SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (11/22/02) The North Texas men’s basketball team (1-0) defeated Southwest Missouri State (0-1) 81-78 Friday night, handing the Bears their first ever Division I season-opening loss at the Hammons Student Center.
Before Friday’s game, Southwest Missouri State was 9-0 in Division I season openers at HSC and had won its last 25 season-opening games at the arena. The only other team to defeat Southwest Missouri State at HSC in a season-opening game was Arkansas, 72-71 in 1976.
The Mean Green led by 15 at halftime, but SMS’ Terrance McGee scored 22 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to bring the Bears within 58-59 with 7:18 left in the contest. The Mean Green nailed 17 free throws over the remainder of the game and was able to survive a last second three-point shot by McGee to hold on for the victory.
Led by Leonard Hopkins, eight different North Texas players got into the scoring mix in the first half to lead the Mean Green to a 39-24 halftime advantage. Leading 12-9, North Texas went on a 10-3 run to open up its first double-figure lead of the game, 22-12, at the 9:24 mark of the first half.
After going to the free throw line just once in the first half, North Texas went to the charity stripe 28 times in the second half and connected on 24 of those attempts. The Mean Green shot .486 in comparison to SMS’ .348.
Led by Chris Davis’ team-high 18 points, four Mean Green players scored in double figures. Davis also led North Texas on the boards with eight rebounds. Following Davis in the scoring column was Hopkins with 13, Jermaine Green with 12 and Lee Green with 10.
While North Texas has now won its season opener the last two seasons, it snapped an eight-game losing streak in season-opening games on the road.
North Texas will play at SMU on Friday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m.
