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CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Tom Coverdale scored 18 points as 20th-ranked Indiana rallied for a season-opening 65-61 victory over Charlotte. The Hoosiers (1-0) used a 6-0 run to erase a one-point deficit and took a 63-58 lead with 1:06 remaining on Coverdale's basket off a spin move. After Demon Brown banked in a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left to cut Charlotte's deficit to two, Coverdale made two free throws with 16 seconds left to seal the win. "This was a big win for this team," Indiana coach Mike Davis said. "Coming into an environment like this with two excellent shooting guards will really help us prepare for what is to come. I can't say how big of a win this was." Jared Jeffries, the Big Ten's leading freshman scorer last season, had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds but made just 4-of-13 shots. Curtis Nash had 15 points to lead Charlotte (1-1), which has lost both meetings with Indiana. Jobey Thomas added 13 and Brown had 11. The 49ers had a 31-25 halftime lead and built it to double digits early in the second half before the Hoosiers began to chip away. In the tight contest, Indiana had a distinct advantage at the line. The Hoosiers made 20-of-27 free throws while Charlotte was just 8-of-11. The teams played last December at Indiana and the Hoosiers outscored the 49ers, 12-1, over the final 4 1/2 minutes to rally from a 17-point deficit. In his first season since taking over from the legendary Bob Knight, Davis coached the Hoosiers to a 21-13 mark. They were beaten by Kent State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but Davis was named permanent coach six days later. Indiana improved to 82-20 all-time in season openers. They play Alaska-Anchorage on Wednesday in the Great Alaska Shootout, marking the first time since 1918 the Hoosiers are starting the season with back-to-back road games. "This was a big win for us," said Indiana center George Leach, a Charlotte native who had eight points and seven rebounds. "It was nice to be able to contribute to the victory and even sweeter to do it at home." .
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