DENTON (1/30/03) -- Six Louisiana-Lafayette players scored in double figures Thursday night as the Ragin' Cajuns overpowered North Texas and handed the Mean Green a 89-58 Sun Belt Conference defeat at the Super Pit.
North Texas was held to 33 percent shooting from the field, got out-rebounded 41-36 and committed 25 turnovers in suffering its fifth consecutive loss. The Mean Green drop to 6-13 overall and 1-5 in conference play.
"We played a very good basketball team tonight," said North Texas head coach Johnny Jones. "The are very athletic and very talented. I was disappointed with our effort tonight. We got down early, mainly due to a lack of hustle on our part. Lafayette just had better overall effort than we did."
Senior guard Chris Davis was the only Mean Green player to score in double figures, hitting six field goals and going nine-of-11 at the free throw line to finish with a game-high 21 points. North Texas also got a career-high 12 rebounds from redshirt freshman center Justin Barnett, who logged a career-best 28 minutes of playing time.
UL Lafayette (13-6, 5-1) remained atop the Sun Belt's West Division with the win. Anthony Johnson came off the bench to six players in double figures with 18 points. Michael Southall (15 points), Robert Jupiter (12), Brad Boyd (11), Laurie Bridges (11) and Cedric Williams (10) also contributed double figures to the win.
North Texas fell into a quick hole in the game's first three minutes, falling behind 10-0. Although the Mean Green cut the deficit to under that 10-point margin five times during the first half -- the latest coming at the 8:10 mark when a Lee Green three-pointer pulled NT to within 30-22 -- UL Lafayette was able to build a 43-26 lead by halftime.
In the second half, the closest the Mean Green could come was a 13-point margin two minutes into the period after Davis converted a three-point play to get North Texas to within 45-32.
The Mean Green will attempt to snaps its losing streak at home on Saturday night when they host New Mexico State in a 7:00 p.m. game at the Super Pit.
