North Texas squeaked out their second straight conference road win, 72-71. North Texas previously beat UTEP two days prior in El Paso. With this conference win, the Mean Green have now matched last season’s conference win record. With a 9-6 record, the Mean Green just need 7 more wins to finish above the .500 mark for the regular season, which is quite doable.
Start conference play 2-0 w/ road wins for 1st time since 1991
1st win at UTEP since 1961#GoMeanGreen https://t.co/u0swomk0YK— Grant McCasland (@UNTCoachGMac) December 31, 2017
| Scores by Period | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Texas | 34 | 38 | 72 |
| UTSA | 41 | 30 | 71 |
Sophomores Leading the Charge!
Ryan Woolridge, A.J. Lawson, and Roosevelt Smart all finished the game in double figures — 18, 14, 22 respectively.
Ryan Woolridge played one of his better games finishing with 18 points, 3 assists and just a single turnover. He was 7 of 11 (63.6%) from the floor and was 2 of 4 (50%) from behind the arc while shooting 2 of 3 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Woolridge also picked up 5 rebounds (1 offensive, 4 defensive), 3 assists with just 1 turnover while playing the entire 40 minutes.
A.J. Lawson bounced back after scoring just 2 points against UTEP. Lawson was 6 of 12 (50%) from the floor while making his one 3-pointer attempt and 1 of 2 (50%) from the free throw line. To add to his stats, he picked up 6 rebounds (2 offensive, 4 defensive), 2 assists, a block with 3 turnovers on 28 minutes of play. Lawson scored what would turn out to be the game winning field goal with 1:01 remaining on the game clock.
Did you miss the game-winning bucket by @hoop__nation22 ⤵️⤵️ #clutch 🦅🏀#MeanGreen 2-0 in C-USA play!! pic.twitter.com/IRuE67NuIJ
— North Texas Basketball (@MeanGreenMBB) December 31, 2017
Roosevelt Smart continues to produce some solid stats to help the Mean Green on the offensive side of the ball. Smart was 5 of 13 (38.5%) from the floor and made 3 of 8 (37.5%) 3-pointers. The sophomore was also 9 of 10 (90%) from the free throw line and continues to lead the with team with a solid 89.9%, which puts him second in Conference USA. North Texas as a team is shooting 66.8% from the stripe. Smart also added 5 defensive rebounds and a block opposite of 3 turnovers on 35 minutes of action.
Shane Temara With a HUGE Block to Save the Game
Senior Shane Temara came up big late in the game with a game saving block as Byron Frohnen drove to the basket for a layup.
@ShaneTemara the big man with the big block to seal the victory for @MeanGreenMBB @MeanGreenMBB starts 2-0 in @ConferenceUSA play. #LighttheTower pic.twitter.com/LykdiRnSFh
— MeanGreenProductions (@MeanGreenProd) December 31, 2017
Highlight Reel
Up next for the Mean Green is the Charlotte 49ers at the SuperPit in Denton, TX on Thursday, January 4th with a 7:00 PM tipoff. The Mean Green Room will also be open one hour before the start of the game. Charlotte has been struggling this season and Head Coach Mark Price was relieved of his duties back in December. The 49ers are just 1-2 since December 14th including a 89-58 blowout loss to the Old Dominion Monarchs. Radio coverage will be available via KHYI 95.3, KNTU 88.1, and the Mean Green Sports TuneIn channel. The game will also be available on CUSA.tv.
Conference USA Standings
| STANDINGS | CONFERENCE | OVERALL | ||||
| Conference USA | W-L | GB | PCT | W-L | PCT | STRK |
| Marshall | 2-0 | — | 1.000 | 11-4 | .733 | W3 |
| Western Kentucky | 2-0 | — | 1.000 | 10-5 | .667 | W3 |
| Old Dominion | 1-0 | .5 | 1.000 | 10-3 | .769 | W5 |
| North Texas | 2-0 | — | 1.000 | 9-6 | .600 | W2 |
| Middle Tennessee | 1-0 | .5 | 1.000 | 9-4 | .692 | W1 |
| Florida Intl | 1-0 | .5 | 1.000 | 7-7 | .500 | W1 |
| UT San Antonio | 1-1 | 1 | .500 | 8-7 | .533 | L1 |
| UTEP | 1-1 | 1 | .500 | 6-8 | .429 | W1 |
| UAB | 0-1 | 1.5 | .000 | 9-5 | .643 | L1 |
| Florida Atlantic | 0-1 | 1.5 | .000 | 6-7 | .462 | L4 |
| Charlotte | 0-1 | 1.5 | .000 | 4-8 | .333 | L2 |
| Louisiana Tech | 0-2 | 2 | .000 | 9-6 | .600 | L2 |
| Southern Miss | 0-2 | 2 | .000 | 7-8 | .467 | L4 |
| Rice | 0-2 | 2 | .000 | 3-12 | .200 | L5 |
