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 got past 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 40 on Malik Henry’s three-point play 4:03 into the second half. Tucker answered with five straight points, and the Hoosiers kept UNC Greensboro at arm’s length the rest of the game.
[Related: Mike Woodson has Hoosiers dreaming big: ‘I expect us to play at a high level and win’]
Takeaways
UNC Greensboro: Usually, the Spartans rely on strong 3-point shooting. Despite shooting 28.1% from 3, they fought back and kept it close against a superior opponent. It was a solid showing for coach Mike Jones’ team.
Indiana: The Hoosiers had plenty of opportunities to seal this game but struggled to put it away. As the schedule becomes tougher, Indiana needs to find some rhythm quickly.
Key moment
Tucker’s five-point flurry got the struggling Hoosiers going. After allowing the Spartans to score on a layup, Indiana went on a 9-0 run to make it 54-42, and UNC Greensboro never recovered.
Key stat
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.
Up next
UNC Greensboro returns to action Monday against Long Beach State in Henderson, Nevada, while the Hoosiers are off until Wednesday when they’ll face nearby Louisville in the Bahamas.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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