they struggled and kept it close against a superior opponent. It was a strong showing for coach Mike Jones’ team.

Indiana: The Hoosiers had plenty of chances to close this game but struggled to put it away. As the schedule gets stronger, Indiana needs to find a rhythm quickly.

Time is important

Tucker’s five-point catch got the struggling Hoosiers going. After allowing the Spartans to tie the score, Indiana went on a 9-0 run to make it 54-42, and UNC Greensboro never recovered.

Key figures

While Indiana’s 14 turnovers helped the Spartans, UNC Greensboro’s 9-of-32 shooting from beyond the arc didn’t allow it to capitalize.

Next

UNC Greensboro returns to action Monday against Long Beach State in Henderson, Nevada, while the Hoosiers travel until Wednesday to face nearby Louisville in the Bahamas.

It is reported by the Associated Press.

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