We started the second half of our conference slate with a trip to South Alabama. USA was leading the Eastern division of the Belt, so this figured to be a good measuring stick to where we stood. Another battle commenced as the Mean Green and Jaguars slugged it out. The first half was end to end play as we scored 49, and the Jags put up 45 of their own. In the second stanza play slowed just a touch and was tied with a minute in regulation. Ben Bell stroked a 3 pointer with 55 seconds remaining, but Demetric Bennett answered with one of his own. USA then had a chance to win in regulation, but Harold Stewart came up with a blocked shot as time expired. Another overtime game was upon us. The OT session was also back and forth. With the contest deadlocked at 89 and time running out, Daon Merritt drove to the bucket and was fouled. He made one of two free throws giving the Jags the one point win. This was a tough defeat to swallow for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being our balanced attack. We had 6 players in double figures on the night led by Quincy Williams.

The Mean Green returned home to host the Troy Trojans. What followed was an historic annihilation of Troy 98-57. The last time North Texas had defeated a conference mate by that much was 51 years ago. Everything worked in the contest. KD and Watson each had 19. We out rebounded the Trojans by 21. We had 21 assists and shot nearly 60% from the floor. It was one of the best games we played all season.

Western Kentucky made a return visit to the SuperPit in our next contest. This was perhaps our best game of the season as we outlasted the Toppers 74-70. After feeling them out in the opening minutes, we jumped on Western and built the lead up to 21 points midway thru the second half. The crowd was large(by our standards) and raucous. However, Keith Wooden was knocked out of the game with a broken nose and we went ice cold. The Hilltoppers went on a final charge and they wiped away the deficit, eventually taking the lead with under a minute. Kendrick came up with a clutch jumper to regain the lead with 22 seconds. We forced two Western misses, Rich Young hit some free throws, and NT celebrated a season sweep of Western Kentucky.

Next up was the Privateers of New Orleans. The early moments both teams probed looking for an advantage, but then UNO went on a 9-0 run near the end of the first stanza to gain a working margin they held through most of the second. Bo McCalebb continued to be a Mean Green killer as he knocked down 25 points. Keith Wooden sported a new mask to protect his nose…and a fiercer attitude in the paint putting up his first double-double of the season. We put on a late charge at the end and KD hit down two big shots in the waning seconds to give us our first lead since the 6 minute mark of the first half. McCalebb tied the game with a free throw, but Ben Bell seemingly gave us the win with a mad dash prompting a foul. He calmly sank his 2 from the strip with 2 seconds remaining. In a oft criticized move JJ called a timeout and left no one on the man throwing it in. McCalebb drained a 3 pointer at the buzzer giving the Privateers a 2 point win. This was a crushing defeat(and our first at the SuperPit since the UTA game), but NT still had a lot to play for as we were still in second place in the division race.

Our following game was a tilt with West leading Louisiana-Monroe. The Mean Green opened strong and led by 8 at the break. The War Hawks stormed back in the second with a 13-3 run to take the lead. The two teams traded runs in a dramatic see saw affair. Calvin Watson and Michael Sturns both had 14 to spearhead our attack. With just over 3 minutes remaining we held onto a three point cushion, but Monroe went on a 5-0 run. KD tied the game with 54 seconds left, but ULM responded as Tony Hooper drilled a shot with 31 seconds left. KD’s attempt at the equalizer rimmed out, and the War Hawks hit their free throws to preserve the win.

The team and the fans needed a win after those devastating contests. NT got it when we traveled to play Denver. The Mean Green led throughout coasting to a 78-65 victory. Five players scored in double figures as our depth wore the Pioneers down. Sturns led the way with 13.

Calvin Watson became the all time 3 point shooter in school history in our next game against Arkansas-Little Rock. More importantly we avenged out earlier loss to the Trojans 74-69. The senior did it in style as he led the way with 16. Williams and Wooden both had monster games as they dueled with all conference forward Rashad Jones-Jennings in the paint. Our bench play, led by Sturns also proved instrumental as we outscored the Trojans by 11 in that category.

Arkansas State visited Denton on Senior night. The seniors Davis, Young, and Watson were all honored for their terrific work for Mean Green. When the game started Watson exploded for 26, including six 3’s as we took an 11 point lead into the break. The Indians fought back though, using 24-13 run of their own to tie the contest. From there, the game went back and forth, until ASU used a late 8-0 run to take a 5 point lead with under a minute. Though we closed the gap, we could not get over the hump losing 74-71.

We closed the regular season in Lafayette against the Ragin’ Cajuns. We had never had much success in Lafayette, but the conference tournament was soon to be held there, so it was a good time to get the jinx’s over with. Another tight game was on the docket this night. How tight? Neither school led by 6 through the course of the game. There were 9 ties and 11 lead changes. Heck even the halftime score was tied. Kendrick Davis hit a 3 pointer with 2.2 seconds left(our 1st of the game) to pull the game out 72-70. With the win we received the 5th seed in the Sun Belt Tourney and a match-up against these same Ragin’ Cajuns; this time…in the SuperPit.

It had been an up and down season to this point. We’d seen players getting to milestones. Thrilling games, both won and lost. We had 19 wins on the season, our most since the Blakely era. Now however, the moment was upon JJ and the team. Though we had not folded down the stretch some believed that if we were one and done in the conference tournament, JJ should be shown the door. People were skeptical, and rightly so. Most fans at least wanted to win at least 1 game, since we had not since JJ’s first season. We would win that one, and keep on going….