DENTON – North Texas used a 13-0 run to open the second quarter as Terriell Bradley scored a game-high 19 points and Velma Mitchell matched her career-best with 12 as the Mean Green defeated CSU Bakersfield, 71-59, Friday night inside The Super Pit.
 
Several of the Mean Green (6-5, 0-0 C-USA) filled out the stat sheet, led by Bradley's all-around game that also included eight rebounds, five assists, and a pair of steals. Madison Townley tallied nine points and eight rebounds, while Anisha George posted eight points and seven boards. Trena Mims recorded half a dozen points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. 
 
The Roadrunners (4-7, 0-0 WAC) connected on one more field goal (24-of-58) than UNT (23-of-53), but the Mean Green were successful on 18 of their 23 free throw attempts while CSUB went 5-of-15. North Texas assisted on 16 of their 23 field goals and outrebounded the Roadrunners, 42-to-30.
 
"It was a good win," head coach Jalie Mitchell said. "I thought we could have taken care of the ball a little bit better, and we went on Christmas break about two minutes too soon. But we did some things we needed to do. We rebounded the ball, and we knew that was a key to the win."
 
Bradley and George combined for nine points in the opening minutes for an 11-2 lead, but CSUB strung together a 15-2 to jump ahead by four with a 1:31 left in the first quarter. Two free throws by Grace Goodhart tied the game at 17-all in the final seconds of the period. 
 
Mitchell sparked the decisive run by knocking down four 3-pointers in the second quarter with the first two putting the Mean Green back in front at 25-17. Two from the line by Bradley extended the lead to 15 with 3:48 to play until the half, and Mitchell's last three made it a 40-24 game before the Roadrunners came within 10 at the break. 
 
CSUB scored first in the second half, but North Texas went on a 14-1 run capped by a layup from Brittany Smith to extend the margin to 56-35. Two shots at the line by Callie Owens had the Mean Green up, 58-39, heading into the final quarter.
 
UNT amassed their largest lead at the 5:27 mark on two free throws from Townley to make it 69-44. The Roadrunners then held the Mean Green scoreless for over four minutes and tallied 15 straight points to make it a 10-point game with 1:07 to play, but North Texas held on for the victory.
 
The Mean Green return from break Dec. 29 with a 3 p.m. contest against Oklahoma Panhandle State inside The Super Pit.