BOX SCORE
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (11/21/04) The North Texas men’s basketball team (1-1) gave up a big run to 18th ranked Alabama (2-0) midway through the first half that led to a 28-44 halftime deficit and also turned out to be the difference in an 85-71 setback to the Crimson Tide on Sunday at Coleman Coliseum.
The Mean Green improved its shooting percentage from .345 in the first half to .567 in the second and actually outscored Alabama 43-41 over the game’s final 20 minutes. NT used a 15-8 run over the first 6:28 of the second half to pull within 43-52, but couldn’t get any closer.
The Mean Green was led by Leonard Hopkins with a season-high 19 points and was followed in double figures by Michael Jones with a career-best 18 and Calvin Watson with 15.
The Mean Green finished with a .458 shooting percentage in comparison to Alabama’s .551. NT gave up 12 more boards to the Crimson Tide, but handed out two more assists and had just one less steal.
The Mean Green hit 11 three-point field goals, including four each from Jones and Watson. The Mean Green also got solid play inside from Justin Barnett, who finished with nine points, two rebounds and one assist.
North Texas trailed just 8-12 seven minutes into the game, but gave up a 15-1 run over the next five minutes that put the Crimson Tide on top 27-9. Alabama, which shot an impressive 73 percent from the floor and 54 percent from beyond the arc in the first half, increased its lead to as much as 22 points before NT closed the margin to 16 (44-28) at halftime.
Alabama was led by four players scoring in double figures, including Chuck Davis with a game-high 25 points.
The Mean Green will play its third game in a five-day span when it hosts UNC-Wilmington at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Tuesday’s game will be the first of three consecutive for
North Texas at the Super Pit.
