North Texas (8-12, 3-6 SBC) vs. Middle Tennessee (16-4, 8-1 SBC)
Jan. 24, 2013 • 7 p.m.
Denton, Texas • The Super Pit (10,500)
Radio: MGRN - 88.1 KNTU-FM, 95.3 KHYI-FM
TV: None • Webcast: MeanGreenSports.com
Series: MTSU leads 10-6 •
Last: MTSU won 75-57 on Jan. 31, 2012 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
BOX SCORE
DENTON, Texas – The North Texas basketball team picked up its first true road win of the season on Saturday, but now it’s time to defend the home court against the Sun Belt’s top team, Middle Tennessee. Tipoff from the Super Pit is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday, and can be heard on the Mean Green Radio Network.
MTSU features the Sun Belt’s most potent defense. The Blue Raiders are holding their opponents to an SBC low 58.3 points per game, and teams are shooting 40.3 percent from the floor and 28.1 percent from 3-point - both league lows.
Last month against MTSU, Tony Mitchell posted his 14th career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds but the Blue Raiders held off NT’s comeback in a 75-57 loss at the Murphy Center on New Year’s Eve. Marcos Knight (12) led seven MTSU players with at least seven points.
Getting Mitchell quality looks at the basket is one of the keys to an NT victory. In fact, the Mean Green is 5-1 when the Preseason All-American takes at least 14 shots.
Teams that send NT to the free throw line have been paying the price this year. NT is shooting a SBC-high 74.5 percent from the stripe in league play, and ranks 87th in the country overall with a mark of 71.9 percent. Jordan Williams (81.3) and P.J. Hardwick (80.0) rank third and fourth individually in SBC games.
Just 20 games into the season, NT’s injuries have already accounted for 39 individual games missed. In fact, twice this season - including Saturday’s win at Florida Atlantic - NT has taken the court with just seven scholarship players.
