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Written by Courtland
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Thursday, 14 October 2010 |
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The Sunbelt Conference Tournament started March 6th, with all the teams traveling to Hot Springs for the first time. As the winner of the West, NT received a first round bye and ended up with a rematch of our last opponent regular season opponent, ULM. The Warhawks came into our game after a solid win in the opening round with a lot of confidence, so it figured to be a good match up. Going into the Tournament WKU was a trendy pick to win, but some were also predicting Troy, MTSU, and us. It seemed a fairly wide open even going in - and would prove to be that way with some great contests.
ULM's confidence showed early as they raced out to a early 13-2 advantage. After being knocked back on our heels, JJ and the boys slowly worked their way back into the contest, not allowing ULM to drop a crushing blow on us, as we got our legs back. At the 6:38 mark the score was 24-14 after an Eric Tramiel bucket on a nice pass from Tristan Thompson. A few minutes Collin Mangrum swished a huge trey to get us to within five and things looked like they were swinging in our favor big time. At the half the deficit was six at 33-27, but considering we had been down as much as 14 at one point, things looked okay. Unfortunately ULM started well in the 2nd stanza and we were quickly down double figures again. Tristan and Josh White hit back to back treys to pull us back to six, but it seemed as though we were barely staying within range. Tramiel started working the inside, racking up fouls on their big guys, and points - as we pulled within 1. From there, the Warhawks responded as they kept their nose in front despite Tramiel and Thompson manufacturing shots to keep us right there. However, once more ULM went on a run, pushing the lead to double figures at 53-43. Mean Green Nation was in meltdown mode.
Fortunately JJ and company weren't. Despite missing free throws, and Mangrum being abused nearly every time down the floor, we kept the game around a eight to ten point deficit for the next several minutes. Tramiel's post presence caused us to get into the penalty early which also helped keep us on life support. Down 60-53 with 3:43 to go, the season appeared on the edge of a precipice. The team would not go down quietly however. Odufuwa started our final charge by hitting two free throws. After ULM made a freebie themselves to go back up six, Tristan hit a monumental three pointer to pull us to within 61-58 with 2:23 to go. The boys got a defensive stop and then Tristan was fouled. After knocking in the shots from the charity stripe we had the lead down to one. Another stop led to Josh White hitting a clutch three pointer and somehow, someway, we were up 63-61. From there the game was like having open heart surgery as we paraded to the free throw line several times but couldn't get any defensive stops. At one point, up 1 Tristan turned it over giving ULM a chance to retake the lead under 30 seconds to go, but the Warhawks stepped on the inline giving us the ball back. At 69-66 with just seconds remaining ULM was at the line with a chance to make the first, and then try and intentionally miss to get the rebound and tip it in for the tie. Fortunately for us the first free throw clanked off - making the ULM situation next to impossible to pull off. The Warhawks missed the 2nd intentionally and time ran out in the scrum that followed. We had improbably escaped with a 3 point win. We had outscored ULM 16-6 in the final few moments of the game on the back of Tramiel (22 points, 17 boards), White (18), and Thomson (16). Everyone felt fortunate to advance to the semifinal round.
Denver upset MTSU in their quarterfinal bout so our match up was against the Pioneers. It seemed as though we were still hungover from our narrow escape the previous night as Denver jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the opening moments. The team regrouped much faster though and within a couple of media timeouts had the lead at 18-13. Tramiel was a bit banged up, so Odufuwa was our beast in the paint on this night as DU's perimeter orientated team had no answer for him. At the half we held a 31-23 advantage. Other than the opening moments we had played very well and confidence was high going into the 2nd. The Pioneers seemed to have the early momentum after the intermission, but Josh nailed a huge trey to put us up nine, right before the 1st media timeout. From there we controlled the action for about five minutes of game time until Denver made another push to get within a deuce at the 7:14 mark. Another Maalox masher? With 4:25 to go White nailed a NBA range type of 3 pointer to give us a 51-45 advantage. Denver would get no closer the rest of the way as we hit our free throws down the stretch. NT was led by Tistan's 19, but Odufuwa contributed 16 (and 13 boards) with White getting 14. All told, nearly 78% of our points came from the trio. The final score was 63-56 Mean Green as we awaited Troy in the finals.
It was 1 versus 2 for all the marbles on Tuesday night. For once we jumped out of the gate well as we had a four point lead at the first media timeout. Both teams played well in the opening stanza as the lead changed hands a dozen times. The Trojans hot 3 point shooting gave them the upper hand at the break 40-38. Johnny Jones lit a fire in the squad at the break and the team tore out of the locker room with a 13-4 charge taking a 7 point lead. We stubbornly held the a 6-9 point advantage for the next several minutes as we tried to bleed the clock away. With a little under eight minutes to go the Trojans started their final push. After slowly clawing closer, Brandon Hazzard knocked in a three that pulled Troy within a deuce just under four minutes left. Several hotly contested possessions by both teams followed and Troy finally pulled even with 53 seconds to go. Then came yet another heroic moment by Josh White. With the shot clock running down, Josh drove the lane and hit a pullback jumper with 12 seconds to go that had NT fans jumping out of their skins. But this game was still far from over. Troy had the ball and an excellent look at the bucket, but George Odufuwa made a fantastic block. Josh grabbed the loose ball and was fouled. Even this was not quite the end as he missed on his second free throw, but Troy's desperation 3 at the buzzer was way off and North Texas celebrated their 2nd conference title in the last four years. Our big four all made it to double figures. Eric Tramiel had another huge night (20 and 10) and was named Tournament MVP. Odufuwa was also named to the all tournament team. Josh White should have been named "most clutch" as he seemingly always hit the biggest & most memorable shot when the game was on the line. As the trophy was handed out and celebrations commenced in Hot Springs, DFW, and elsewhere we all started thinking about what kind of seed we might get in the NCAA's. We were the owners of an 11 game win streak, and our 24 wins were most in program history. This was arguably the best team we have had since the late 70's - and hopes were high we might be able to take a round in the Big Dance.
On Selection Sunday, despite our higher RPI and win total from three years earlier, the consensus was that we would be a 14 or 15 seed. Unfortunately we nabbed a 15 against a very big and deep Kansas State team. One positive however, was our Pod was in Oklahoma City which allowed a large NT contingent to make the trip. Optimism was tempered, but still high as we readied ourselves for our 3rd trip to the Big Dance in school history.
NT opened the game against KSU very well as George Odufuwa held control in the paint early and we led 8-7 at the first media timeout. The game stayed close until around the 10 minute mark. KSU was up by 3 and proceeded to go on a 19-5 run. The Wildcats really limited our offense as their depth in the middle put both George and Eric on the bench with foul trouble. Once the interior was open KSU really dominated. The second half was more of the same as KSU pushed the advantage to 26. Tristan Thompson however would not go quietly as he seemingly willed us to be competitive. He put up 28, many in a second half run that had the lead down to 14 with 5:32. A miracle was still possible, but he needed help. Unfortunately the tenacious Wildcats would have none of it as they reversed the momentum and held on for a comfortable 82-62 win. It was a sad moment for NT fans, as well as the players. But the experience was wonderful for the team as nearly everyone played in their first ever NCAA game. The turnout was also fantastic as hundreds of Mean Green clad supporters made the trip to give the squad their vocal support.
As the off-season began we had to say goodbye to some people. Antwone Matlock was a great role player, rarely seeing the floor as a walk on - but giving his all in practice to help the team be champions. Of course, what else can be said about Eric Tramiel? He was such a presence for the team for two years, it's hard to imagine how he'll be replaced easily. Someone else that we didn't expect to have to say goodbye to was Collin Mangrum. Collin is the only two time NCAA participant in NT history, so for that alone he deserves recognition. Despite numerous injuries through the years he was a loyal solider, developing into a key weapon off the bench this last season. However, he finished his degree and transferred to pursue a law career. His presence will also be missed.
We nearly also lost Johnny Jones as he was among the finalists for the Auburn head coaching job. Thankfully that position went elsewhere, but it only confirmed that Jones is likely to be a sought after commodity for the next few years and we need to do everything we can to keep him in Denton as he climbs towards the all time win mark at the school. If he should be here another few years with an NCAA run thrown in there, we might even name the court after him to get him to stay.
As we approach a new season optimism is high for what NT basketball can bring. It is definitely a great time to be a fan of the program. Go Mean Green! |
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Recap: 2009-2010 Season #3 |
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Written by Courtland
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Thursday, 05 August 2010 |
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We began the second half of conference play with a road game at WKU. The Hilltoppers have been the dominant program in the league for the last several seasons and have owned us since we joined the Belt. A win in Diddle Arena is always tough, and with our lack of consistency, appeared to be unlikely. The Toppers were also struggling to this point in Belt play as they were dealing with some injury issues. Both schools desperately needed this game to stay within striking distance for one of the byes in the league tournament.
What followed was one of the best games of the year as each team traded shots all night. WKU got out early and led by 10 not even eight minutes into the game. Tristan Thompson and George Odufuwa helped us crawl back into the the contest as we eventually pulled even at 19. WKU went on another run to go up 6 near the end of the half. Tristan led a sudden 8 point swing for us in just under a minute and the teams remained close till half with NT leading 35-34. After intermission neither team could get much separation. Overall there were 16 ties and 15 lead changes as both teams battled like it was a tournament game. WKU held a 72-68 lead with under 3 minutes to go, but we seemingly took over down the stretch outscoring the Toppers 7-0. With time running out Steffphon Pettigrew nailed a desperation 40 footer at the buzzer to force overtime. WKU got off to a good start in the extra session and led by 4 with fewer than two to go. Instead of wilting, Tristan stroked a trey. After a key defensive stop Shannon Shorter found Eric Tramiel for the game winner. The contest wasn’t free of drama though until Josh White stole the ball from AJ Slaughter as he was trying to get free for a chance at the equalizer. This was a huge victory for the squad as we tried to jockey our way up the standings.
Our next game was at red hot MTSU. The Blue Raiders had won 4 in a row and were competing with Troy and FAU for the Eastern crown. After a sluggish start by both teams, MTSU put together a nice run to go up by a dozen midway through the opening stanza. Josh & Tristan both hit 3’s to get us back in it. MTSU eventually took a 35-31 lead to the locker room. In the 2nd half the Raiders kept us at arms length throughout. Trailing by 9 with a bit over three minutes to go, we made one final charge. After Collin Mangrum and Shorter both swished treys we trailed by only a deuce with 1:35 remaining. Josh got a big steal and it looked for a brief second as though we might steal the game, but a turnover led to free throws by the Raiders and they held on 69-64. Thompson had 17 in a losing effort and Odufuwa had one of his patented double doubles, but it was a game where we could never get over the hump as we trailed from the opening tip.
We returned back to Denton to take on Florida Atlantic. FAU was also in the middle of a big win streak as all their young talent was taking it to the rest of the Belt. We obviously wanted to make a statement as we almost blew the Owls out in the first half. We shot 64.5% and ran up a 45-27 advantage. Our mark on the glass was perhaps even more impressive (23-9). FAU scratched and clawed in the 2nd half, but could get no closer than ten as we won going away. Five players went for double figures led by Tramiel with 17. The 86-69 victory was about as well as played all season and was the beginning of one of the great win streaks in school history.
We went back the road, taking on FIU in a grudge match of sorts. Many felt that the first game against the Panthers was one we should have had, and this was our chance to prove so. Unfortunately, the Panthers matched up well against us and another back and forth contest was in the forecast. In the opening minutes both teams traded runs at each other. Every time you figured one team was starting to get it together, the other replied. Fittingly the game was knotted up at 39 going to intermission. NT managed to squeeze out an 8 point cushion about midway though the 2nd when the Panthers replied with a 16-1 run. With less than 5 minutes remaining, we appeared done – but the guys had one last push. An 11-0 spurt keyed by a miracle trey from Eric Tramiel with the shot clock expiring, gave us a 4 point lead with under 2 to go. The final minutes were still nerve wracking as FIU knocked in a trey. We had to make key defensive stands twice in the final seconds but we preserved the 68-66 victory. Thompson had 19 and Odufuwa had his 5th double double in the last six games. The squad returned to Denton tired, but looking at the standings, possibly working into a decent seeding.
Our next game took us to the Crescent City where we faced UNO for the final time as Sun Belt foes. We absolutely crushed the Privateers 68-46, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate. After jumping on them 17-3 early NT slowly took away their will. We pushed the lead to 25 as we dominated them in the paint (took them over 13 minutes to score from inside of it). Josh enjoyed playing in his home state as he led our attack with 18. After winning three in a row, including two on the road appeared we were starting to get things humming along. This was a quick three game set as our usual Thursday/Saturday schedule was altered with another game on the following Monday (two of these being on the road no less) – so in a way it would give us an idea about tournament readiness.
After two impressive road wins, we finally had another game at the Super Pit. The always tough to figure Denver Pioneers rolled into town with their usual dismal road record (and sterling home record) standing a game a game and half back of us in the standings. We both were watching ASU come back to the pack just a bit (as was ULL who was beginning to play well). We controlled the first half for the most part grabbing a 26-14 lead, but the Pioneers worked their Princeton offense into some late 3’s and closes with a 10-2 run. Holding a 28-24 advantage as the 2nd stanza began we hoped to regain the kind of margin we had before the DU run. It was not to be as the entire twenty minutes was played within a small window (there were 8 times, 8 lead changes, and neither team led by more than 5). Denver used their 3 point shooting to build a 51-47 lead with five minutes remaining. NT responded with a 17-9 streak. Later with Denver up one, Josh White swished his only trey of the contest. He made 12 of 13 free throws (all in the 2nd half) including 6 in the final few moments to ice the 64-59 win
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We made one last trip out of conference to play Houston Baptist in a return trip from the previous season. The Sea Wolves were having a lousy season, but were remarkably feisty in the first half as they stayed with us throughout. As the teams jogged to the locker rooms we were only up 50-44 and you could feel the nervousness in MG Nation. In the 2nd twenty minutes, we poured it on. A large part of this might have been our 3 point shooting as we lit it up for nearly 60% from behind the arc. The final score was 107-87 as Josh paced us with 28. Odufuwa added another double – his tenth of the season. We were now the winners of five straight and could sit back and watch the rest of the Belt play on Thursday. Because of a tailspin that had roughly coincided with out run, we had moved to just half a game back of the Red Wolves. ULL, who had also been playing well had climbed back into the chase, and when they defeated ASU on that Thursday night, moved a game back of ASU and us. The Red Wolves still held the tiebreaker, but our odds of winning the Division, which had appeared dead just a few weeks before were now quite possible. As a whole the league was cluttered with 5 teams tied at 10-5 in Belt play.
Our next game was against UALR at home. After the starters were feeling each other out, Johnny Jones went to the bench and brought in his replacement line, something he had been tinkering with for a few games. The switch worked as Collin Mangrum exploded with 4 treys. NT ended the half on a 19-6 run to take a 44-31 lead into intermission. In the second half Odufuwa and Tramiel went to work as our inside game helped us retain the advantage. Overall we had five players get into double figures as our well balanced attack was too much for the Trojans. The final was 83-65, and with ASU going down yet again, we moved into 1st place in the West.
ULL was up next in effect an elimination game for the West. ASU was still out there if we lost our finale, but a win for us would make it mathematically impossible for the Cajuns to take the Division. Likewise a ULL win would almost make it impossible for us to take the West. It was also Senior Night, and you never want to lose that game. ULL got out of the gate fast, building a 17-6 early advantage. We altered our style of play, uglied it up, and worked our way back. At intermission the score stood at 23 apiece. NT built a lead over the course of the 2nd half, which saw several ULL runs that, got close. However, Player of the Year Tyren Johnson could not get his team over the hump, and we made the key plays every time it looked as though it would slip away. Our big four all got into double figures as we held on for the 65-57 victory. In the aftermath JJ sent the players up into the stands to celebrate with the nearly 4500 in attendance. It was a fitting send off in the last home game of the season. We went into the finale with a simple goal. Win, and win the Division. The tiebreakers for the overall #1 seed did not favor us.
The game against ULM in the regular season finale would decide our fate. The game got off to a sluggish start as the game was tied at 2 after five minutes of play. Things slowly picked up and NT opened up a 21-10 advantage. From there NT mostly kept ULM at bay holding a 34-23 advantage at intermission. The second half both teams played sloppy and we could never put the War Hawks away. They made several runs at us, but somehow we managed to keep the advantage despite looking pretty bad at times. Tristan had a huge 4 point play to stop one ULM push with 4:28 to go. NT eventually put the game away at the charity stripe, and despite a 3 at the buzzer, held on for the 74-71 win.
This was a historic win for the Mean Green as it marked the first time we had ever won a regular season title under Coach Jones. We also went 8-0 in February in an amazing streak that took us from down near the bottom of the standings to being Division Champs. Because we lost the 3 way tie for overall #1, we would go into the Tournament as the 2 seed – but perhaps that was fortunate as we would avoid potentially facing a red hot WKU team until the Finals. We had just completed one of the best regular seasons in school history, but the best was yet to come.
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Recap for 2009-2010 Season; Part2 |
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Written by Courtland
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Thursday, 10 June 2010 |
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On December 13, UNT opened up Sun Belt conference play at home against Louisiana Monroe. The War Hawks came in scuffling, but it was a whole new season for them now, so we expected their best shot. In the first half we received it, as ULM hung right with us. Neither team led by more than five during the opening stanza. At intermission, the Mean Green clung to a tenuous 35-33 lead. Josh White opened the 2nd half with a trey and the floodgates opened for us. When all was said and done, we went on a 23-7 streak and our lead was a commanding 18 points with 10 minutes to go. From there, we worked our lead up to 21 on a Richard Thomas lay up with 7:07 remaining. Once leading comfortably, we coasted home for a 79-62 win. Tristan Thompson led four players (White, Odufuwa & Tramiel) in double figures with 20. It was a well balanced game that seemed to justify our lofty expectations.
Those good feelings were quickly dashed as FIU defeated us in our next contest. The student body was ready for Isaiah Thomas, but our team seemed asleep at the start as FIU built an early lead that they increased to 16. At the half the Golden Panthers held a 38-23 advantage. Coach Jones appeared to have lit a charge in the squad as we exploded with a quick 19-7 run to get back in the game. From there the contest stabilized, and FIU held the lead for most of the rest of regulation. In the waning seconds Josh White came up with a huge trey to tie the game and the patrons in the SuperPit got free basketball. In the OT the Panthers manhandled us and won going away 80-70. This was a bitter pill to swallow as FIU had been playing terribly in the non conference season and was rated near the bottom of the nation in the RPI.
We continued our home stand, but jumped back out of conference with our next two home games. Up first Southeastern Louisiana came calling. The Lions stuck with the Mean Green in the opening minutes, but about midway thru the first 20 minutes the Mean Green began to take control, mostly behind Tristan Thompson's hot shooting. By the break we had built a 43-29 advantage. The Lions stuck with us in the 2nd half, spending most of the stanza between 7-10 points behind - but could never get to within a couple of possessions. It was a hard fought game, but not one in which we were seriously threatened. After having a terrible outing against FIU, Eric Tramiel led the way with 19 (the usual four all being in double figures again) and he dominated the paint against an overmatched SELA frontline.
Next we welcomed in the Texas Southern Tigers. Eric Tramiel aggravated a wrist injury early and we had to play most of the game without him. The team was kind of lost at the start and TSU led nearly the entire first half, until a late run nosed us in front. Tristan and Collin Mangrum both were huge early keeping us in it. The Tigers regained the lead briefly early in the 2nd, but we quickly countered and led most of the way. However, nearly the entire stanza was within two possessions or less. Things began to look bleak when Odufuwa fouled out with less than a minute to go. With the game tied and the clock ticking down - Jacob Holmen (who had been struggling with his stroke and turnovers all evening) hit the game winner as we escaped 71-69. Also having an unusually big game was Shannon Shorter with a dozen. Tristan led all scorers with 21 as he continued to carry the scoring load in this stretch of December games.
NT moved back into Belt play on New Years Eve as we traveled up to Little Rock. The Trojans have really owned us since we joined the conference, and without Eric on the floor, this shaped up to be a real tough one. UALR took a quick five point lead out of the game, but we countered to grab a 17-14 advantage. Near the midpoint half the Trojans switched to a zone which threw us as UALR climbed back in it. Josh had a great game at the point setting up lots of dimes and we took a 45-37 advantage to the locker room. A fight nearly broke out on the outset of the 2nd half, which appeared to wake UALR up. By the 11 minute mark they had pulled to within three and the stretch would resemble the classic UALR/NT down to the wire affair. With time dwindling, and us trailing by 3, Tristan Thompson swished a gigantic trey and then Josh knocked one in as well to put us up 78-75 with 40 seconds to go. From there we managed to hold on for an 83-78 victory. Thompson and Odufuwa both put in 20+ points and White and Holmen had great passing games (Holmen recorded 7 assists with only one turnover). This put Coach Jones in rarified air, as he moved into sole possession of #2 all time in wins at NT (passing the legendary Coach Blakeley) and behind only Coach Shands.
We were starting to feel good after a three game win streak, but that was short lived as NT got crushed in Jonesboro. ASU jumped on us 12-2 at the outset and though we fought back in the first half, we never could pull even. Leading 32-22 at the half the Red Wolves stepped on our throat in the 2nd and punished us. The final was 71-56 and to be honest, it might not have been that close. Tristan Thompson had a nice game, (18 points) and Odufuwa held his own on the glass, but otherwise we were outclassed all night by a younger, hungrier team that was about to go on a torrid streak.
The hard luck continued as NT traveled to ULL. The Cajuns took the early lead and built on the advantage throughout the first half. By the break we were down 34-22. In the second we kept trying to climb back into the game (cutting the lead to 3 at several points), but we could never hit the equalizer. Josh White hit a trey with 11.8 seconds to go to climb within 72-70, but two free throws by ULL put the game away. A cosmetic layup by Shannon Shorter made the Final 74-72 Cajuns. George Odufuwa led our attack with 15 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. White and Thomas both got 14 and Tristan also reached double figures. But playing without Tramiel and the early hole we dug ourselves, proved too much to overcome.
NT returned to Denton needing a win desperately. Fortunately for us, UNO was up next. Used to be the Privateers had a hex on us, but we had started to reverse that last season, and once they found out this year they were moving down to Division 3 shortly - they seemingly lost a lot of their will. Josh White had 21, Tristan Thompson had 18 - and won easily 71-57. The first half was close until the final five minutes, but once we started to get working margin, we quickly pushed the advantage up to 20. It was a great way to for us to "get well" before some of our more challenging contests.
The Mean Green traveled to Troy in their next outing. The Trojans were leading the East - so this was a good measuring stick for us to see how we were progressing. Troy got off to a quick start and led by a couple of buckets early. Eric Tramiel was back in the lineup (off the bench) after a four game absence and made a big impact with 11. Troy's 2-3 zone bothered us, as we shot under 40% from the field. However, the Trojans were having a difficult time figuring out our defense as well. We managed to take a 33-26 lead into intermission, and what would become a season long theme this proved pivotal as we were undefeated on the season holding the advantage at the break. Led by Tristan Thompson coming off the bench to provide a spark, our reserves dominated the game at times and held a 34-13 lead over Troy's. Josh White also poured in 18 points (including 3 from deep) as our two guards controlled the action. With the game still in doubt in the final minute, Tristan grabbed a huge steal to help preserve the lead. It wasn't a for sure thing until Brandon Hazzard's shot at the equalizer came short at the buzzer and we could breath easy with the 75-72 victory. This was a huge statement after our earlier struggles on the road and pulled us to within shouting distance of the Division leaders.
Arkansas State made their return trip to the SuperPit in our following contest. We got off to a decent start and led 16-12 early. However, ASU then went on a huge run and eventually went up 36-24. NT went on a bit of a run to climb to within 6 at the half. However, that was short lived as ASU went on another big run and were never seriously challenged in the second half. The closest we could get was 64-57; and even that didn't last long as ASU immediately knocked in a 3 to go back up by double figures. Despite yet another double double by Odufuwa (his 6th), and three other players in double figures we didn't play particularly well. Our shooting percentage was terrible (especially from beyond the arc) and we could do little to stop ASU's young guns. We had to think about trying to get the 3 seed after this game, since the West appeared to be a long shot at best.
It was back to the road for our next game. USA was also having an up and down season to this point, and it shaped up to be a struggle as both teams needed a win desperately to keep high seeding hopes alive. The Jags got off to a great start and led by 11 early. North Texas recovered, found another gear, and outscored USA 15-4 to go to the locker rooms tied at 38. In the 2nd half we rode Eric Tramiel as he carried us home with his offense and defense. Up four late, Tramiel blocked a 3 point attempt to seal the win. The final was 86-78 as we scored another big 'W' away from Denton. Tramiel was fantastic with 25 points and 13 boards. George Odufuwa also cleaned up in the front court as he got 16 & 16. Shorter, White, and Thompson all got into double figures as well.
We were now at the halfway point in league play. Our record stood at 5-4 (overall at 12-7) in the middle of the pack for seeding. Early losses had hurt significantly, but we were starting to become healthier. Our bench was still arguably the deepest in the conference - even with Richard Thomas becoming less and less of a cog, with his mind on his ailing father. Everything seemed to be pointing towards us making a run, though the streak that awaited us couldn't have been predicted.
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