Box Score
DENTON, Texas (2/25/10) - The North Texas men's basketball team won its seventh straight game and captured its fourth straight 20-win season with a 65-57 victory against Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday night at the Super Pit.
In front of the second-largest crowd of the season, the Mean Green continued its quest for a Sun Belt West Division crown and a first-round bye in the conference tournament with the win. NT is now 20-8 overall and 12-5 in the Sun Belt with one conference game remaining. The Mean Green has won seven of the last nine meetings against ULL but still trails in the series, 16-14. The Ragin' Cajuns fall to 13-15 and 10-7 in the conference.
Tied at the half, North Texas built a lead over the course of the second half and was able to stay ahead of ULL despite runs by the visitors. ULL cut the lead to three points several times down the stretch, but Josh White hit his third three-pointer of the game to put the Mean Green ahead by six, 60-54, with 2:25 left in the game to seal the win.
Tristan Thompson started a new double-digit scoring streak with 16 points. He scored eight of those points in the second half. White scored all of his 14 points in the second period, and George Odufuwa notched his 13th career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Eric Tramiel contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
Tyren Johnson scored a game-high 22 points for ULL. He led his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
White hit two three-pointers at the start of the second half to put the Mean Green in front, 34-32, and Thompson hit eight of NT's first 14 points of the second period. Collin Mangrum had a steal and then a dunk to electrify the crowd, capping a 5-0 Mean Green run to put the home team ahead, 39-34.
Johnson hit a three-pointer at 3:36 that cut the Mean Green lead to three points, 55-52. The Mean Green scored 10 of the next 15 points to take the win.
In the first half, ULL jumped out to a 17-6 lead with North Texas making only one of its first 10 shots. The Mean Green was held to just one Tramiel field goal through the opening 11 minutes. Odufuwa ended the drought by putting in the next two baskets, cutting the Ragin' Cajun lead to seven, 17-10.
A 9-2 Mean Green run, capped by a Thompson driving layup, put NT within two points of the lead, 19-17, with 3:49 left in the first half. Jacob Holman tied the game, 23-23, following a Mean Green fast break.
ULL held a 17-6 lead through the first 10 minutes of the half, but the Mean Green outscored ULL in the second half of the first half, 17-6, to tie the game.
North Texas finishes up the regular season with a road game against ULM on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m.
