It was supposed to be the best matchup of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, but it turned into a mismatch early in the second half. Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey combined to outscore North Carolina as the top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers blasted the No. 14 Tar Heels 83-59. Zeller finished with 20 points and eight rebounds for the 7-0 Hoosiers, who allowed only one field goal during the first 8 ½ minutes of the second half. Oladipo and Sheehey each had 19 points and helped Indiana go on a 28-6 run bridging the two halves. Dexter Strickland had a team-high 14 points for the 5-2 Tar Heels.
The third-ranked Michigan Wolverines are 6-0 after winning a matchup of top-25 teams. Trey Burke had 18 points and 11 assists as the Wolverines beat No. 18 North Carolina State 79-72.
In NBA action Knicks and Nets were off but in LA, George Hill's jumper with .01 seconds left gave Indiana a 79-77 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Hill finished with a team-high 19 points to help the Pacers overcome a 40-point night by Kobe Bryant, who tied the game by draining a three-pointer with 25 seconds to play. The Nets play Celtics in Boston tonight and the Knicks are in Milwaukee.
In MLB news, A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees are nearing agreement on a one-year contract in the range of $10 million to $12 million. The 40-year-old Pettitte retired after the 2010 season and then decided to come back this year and signed a contract guaranteeing $2.5 million.
The Yanks are also in contract discussions with closer Mariano Rivera, who turns 43 on Thursday. The all-time saves leader missed most of last season after tearing the ACL in his right knee.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press