Lindsay scores 26 as Indiana overwhelms North Carolina on the glass in exhibition

Bryce Lindsay scored 26 points off the bench, and Indiana collected 20 offensive rebounds to beat North Carolina 76-58 in an exhibition Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Hoosiers shot only 36.2 percent from the field but kept recovering their misses. Their 53-31 rebounding advantage produced a 17-7 edge in second-chance points, enough room to withstand a difficult shooting night and a second-half push by the Tar Heels.

Lindsay made eight of 14 shots, including four of nine from three-point range, and all six of his free throws. He scored 18 points before halftime while helping run the offense after starting point guard Markus Burton got into foul trouble. Indiana finished the half ahead 41-29.

Inside Carolina's Sherrell McMillan, Sean Moran and Joey Powell discussed the exhibition and North Carolina's performance in their postgame show.

Lindsay answers the second-half push

North Carolina cut into a 17-point deficit after halftime as Indiana's offense slowed. The Tar Heels stayed within reach through the middle of the half, but a putback and consecutive Lindsay three-pointers helped the Hoosiers pull away again.

The Indiana Daily Student reported that Indiana scored eight unanswered points after the under-eight timeout. That sequence gave the Hoosiers a cushion they protected through the finish, outscoring North Carolina 35-29 after halftime.

Burton and Darren Harris each finished with 11 points. Sam Alexis added 10. Lindsay supplied his scoring in 28 minutes, while Burton played 18 minutes overall as Indiana worked through its backcourt combinations.

Indiana's guards had already helped separate the teams before halftime. After North Carolina pulled within 23-21, the Hoosiers went on a 9-0 run. Harris had made consecutive three-pointers earlier in the half, and Lindsay kept scoring as Indiana built its lead.

The extra possessions add up

Samet Yigitoglu led Indiana with 11 rebounds, and Aiden Sherrell added 10. Their combined work gave the Hoosiers a steady supply of possessions against a North Carolina team that also struggled to score efficiently.

The Tar Heels shot 34.9 percent from the field and made seven of 13 free throws. Sayon Keita finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, Matt Able scored 11, and Jaydon Young had 10. Jarin Stevenson managed three points on one-of-seven shooting.

Both teams committed 15 turnovers. Indiana's 17 made free throws, compared with seven for North Carolina, added another scoring advantage alongside the work on the glass.

The result followed Indiana's 96-68 exhibition victory over Butler. The Hoosiers finish their preseason schedule against Western Kentucky on October 25 at Ford Center in Evansville. These exhibition results do not count toward either team's regular-season record.