Indiana Controls Tar Heels, 76-58, In Sunday Exhibition

Sunday, October 18

Indianapolis, Ind.

5 p.m.

North Carolina

0-0,0-0ACC

Indiana (Preseason)

0-0,0-0Big Ten

Team	1	2	F
North Carolina	29	29	58
Indiana	41	35	76

Sayon Keita

Photo by: Maggie Hobson

October 18, 2026 | Men's Basketball

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By: Matt Bowers

INDIANAPOLIS—Bryce Lindsay scored a game-high 26 points to lead Indiana to a 76-58 win over North Carolina in a preseason contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon.

The Hoosiers led, 41-29, at halftime, then limited Carolina to 31.3 percent shooting in the second half to earn the victory.

Lindsay tallied 18 in the first half for the Hoosiers to lead all scorers, and IU's rebounds nearly doubled up the Tar Heels, 27-14, in the first 20 minutes, including 11-4 on the offensive glass. Indiana dominated second-chance points (10-0) and bench points (20-5) as Carolina relied heavily on shots from three-point range prior to halftime.

UNC shot 7 for 22 (31.8 percent) overall from behind the arc, while IU was 9 for 27 (33.3 percent) as neither team put on an offensive showcase. Both teams were sloppy and shot under 40 percent in both halves. Each team committed 15 turnovers.

The Hoosiers dominated the glass, outrebounding Carolina by a 53-31 margin, including 20-10 on the offensive end, to post a 17-7 edge in second-chance points. IU also had 37 points off the bench to just 19 for UNC.

Sayon Keita played well with 12 points and nine rebounds with five blocked shots for the Tar Heels, while Matt Able hit three of five three-pointers for 11 points and Jaydon Young scored 10 off the bench.

Tar Heel sophomore guard Isaiah Denis missed the game, and his return status is day-to-day.

How It Happened
First Half
• Indiana used a 15-6 run that included three consecutive three-pointers to take a 17-12 lead with 12:49 left in the first half and force a Tar Heel timeout.
• IU went on a 9-0 run over 2:56 to take a 32-21 lead with 3:47 left in the half, holding Carolina scoreless for almost four minutes of game time and forcing a Tar Heel timeout.
• Both teams struggled offensively and shot under 40 percent from the field in the first half.
• Lindsey hit 5 of 9 shots, including 2 of 5 three-pointers and all six of his free throw tries, to tally 18 first-half points and lead the Hoosiers to a 12-point lead at the break.
• Keita looked comfortable in his second preseason game as a Tar Heel, compiling seven points, four rebounds and three blocked shots in the first half while also altering a number of Hoosier shots.
• Able hit all three of his shots, including both three-point attempts, to lead Carolina with eight first-half points. Terrence Brown added seven points and two assists.

Second Half
• After Indiana built its lead to 17 points in the first three minutes coming out of halftime, Carolina went on a 9-0 run in 2:25 to pull back within single digits at 46-38 with 14:32 to play.
• The Hoosiers used a 7-0 run and held UNC scoreless for over three minutes to reassert control, but the Tar Heels then forced IU to miss 10 of 12 shots and cut it to 54-45 on a long three-pointer by Young with just under 10 minutes to go.
• Lindsey hit a three-pointer to make the score 64-46, IU and force a Tar Heel timeout with 7:01 on the clock.

Notes
• For the second consecutive game this preseason, Carolina started a lineup of Brown, Able and Neo Avdalas in the backcourt and Jarin Stevenson and Keita in the frontcourt.

Up Next
UNC will play in-state foe Charlotte at home in the Smith Center on Tuesday October 27 to close the preseason. The 49ers are led by head coach and former Tar Heel guard Wes Miller and assistant coach Marcus Paige, another UNC alum who served for three seasons on former head coach Hubert Davis' staff at Carolina.

Stay up to date on the latest Tar Heel men's basketball news on X at @UNC_Basketball and @UNCMBBstats and on Instagram at UNC_Basketball.