DENTON – A strong second half snapped a five-game losing streak as the Mean Green defeated Charlotte 68-63 Saturday afternoon inside The Super Pit. 
 
Senior Terriell Bradley led North Texas (11-10, 4-5 C-USA ) in scoring with 20 points. Junior Anisha George was the only other North Texas scorer to reach double-digits at 15 points. George rounded out her third straight double-double with 16 rebounds as well.
 
George has felt a change in her game.
 
"Patience," George said. "I've learned to let it come to me and not try to force it."
 
The 49ers (12-10, 4-6) were led by an explosive performance from sophomore Mariah Linney who scored 28 points on 10-of-13 from the field. Linney had 14 of Charlotte's 21 second half points, keeping Charlotte hanging around late. 
 
The Mean Green opened the game on the front-foot. Working the post, North Texas used high percentage shots to open a lead over the 49ers. Eight first quarter points George, who was perfect from the field in that span, led North Texas to a 60 percent mark from the field. The Mean Green were also perfect at the free-throw line, ending the first quarter with a 22-18 lead. 
 
Charlotte pecked away at the North Texas lead using early trips to the line. The Mean Green ended the first quarter with five team fouls. The 49ers shot 75 percent from the line on four attempts in the second quarter as the Mean Green continued to add to its foul trouble.
 
The Niners then began to hit from three. After making just two from beyond the arc in the first quarter, Charlotte hit five from deep in the second period, including a shot clock beater that gave the Niners their first lead at 28-27. The Mean Green went cold, going without a field goal for the final five-and-a-half minutes of the first half, as Charlotte took a 42-34 lead into halftime. 
 
"I thought we were taking some contested, quick shots," head coach Jalie Mitchell said. "We needed to slow it down a little bit. I thought the fourth quarter was pretty good from a game management aspect. It was a really hard fought win. That's a good team."
 
The Mean Green came out on a 10-1 run to start the second half. Sophomore Madison Townley drained a free throw to give the Mean Green a 44-43 lead with 7:02 to play in the third quarter. The Niners were loose with the ball, committing four turnovers in the final four minutes of the third quarter allowing North Texas to open a 55-52 lead. Charlotte went over three minutes without a field goal.
 
North Texas outrebounded Charlotte 10-5 in the final quarter, keeping the streak of not losing a game after leading at the end of the third quarter. Mitchell kept her squad composed as the energy level rose in the final minutes of the game. 
 
Bradley powered to the rim and made a layup through contact drawing the foul, and converting the and-one to put the Mean Green up 66-62 with under two minutes to play. Sophomore Trena Mims scored her sixth point of the game with a pull-up jumper from the free throw line marking the dagger, putting North Texas up 68-62.
 
"Every time we huddled up I tried to make sure we were calm," Mitchell said. "I think the calm, and all the reminders of how we needed to execute were good. [Bradley] made a huge play. I thought it was a momentum swing. We needed that. She expects that of herself."
 
The Mean Green hit the road for a Feb. 7 contest at Marshall at 5 p.m.