BOX SCORE
POSTGAME NOTES

DENTON, Texas (1/24/13) - The North Texas men's basketball team rallied in the second half, but Middle Tennessee stayed one step ahead in a 72-64 loss for the Mean Green on Thursday night at the Super Pit.

The Mean Green falls to 8-13 and 3-7 in the Sun Belt Conference, while Middle Tennessee improves to 17-4 and 9-1 in the conference. The Blue Raiders leads the overall series, 11-6.

After making just eight field goals in the first half, North Texas came out in the second half and shot 56 percent. The Blue Raiders, however, shot 61 percent in the second period and had a responding basket anytime that North Texas cut into the lead.

After Middle Tennessee took its largest lead of the game, 50-35, midway through the second half, North Texas responded with a furious rally. Led by Roger Franklin, the Mean Green went on an 11-4 run to cut the MT lead to eight points, 54-46, at 7:54. Franklin had seven points in the run. Following a Jordan Williams dunk, JT Sulton responded with a basket to put the Blue Raiders back ahead by 10.

After a Franklin 3-pointer cut the lead to nine points, Sulton responded again to keep the double-digit advantage 60-49. North Texas cut the lead to single-digits three more times before back-to-back 3-pointers by Jordan Williams and Stojiljkovic put the Mean Green within five points of the lead, 66-61, with 1:23 left in the game.

North Texas missed two field goals, and Marcos Knight hit four straight free-throws to stall the Mean Green rally. With under a minute to play, North Texas was forced to foul. The Blue Raiders scored six of the final nine points to seal the win.

Jordan Williams led four players in double-figures with 20 points. He scored 14 points in the second half and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. He has made 16 straight free throws in the last two games.

Roger Franklin had 14 points, including 10 points in the second half for the Mean Green. Niko Stojiljkovic had 12 points and nine rebounds, and Tony Mitchell poured in 10 points. Mitchell scored just two points in the second half.

Neither team led by more than seven points in the first half. North Texas scored the first two points of the game, but MT took the lead and did not look back.

North Texas scored 15 points from free-throw line, compared to MT's five points. The Mean Green also held the edge in rebounds, 32-29.

The Blue Raiders forced 19 turnovers and scored 20 points off those North Texas miscues. MT also used its depth, outscoring the Mean Green bench, 25-1.

North Texas returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 26 when it faces UALR at home at 7 p.m.