UNC vs. Indiana: Score, Reaction for 2016 ACC/Big Ten Challenge

The 13th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (5-1) may not be college basketball's most consistent team, but their electric stylings on offense have proved dynamic enough to ward off some of the nation's premier teams over the first month of the season. 

After the Hoosiers outlasted the Kansas Jayhawks in a thrilling 103-99 shootout win on Nov. 11, they padded their resume with a 76-67 victory over the third-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (7-1) on Wednesday evening at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. 

According to BTN Stats Guys, Indiana is now tied for the most wins (six) against teams ranked in the Top Three dating back to the start of the 2011-12 season. 

The Hoosiers were in control throughout with a raucous crowd behind them, and OG Anunoby took the lead on a night when all five Indiana starters finished in double figures.  

Anunoby finished with 16 points (6-of-8 shooting) and five rebounds, and he provided the game's signature highlight with a monster one-handed alley-oop finish in the first half, as the Big Ten Network documented on Twitter: 

Center Thomas Bryant chipped in with 12 points and seven rebounds, while James Blackmon Jr. returned from a one-game absence (knee) to finish with 14 points and nine rebounds. 

Justin Jackson paced North Carolina with 21 points, but he didn't receive much help. The Tar Heels shot 39.3 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three as a team, and those shooting woes were amplified throughout the first half, which Indiana dominated. 

In a matchup of two offenses that ranked in the top 11 of KenPom.com's adjusted efficiency metric, the Hoosiers blitzed North Carolina with precise ball movement, efficient shot-making and a tenacious approach on the glass. 

Rivals' Sam Beishuizen observed that Indiana played a composed brand of ball as its lead climbed to double digits over the game's first 20 minutes: 

The Hoosiers' lead stretched to as many as 17 points during the first half. As NBC Sports' Rob Dauster noted, their explosive first-half display was indicative of how dangerous they can be down the line: 

UNC trimmed Indiana's lead to 12 at the break, and that seemed like it would prove significant.

The Tar Heels cut the deficit to single digits before the first TV timeout of the second half, and their defense started to stifle an Indiana offense that wasn't able to maximize off-ball motion and create early in the shot clock. 

North Carolina continued to hang around as the second half progressed, but a sizable run eluded Roy Williams' club. The Tar Heels worked to within seven or eight points on several occasions, but Indiana responded with a bucket on the next possession seemingly every time to maintain a clear edge.  

The News and Observer's Andrew Carter provided a play-by-play snapshot to sum up a big portion of the second-half proceedings: 

The Tar Heels moved to within four points with 4:52 remaining in regulation, but that was as close as they would get.

Even though there were some tense moments precipitated by shaky offensive execution, the Hoosiers flashed the form necessary to be discussed as a potential national title contender.

Now in possession of two Top Five wins, Indiana should be feeling good about its long-term prospects despite a glaring slip-up on Nov. 22 against Fort Wayne. 

As for the Tar Heels, a road loss in such an intimidating environment isn't much to be ashamed of even if they did leave plenty of points on the table from the free-throw line (13-of-22 as a team). 

And now that they've tasted defeat for the first time this season, the Tar Heels can refocus and gear up for a December push as they get set for a six-game home stretch that includes clashes against Davidson and No. 1 Kentucky. 

Postgame Reaction

"They were more aggressive than us in every phase of the game... we backed up," Williams said, according to Indiana's Student Television network. 

In addition to remarks about his team's relative lack of intensity, Williams discussed Indiana's home-court advantage in glowing terms, according to Carter: 

"We beat some good teams in those last two games... but it was not in their building, it was on a neutral court," he added, per IU Student TV. 

As for the Hoosiers, Crean focused on Anunoby's health after his star forward was forced to exit late in the second half after he turned his ankle. 

According Inside The Hall's Alex Bozich, Crean said the injury was serious enough that Anunoby wouldn't have been able to return to the floor if the game had been close. 

Crean added that while he did not have a firm diagnosis on Anunoby's injury, he believed he suffered a high ankle sprain, per the Herald-Times' Mike Miller. 

Crean had a positive outlook on the game. 

"We overcame the injury with James," he said, per the Indianapolis Star's Zach Osterman. "We had a short bench tonight. We had a great team."