DENVER, Colo. (1/13/05) - The North Texas men’s basketball team (8-5, 1-1) had a two-game winning streak snapped and fell for just the second time in its last seven games as Denver (7-6, 2-1) handed the Mean Green a 79-52 setback Thursday at Magness Arena.
After hitting just 23 percent of its shots in the first half and falling behind 35-23, North Texas’ shooting woes continued in the second half as it finished the game with a season-low .237 field goal percentage. At the same time, Denver connected on 50 percent of its attempts from the floor.
NT went on a 5-2 run in the first minute of the second half to pull back within nine, but that is as close as the Mean Green would get as Denver promptly went on a 9-0 run to stretch its lead to 18.
Leonard Hopkins, the only North Texas player to score in double figures, led the Mean Green offensively with 12 points. Isaac Hines and Calvin Watson followed Hopkins with eight points each and Hines also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
North Texas jumped out to a 6-2 advantage to start the game, but Denver came right back with a 17-0 run that put it ahead by 13 with 9:51 left in the first half. The Pioneers extended their lead to as much as 17 before NT was able to close out the half with a 7-2 run and pull back within 12 points.
North Texas wraps up a five-game road swing its next outing, playing at Florida International on Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. (CST). The game can be heard live on KWRD 100.7 FM in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
