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  Tuesday, Dec. 21 7:00pm ET
Guyton scores season-high 31 points
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- In a game honoring the memory of one of the most dynamic coaches of the last two decades, maybe it was appropriate that Bobby Knight was center stage -- with a technical foul, of course.

Kirk Haston, Kris Lang
Kirk Haston denies UNC's Kris Lang a clear shot at the hoop.

A.J. Guyton scored a season-high 31 points and freshman Jeffrey Newton scored all 11 of his in the final 8½ minutes as Indiana (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP) rallied after the Knight technical and defeated North Carolina (No. 7, No. 6) 82-73 in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night.

"I don't think Ts ever get a team fired up," Knight said after Indiana (8-1) knocked off a top 25 team for the third time this season. "It was just a bad call."

The call in question came with just under 12 minutes to go and the score tied 51-51. Indiana's Lynn Washington drove to the basket and collided with 7-foot center Brendan Haywood, who had 20 points for the Tar Heels (8-3).b

Knight wanted a foul, which would have been Haywood's fourth. But instead of Haywood being tagged with the foul, Washington was called for a charge.

Knight screamed at the official as the teams went to their benches for a TV timeout. Three seconds after play resumed, Knight said a little too much.

"It was an obvious block and maybe I said too much, which I have a habit of doing," Knight said after his 751st career victory. "What got me out was I told the ref it was a terrible call. I had to say it. There was too much at stake for the kids.

"What the kids did was just a result of them making their minds up they wanted to win this game."

Max Owens hit both free throws after the technical to give North Carolina a 53-51 lead and Joseph Forte, who scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half, followed with a foul line jumper to extend the lead to four points.

Indiana came back quickly and tied the game, and it later won with a 15-6 run that featured eight points by Newton.

"It's just his way," Guyton, whose 11-of-21 shooting effort featured 7-of-12 from 3-point range, said of Knight's technical. "Usually when he does it, we pick up our intensity. We knew when it happened it was time for us to make a run."

"That's just his competitiveness," added backup guard Michael Lewis, who had a key 3-pointer in the run. "He didn't feel we were getting some of the calls we should be getting, but that's one of the mildest I've ever seen him get. Remember, I grew up in Indiana."

The game, the first in 11 years between two of college basketball's perennial powers, would have made Jimmy Valvano proud that it was played in his memory. It was NCAA Tournament-quality all the way, much to the delight of the crowd of 15,608.

Kirk Haston added 14 points and nine rebounds for Indiana.

Kris Lang added 11 points for North Carolina, but Tar Heels point guard Ed Cota struggled most of the night against the Hoosiers. He was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting, but added 11 assists.

North Carolina grabbed its last lead at 63-61 on two free throws by Jason Capel with 6:44 to go.

That's when Newton took over. The 6-foot-9 forward from Atlanta gave the Hoosiers an inside presence with his size and speed and he had eight points in a 15-6 spurt that put Indiana ahead 76-69 with 2:29 to go. Guyton hit his final 3-pointer in the run and Lewis also added a 3-pointer.

"They did a really good job," North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge said. "They took us apart. I was very impressed. We couldn't stop Guyton early or Newton late."

What really impressed Guthridge was the Hoosiers' discipline on both ends of the court, particularly on defense. North Carolina had very few good looks on its jumpers and finished just 3-of-14 from 3-point range.

"They are a lot more than just A.J. Guyton," Guthridge said. "He's a great player, but they are a very good team and obviously they are very well coached."

Indiana led 36-32 at the half and the difference was Guyton's 20-point effort and a slight advantage for the Hoosiers' defense over the Tar Heels' inside game.

While North Carolina hit 14-of-31 from the field, it didn't make a jumper the entire half.

On the other hand, Guyton put on a show in the opening 20 minutes, hitting 8-of-13, including his first four 3-pointers. The long-range barrage helped Indiana overcame an early eight-point deficit, while a couple of nifty moves, including a great cross-over dribble and floater, keyed a late 9-0 run that opened a 36-28 lead.
 


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