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HOUSTON (11/29/08) North Texas and Houston share a storied rivalry that dates back to 1946. Tonight at 8 p.m. the two squads will face off for the 35th time. Action from Hofheinz Pavilion tips off at 7:30 p.m. on the Mean Green Radio Network.
The Mean Green and the Cougars have shared three different conference affiliations, although the squads will be meeting for just the seventh time since 1965. The Cougars lead the all-time series 29-5.
Houston is coming off a 110-57 win over Alcorn State, its highest offensive output since the 2005 season opener. After Wednesday’s win over Jackson State, the Mean Green has started 4-1 for a third straight season. The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m., but has been moved to 8 p.m. CST.
What To Watch For
Mean Green head coach Johnny Jones reached his 110th win at North Texas with the victory over Jackson State. The eighth year head coach has led NT to back-to-back 20-win seasons, and took the Mean Green to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 for the first time in 19 years.
After knocking off Jackson State on Wednesday, the Mean Green has now started the season 4-1 for a third straight campaign. Before this three-year stretch, North Texas had only started 4-1 on only two occasions since 1980.
Josh White’s run of 21 straight made free throws finally came to an end in the second half against Jackson State. The sophomore hadn’t missed a free throw since the 5:32 mark of the first half in the season opener against Cameron, a span of 178 minutes and 55 seconds. As a matter of fact, White has yet to miss a free throw in three road contests this year.
George Odufuwa has been the Mean Green’s muscle in the middle, posting double-figure rebounds in each of NT’s last four outings. The sophomore has at least 11 boards in the last four outings, including 13 rebound double-double performances at Oklahoma State and Sam Houston State.
Dominique Johnson has been a dominant and consistent force for North Texas over the last three outings. The junior has registered games of 16, 17 and 17 points, and is shooting 73.7 percent from the floor in that span.
