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 2^nd 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 2^nd 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 2^nd 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 5^th 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 2^nd 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 2^nd half) including 6 in the final few moments to ice the 64-59 win

.

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 2^nd 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 1^st 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 2^nd 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.

The North Texas basketball team entered the 2009-2010 campaign with high expectations. The previous season ended with a closely fought contest to WKU in the SBC Semifinals. That Hilltoppers team went onto the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament, so many felt we were very close to a breakthrough campaign ourselves. Coach Jones seemed to have been building towards this season, with a huge Junior class, as well as a true Senior leader in Eric Tramiel. The conference coaches seemed to agree with the overall consensus nabbing us as the favorite to win the West in the annual preseason poll. Despite this, the season didn't get off to a promising start as crucial reserve Kedrick Hogans was injured before a game was played and had to be red shirted. Dominique Johnson also was banged up and would be rested early.

The season opened on November 13th, 2009 against Cameron in the SuperPit. We seemed rusty at the outset as the visiting team got out to an 8-3 advantage. Eventually we worked ourselves back in the game and tied the game at 18. From there we cruised the rest of the first half building a 48-31 advantage at the break. In the second stanza we could never drop the hammer down on Cameron, as they closed to within 11 at one point. However we never were seriously threatened and won going away (80-62). Josh White led four players in double figures with 19 points. George Odufuwa had a highly memorable night as he poured in a dozen, and grabbed 24 rebounds - the most by a North Texas player since 1978.

UTA has been a thorn in our side in recent years. Because of this, our early season game with the Mavs was significant to our fan base (if not the team itself). UTA got off to a good start and led throughout the first half as they forced us into 13 turnovers. Down 6 at the break JJ and the staff made some adjustments and we went on a quick 6-2 run to close to 42-40 forcing the Mavericks into a timeout. From there both teams traded leads thru the next couple of media timeouts before UTA seemingly took control, 76-69, with 4:57 remaining. The Mean Green responded with a 10-1 run and the two teams grinded out the last couple of minutes. Freshman Jacob Holmen hit one of two free throws with 15 seconds remaining and the game went to overtime as the Mavs missed a shot at the buzzer. In the overtime neither team could get ahead by much, and again it came down to a team needing a free throw to tie. This time with NT up one, there was a scrum on the floor and Josh White was called for a loose ball infraction. Mavs split their FT attempts and the game went to double OT. The second overtime was just as exhausting. The Mean Green briefly got a four point edge, but UTA fought back. Up one with 12.5 seconds left, transfer Shannon Shorter made one of two at the line giving us a 101-99 lead. UTA missed and we had a 101-99 victory.

Josh White was incredible with 35 points for the game. He seemingly willed us to the 'W' at times. Also giving us big minutes were the freshmen Alzee Williams and Holmen. Odufuwa had another double, double (he would have many as the season progressed) leading the squad once again with 11 boards. The only negative was DJ, who aggravated an injury and only played a few minutes. This victory felt good as we moved to 2-0 before traveling north to Stillwater.

Our three game series with Oklahoma State had reached the rubber match. The initial two were memorable affairs (especially the first) and this one looked to be the same. We got off to a good start and led 8-6 early. The two teams stayed close throughout most of the first half. However, with NT leading 28-27, OSU went on a 17-5 run to close out the half. We countered well in the 2nd, at one point climbing to within 2, after a three pointer by Collin Mangrum. OSU's guards killed us though (especially James Anderson who finished with 25), and despite Eric Tramiel and George Odufuwa both having strong games, we lost 82-68.

NT next welcomed the Jackson State Tigers to the SuperPit. Once again Odufuwa and Tramiel led the way as our frontline superiority slowly wore down JSU. At the break we led by 7 and slowly inched the gap to 15. The Tigers made a run and closed to within four late. We recovered and held on for a fairly workman-like 68-58 victory. Richard Thomas joined Eric and George in double figures.

The Mean Green made a trip out to Boise, Idaho on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for our next game. Josh White, who had been shut down since the UTA game, had 23 points to lead the way as we battled the travel and the thin air. The game got off to a rough start for Odufuwa, as he was in early foul trouble, but Cam Spencer, Holmen, and Ben Knox all filled in admirably. Without his usual partner in crime, Tramiel still had a good game with 14 big points as he tried to counter BSU's Robert Arnold down low. Despite 16 first half points from White, we trailed by 1 at the break. In the second half NT was ahead by 5 when Boise State went on an 11-2 streak and led thereafter. The final was 79-73, but it was a game that we really felt we should have won.

NT returned to Denton for a weekday matinee game against The University of the Southwest. North Texas controlled the game throughout despite an incredible game by Demetrius Evans of the Mustangs. Evans lit up the Mean Green for 40. Otherwise, NT played good defense. Josh White's 21 lead four players in double figures as we shot 56% from the field and won handily 91-62. It was a good confidence builder as we were traveling for one last pre conference trip before the games really started to mean something.

First up on the two game swing was Rice. The Owls roared out of the gate, grabbing a 15-6 lead. Dominique Johnson was inserted in the lineup and our fortunes changed. He spearheaded a 14-3 run and we took a 32-27 lead into the break. The second half was a true struggle as there were ten ties and lead changes. Neither team could get much separation as the game winded down. Trailing by three with less than five minutes to go, Collin Mangrum converted a huge 3-point play. From there Josh White took it home as he scored 11 of our final 12 (mostly from the charity stripe) to put the game away. After Rice missed on a pair of late free throws we had survived and their desperation three at the buzzer was only cosmetic. The final was 64-62 and things looked bright once again in Mean Green Nation. Unfortunately, the news was not all good. DJ, despite having a team high 15, was injured and knocked out for the season. Thankfully, he was granted a medical red shirt, but our depth at PG really took a hit. Josh would have to shoulder even more responsibility from here on out.

In our last game before heading into conference, we traveled to College Station to take on a Texas A&M team that was ranked in the Top 20. We opened up well as Eric Tramiel scored our first 9 points and we led by a bucket. We managed to keep the advantage throughout most of the opening stanza until a late 18-2 Aggie run broke the game open and A&M had a 40-25 lead at intermission. Our team responded with a gutsy 2nd half as we never let the Aggies get comfortable. Our 3's weren't falling, but we held our own in the paint. Despite our shooting woes, when Junior Richard Thomas knocked in a trey with under four minutes to go, we had shaved the lead to 8. We could get no closer and the Aggies held on 75-65.

Heading into conference season we stood at 5-3. We would jump out of conference for games later in the season -- but Sunbelt play was upon us and it looked as though we were getting things figured out. Some setbacks were waiting on us just beyond the horizon.

North Texas opened the Sunbelt Tournament with a home contest against the Florida Atlantic Owls. As the 4 seed we drew the 13 – and therefore it was supposed to be an easy match up. Early on FAU stuck within striking distance, but two surges – both led in part by massive dunks (one by Odufuwa the other McCoy) gave the Mean Green a comfortable 11 point lead at intermission. Mike Jarvis got his team rejuvenated at the break and the Owls slowly whittled the deficit down. Late in the game FAU pulled within a bucket, but a huge board by Eric Tramiel led to some game icing free throws by Dominique Johnson and we prevailed 79-73. The game was won in no small measure by our shooting from the charity stripe as we connected on 29-35 for the evening. Josh White was also huge with 23 (and Tramiel added 21 himself). We traveled to Hot Springs with a lot of confidence.

Waiting for us in Arkansas was Middle Tennessee. After having split the two games in conference action, no one really knew what to expect for the rubber match. North Texas jumped on the Blue Raiders early 7-2 and never trailed. Throughout the first half NT methodically built its lead. We were extremely aggressive, which paid off in numerous free throw attempts. Once again our excellent shooting from the line helped tremendously (we hit our first 20). Josh once more came up large, with 27. Tristan Thompson was our second threat in this game as he dropped in 19. NT led by double digits throughout most of the stanza, until a late charge by MTSU cut the lead to 6 with under a minute to go. But NT closed out the 88-79 victory at the stripe. This game marked our 20^th victory of the season, only the seventh time in school history that we achieved that plateau. It also set up a semifinal with league heavyweight Western Kentucky in what looked to be a classic.

In our first match up with the Hilltoppers, we led through most of the contest before WKU nipped us at the tail end. So we went in with a lot of confidence that we could beat Western. Things got started poorly as the Toppers got out to a 9-2 lead. However we quickly responded with an 11-4 run of our own, tying the game at 13. From there the two teams stayed close, until a 13-0 run by the Mean Green pushed us out to an 8 point advantage. Not only was our long range shooting working, but Harold Stewart was keying our defense AND offense in the paint as an injury hampered Tramiel played few minutes. By intermission WKU had clawed back to three. The battle was joined once more. The second stanza stayed close throughout. The Toppers eventually built a 5 point lead (perhaps helped by Collin Dennis, our best lockdown defender being injured early in the half) with around six minutes left but the Mean Green forced two straight turnovers and tied the game at 58. Then, as pulses quickened on both benches, AJ Slaughter once again made the difference. On consecutive trips down the floor he nailed treys pushing WKU’s lead to 6. The lead grew, but Adam McCoy lit up the scoreboard in the final few minutes as we put a late scare in the Toppers. But their free throws iced their 77-70 victory.

One could argue that in some ways this might have been the best team Coach Jones has had. We didn’t win the conference race, but we had more wins in league play than any of his previous ones. They also found a way to win the majority of their league road games. We also had six players that scored 20 or more in at least one game. Historically NT passed the 1000th victory in program history.

We lost four key seniors to the squad. Justin Howerton while never a full time contributor had several memorable games in his career – including against WKU in the 2007 Sunbelt tournament. Collin Dennis had a tremendous Junior campaign and though he had major ups and downs in his Senior season still had some great games. He was also our best defender on the perimeter, proving instrumental in our last defensive stand against NMSU early in the year. Adam McCoy was perhaps one of the most explosive players who has ever suited up for the Mean Green. We only saw glimpses of his potential until late this year, where he looked all-world. Nonetheless some of his late season heroics will be talked about for years to come. Finally Harold Stewart – always a favorite of mine. He was the ultimate glue guy, rarely putting up scoring numbers. But if you needed someone to go after that loose ball, hack an opposing player, or take the key charge, he was your man. He DID have some truly fantastic offensive performances, especially in the 2007 Sunbelt Tournament where he keyed 2 of our victories (especially the epic overtime game against ULM). Stewart and Howerton also went down as the all-time winningest players in program history.

As we look ahead to the ’09-’10 season expectations are high. This appears like it could be a truly historic year for NT basketball provided we have few injuries. Our squad is stacked with junior and senior contributors. The season opener against Cameron can’t come soon enough for this fan.

North Texas traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to begin the second half of the Sunbelt slate. Western Kentucky, as usual, was having a solid season and would be a stern test. We had a fantastic opening stanza as the guys in green built the early 6-0 lead up to 11. NT eventually took a nine point advantage into halftime. The second half also started off promisingly, and we held our lead until nearly the end. With around three minutes remaining an AJ Slaughter led comeback, nosed the Hilltoppers in front. Collin Dennis had a shot at the equalizer in the final seconds, but it rimmed out. WKU iced the 71-67 loss away at the stripe. It was a hard pill to deal with, considering we had controlled the play for most of the contest. Dominique Johnson, Josh White, and Eric Tramiel all had solid efforts, making the defeat sting even worse.

We next rolled into Mobile to take on South Alabama’s Jaguars. This time, USA had the good early start and we were left to adjust. The first half was mostly filled by the Jags getting a large lead, followed by us cutting the deficit, with USA putting together another run. In a way, we were fortunate to only be down three at the break. Eric Tramiel carried us as he posted a double double in that first stanza. USA lead nearly the entire second half, until a tip in by George Odufuwa with just over 90 seconds, put us in front. It looked like we were going to be able to steal the road victory, but USA hit a clutch shot, drew a charge, and then hit another shot on successive trips. Even so, Collin Dennis once again had a shot to tie the game, but it rimmed out and we lost another heartbreaker; 68-65.

The team returned home to Denton at 5-6 in the league and knew it needed a great stretch run. The next game versus ULL would show what we were capable of. From the opening tip the team stepped on the Cajuns throat and didn’t let them breathe. In the first half we shot nearly 70% from the floor and took a 28 point lead into intermission. We weren’t quite as lights out in the second half, but were never seriously threatened. NT coasted home with a 92-74 victory. Tristan Thompson lead four players in double figures with 24, Johnson dished out a career-high 7 dimes, and we played suffocating defense until the final few minutes. We figured if we could keep this momentum going, we’d be tough to defeat.

Up next was our nemesis from the Crescent City. This time, we wouldn’t let the Privateers work their voodoo on us. Once again, we jumped on our opponent and tried to put them out of their misery right away. Collin Dennis put up 11 first half points, leading the way as the Mean Green took a quick lead – eventually building it to 17 by the break. The second half began with more of the same as the lead eventually grew to 24 – mostly led by Tramiel 20 in the paint, before UNO showed a lot of heart. New Orleans slowly worked their way back into the game eventually cutting the lead down to nine. In the final moments we had to show our mettle from the stripe as they fouled us continuously, but we held on relatively easily by our standards. The 79-69 final put us back over 500 in league play and we began jockeying for seeding in Hot Springs.

NT next traveled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to take on the Blue Raiders. This game was televised, so everyone with the Sunbelt package could see what we were capable of. The Mean Green had never won in their arena before, but that seemed to be motivation. NT exploded out of the gate like we had been doing at home – but to do so on the road was unexpected. By halftime, the lead was 19. McCoy had a true breakout game with 24, Josh put up 26 – and we did little wrong. By the end of the contest, the “Murph” had mostly emptied out as the authoritative 89-78 final did not truly represent how dominant we had been.

We returned home from the one game trip flying high. ULM visited, and for the first time in a few games – we did not punch them out early. Instead, we waited until the second half to put on the crushing run. After leading by 5 at intermission, NT shot 57% in the 2^nd half – led by McCoy’s 20. Adam McCoy was in the middle of one of the best recent stretches by any NT player. He had plenty of help in this game as we had 6 total players in double figures. With that kind of balance, we figured to be a tough out for anyone come conference tournament time. As the games progressed, our apparent seeding was improving – and if UALR went into a tailspin we had a remote chance of winning the Western Division.

Our shot to knock off UALR ourselves came in our next contest…Senior Night. Our four seniors all got the start and we held a lead after the first timeout. After that, we couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. We barely shot over 25% for the game even with McCoy putting up 15 points. In the final few minutes some late bombs by Tristan Thompson and McCoy got us close, but the 58-54 loss seemed much bigger than the margin indicated. Their defensive system has really shut us down in recent years, as they have been one of the most consistent Belt schools in regular season play.

We now turned our focus on getting the 4^th seed for the Belt Tournament. We traveled to ASU for a rematch of the earlier 3OT classic. This game would not be nearly as competitive. Eric Tramiel got us off to a fast start and from there Adam McCoy took over. The senior eventually totaled 29 points as we put the Red Wolves to bed by half. Dom and Josh also had solid efforts. The second half we basically toyed with ASU (final 91-82), as we prepared for the final game in the regular season. There was a 3 way tie for the 4^th seed, with Denver just a game back. The seeding for half the conference came down to the last regular season game.

Only one Sunbelt school had won in Denver leading into the finale. The mile high air, plus the patient system the Pioneers run is murder on the lungs. This figured to be a real battle on paper. Adam McCoy didn’t get the memo though, as once again the senior guard exploded – this time for 26. He hit five treys – including one from nearly half court. He also threw down one of the more emphatic dunks of the season. Eric Tramiel also had a big game, recording yet another double double effort. Dominique was really becoming a solid point – running our offense smoothly. After winning six of our last seven – we were a solid dark horse pick to win the conference tournament.

After a season of wild momentum swings, the guys had really found each other by seasons end. Our 11-7 conference mark was the best for a JJ led squad. NT had at least six viable scoring options that could score 15 or more on a given night. We may not have been the favorite heading into the conference tourney – but many of the top contenders feared us.

It was now time to begin Sunbelt play. On December 18th the Mean Green traveled to Lafayette to meet the Ragin’ Cajuns. The squad jumped on ULL early 8-2, and then near the end of the half exploded to take a 23-10 lead. The Cajuns whittled that advantage down to a bucket early in the second stanza. Another huge run (16-2) effectively put the game away and we coasted to the 78-64 victory. Tristan Thompson put up 27 huge points leading the way, but Josh White and Eric Tramiel also got into double figures. After this game, spirits were truly buoyed. Near disaster was just around the corner.

NT continued the road swing down into New Orleans to take on the Privateers. Once more UNO gave us fits as Kyndall Dykes notched 25 points in the 71-66 defeat. Josh had 19 and Dominique Johnson put up a bakers dozen, but shooting woes did us in. The first half especially was brutal as NT barely made 30% of its field goal attempts. Meanwhile the Privateers shot over 50% for the game. The contest broke our four game win streak and took some of the luster off the ULL game for many.

The Mean Green returned back to the friendly confines of the SuperPit where our metroplex nemesis UT-Arlington was awaiting us. They have owned us in recent years and this time was no different. Despite shooting poorly once again, we had a four point lead at intermission. UTA shot a sizzling 56% from the field for the game and eventually widened out a close contest to 11 with four minutes remaining. We made a final push coming to within 78-75 with seven seconds left, but Dom missed a 3 and UTA hit free throws to put the game out of reach for the 80-75 final score. Josh White spearheaded our free throw shooting which was a sparkling 12 of 13 for the game. Collin Dennis led the Mean Green with 21 as he carried us in the 2nd half, but it was not enough.

NT ended 2008 on New Years Eve with a tilt against Middle Tennessee. MTSU was the preseason favorite to win the league, and despite a rocky non conference performance, was starting to round into form. Once again we had trouble from the floor in the first half, but held a tenuous one point lead at intermission. Tristan Thompson and Collin Mangrum each had 19 points – most of which was in the second stanza. Late in the game MTSU held a two point advantage, but a key lay up by Tramiel sent the game into overtime. In the extra session MTSU converted two 3 point plays and we never recovered, eventually losing 89-80.

Another road trip commenced – this time to the state of Arkansas. First up were the Razorbacks who we played in Little Rock. An Alltel Arena crowd of 15,687 came out for the game and saw the Mean Green grab an early 16-13 advantage. Arkansas took the lead soon after; before NT exploded with 15-0 run, which gave us a lead going into the half. The Razorbacks were led by Michael Washington’s 34 big ones, as he led a 2nd half effort that put us away 86-75. It was a good effort by the Mean Green as we dropped in 9 treys, but it wasn’t enough.

Our following game was also in Little Rock – this time against UALR. As is typical with recent battles with Little Rock – it was a nail biter. The 78-77 overtime loss was devastating in many ways. For the 5th game in a row we lost a contest we felt was winnable. This time NT jumped out to an early lead & led at halftime. UALR grabbed the advantage in the 2nd, but Eric Tramiel's 21 led NT - as we never let the Trojans get away. Josh White hit a big three, plus the harm, to draw us within a point late in regulation. After Tramiel gave us the lead shortly thereafter, UALR tied the game sending to OT. In the extra session, we jumped out to a six point lead but frittered it away. Then with the game tied at 78 and 1.9 seconds to go UALR’s Steven Moore drew a foul and hit one of two for the winning margin. This marked our 5th straight defeat and exasperation was setting in.

We returned home to Denton knowing that the season was on the brink of unraveling completely. The Arkansas State Red Wolves came calling, in what was arguably the most exciting game of our season. After a relatively standard first half, ASU led at 29-26 at intermission. ASU put a run on us early in the 2nd and suddenly we were down 11 with just under thirteen minutes remaining. NT responded with a 9-1 run capped by a Johnson trey. From there we eventually managed to grab the lead, and in a loose ball scrum Tristan Thompson hit a huge shot to give us a 58-55 lead with 1:22 to go. However the game was far from over, as ASU tied the game at 59 with fewer than 20 seconds to go (after Josh only went 1 of 2 at the stripe in a opportunity to try and ice the game). In overtime both teams tried to knock each other out, but a late lay up by Josh moved the game into a 2nd OT. In Double overtime, Dominique drilled a couple of gigantic treys and seemed to give us an insurmountable lead – however free throw shooting (which was a problem for us all game as we barely hit over 50%) came back to bite us and the game moved into a 3rd overtime. Finally in the 3rd extra session, Josh White put the game away for us at the stripe - as we survived 86-83 in a game for the ages. It tied a 1984 contest with SW Louisiana as the longest game in SuperPit history.

Our next game in Denton might have been even more remarkable. Denver dominated the first half in every conceivable way, building a 21 point lead at one point. Down 17 at halftime, to a school that hadn’t won a true road game in years, was a stunner. In the second half an early 21-7 run by the Mean Green vaulted us back into the contest (and brought the SuperPit crowd to its feet), but Denver wouldn’t back down. They kept us at bay until just under 5 minutes when we took our first lead. Collin Dennis led the way with 14, but Dom’s 8 point burst in just over a minute late in the game put us over the top. Once we grabbed the lead we didn’t relinquish it, and held on for a 69-62 win.

After the last two dramatic games, the following game against FAU proved to be remarkably “normal.” After feeling each out in the opening minutes, NT got a nine point margin led by Eric Tramiel’s 14 first half points (on his way to 19). FAU used a big run to tie the game at 47 with about ten minutes remaining, but NT then had a 10-0 run of its own that effectively put the game away. NT won comfortably 69-60. In addition to Tramiel; Dennis and Johnson also ended up in double figures on the night. Additonally, Tramiel pulled down 13 boards – in what would be the first of many double doubles in the weeks to come.

Up next was a trip to Miami to challenge to the FIU Panthers. Our guards didn’t seem to make the trip at times, as we struggled from the perimeter. However Odufuwa, Kedrick Hogans, and Tramiel heeded the call as they each had big games. Eric especially came up with huge with 22 points, 15 boards, and one authoritative dunk that changed the momentum of the game with about 12 minutes remaining. Before that, FIU had gotten the better of it, afterwards we controlled the game, eventually holding on for an 80-75 victory. It was a huge road victory and our 4th straight overall. The five game losing streak seemed behind us.

NT returned to Denton to take on Troy. Troy and NT had been the two hottest schools in the conference in recent weeks; so many teams watched our game with interest. The first half was a nip and tuck affair, which the Trojans led by 1 after twenty minutes. Once again we had trouble shooting from the perimeter and our guys on the inside had to do a lot of work. Odufuwa pulled down 18 boards and Eric Tramiel led the scoring with 19. We had a 67-63 lead after an Adam McCoy led run (he went 5-10 from the behind the arc the rest of the team 2-16), but Troy wasn’t done and ended the game 14-2 charge. The final was 77-69 and hurt our momentum as the first half of league play ended.

Midway thru the Sunbelt slate we stood at 5-4(12-8 overall) and behind UALR. We still had designs on winning the West, but those were becoming dimmer by the day as UALR refused to lose. Our early strength had been our backcourt, but now the interior was carrying us. We sensed if both worked simultaneously we’d be tough to beat. The remainder of the season would bare that out.