Indiana vs. Kansas: Score and Reaction from 2016 Armed Forces Classic

The second game of the 2016 Armed Forces Classic doubleheader Friday night went to overtime and saw the No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers take down the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks, 103-99, in Honolulu.             

James Blackmon Jr. carried Indiana after Thomas Bryant, who added 19 points, fouled out.

Josh Jackson, Scout's No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2016, made one of the most anticipated debuts of the college basketball season for Kansas, joining returning guards Frank Mason III and Devonte' Graham, but he only recorded nine points and six rebounds.

Mason led Kansas with a game-high 30 points with nine assists and seven rebounds, while Graham, last year's Most Outstanding Player of the Big 12 tournament, recorded 16 points before fouling out in the second half.

The reigning Big Ten champion Hoosiers were taking their first steps without All-Big Ten point guard Yogi Ferrell, who's now a member of the Brooklyn Nets, and forward OG Anunoby was expected to be the go-to guy. He did his part with 13 points and seven rebounds, but it was all about Bryant and Blackmon. 

The Hoosiers came out firing from the three-point line early on, attempting their first eight shots from beyond the arc. Bryant hit two, while Anunoby and Curtis Jones made one apiece, giving Indiana a 12-9 lead. 

Bryant was impressive, showing his range to complement a strong low-post game, and the 6'10" center caught the eye of ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman:

Kansas went on a 9-2 run to take a four-point lead, and Jackson capped it off with his first collegiate basket, an uncontested transition layup with 11:28 remaining in the first. Those would be his only points of the half. 

Indiana then answered with a run of its own behind the stellar play of Bryant, who scored 17 points in the first 20 minutes, but Kansas managed to keep a 46-42 at halftime. 

Kansas had five straight points to start the second half, opening up its biggest lead of the night at nine, but Indiana's ability to hit the three kept it within reach. Six minutes into the half, Indiana tied it at 56 when Blackmon hit a three. 

Neither side was able to pull away, and ESPN College BBall took notice:

"

Kansas and Indiana just out here trading buckets.

We got another great one.

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) November 12, 2016"

With the game tied at 76 with 4:41 remaining, Indiana reeled off five straight points to take an 81-76 lead with 3:45 to go. 

Kansas answered right back, though, scoring six straight to take a one-point lead with 2:27 left after Mason hit a layup along with the and-1. 

Blackmon punched back for Indiana with six straight points via a three-pointer and three made free throws to put the Hoosiers back up five points with less than 1:30 remaining. 

Mason ensured Kansas wouldn't go quietly, though, getting a rebound off Robert Johnson's second straight missed free throw, driving the length of the court and laying it in while drawing the foul. The made free throw brought Kansas within two with 1:04 left. 

Mason's play floored FoxSports.com's Dan Carson:

Bryant's fifth and final foul gave Kansas back the ball and allowed Mason to drive to the hoop again, and he hit another layup while drawing a foul. He missed the free throw, though, to keep the game tied at 87.

Graham was the next big name to foul out. He hacked a driving Blackmon to the hoop with 13 seconds remaining, and the Hoosier hit both free throws to put the Jayhawks' backs to the wall. 

Kansas went to Mason, who drove to the basket, had the ball swatted away once, got it back and was fouled with about two seconds remaining. He hit both to tie the game at 89 and force overtime. 

Blackmon made his presence felt once again, sinking a three-pointer to give Indiana a 94-91 lead with 2:28 left. 

CBS Sports' Seth Davis took notice of his triumphant return from injury:

Jones sank another three after a pair of Mason free throws to make it 97-93 with less than a minute left, but the senior guard drove his way to the basket and picked up another foul, hitting both from the charity stripe to make it a two-point game. However, that's as close as the Jayhawks would get.

The loss is a disappointing start to the season for Kansas, who's considered a national title contender. While this game doesn't ruin those hopes in the slightest, it revealed some problems the team must work on, especially on the defensive end. 

The Hoosiers can't boast much about their defense either, but with the kind of explosive offense they have thanks to contributions from all over the roster, they have something promising on their hands moving forward. 

Postgame Reaction

Indiana head coach Tom Crean seemed surprised by Kansas' performance, via JayhawkSlant:

He also gave a shoutout to his freshmen, via the Indianapolis Star:

Kansas head coach Bill Self didn't put too much stock into the loss, via Matt Tait of KUSports.com:

"

It’s a seeding game. You could still be a 1-seed and lose or a 4-seed and lose or whatever your ceiling is on your seed, but this will be one that people will look back on at the end of the season and say, ‘That’s a nice feather in your cap.’ But I’m not sure it means that much other than a great way just to get the season started.   

"

While Indiana can look back on this as a quality win as it builds its resume for the postseason, Kansas will look to rebound Tuesday at New York's Madison Square Garden against another tough opponent in Duke.