DENTON, Texas (1/17/08) Breana Turner connected on a three-point play to give Florida Atlantic a 70-69 come-from-behind win against the North Texas women’s basketball team on Saturday night at the Super Pit.
The Owls improved to 6-11 and 3-4 in the conference, while the Mean Green falls to 6-12 and 2-5 in the Sun Belt. FAU also won its first game against NT and now trails in the series, 2-1.
Turner tied the game with a layup at 69-69 with 2.5 seconds left on the clock. She was fouled on the play and made the free throw to win the game. She went 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in the game. As a team, FAU hit 20-of-24 shots from the charity stripe.
After exchanging the lead twice with FAU in the first half, North Texas went on a 9-0 run midway through the opening period to take a 26-21 lead; a lead it would not relinquish until Turner’s free throw.
Turner hit two free throws right before half to cut NT’s lead to four points, 35-31, at the break. The Owls opened the second period with a three-pointer to come within one point, but North Texas had a quick answer and stayed ahead of FAU until the final two seconds of the game.
North Texas led by as many as six points several times in the second half. Torrian Timms gave the Mean Green a 66-60 lead with a free throw at 1:17. The Owls scored five unanswered points to cut the lead to one at 66-65 and again at 68-67.
Yari Escalera hit three of four free throws in the final 22 seconds. She missed her fourth attempt with 13 second s left, holding NT’s lead at 69-67. FAU gained control and Turner hit the layup off an in-bounds play.
Amber Jackson led all scorers with 22 points, her seventh 20-point game. She was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards. Escalera recorded her third game in double figures with 13 points.
North Texas shot 41.3 percent from the field and 65 percent from the free-throw line, hitting 13 of 20 shots from the charity stripe.
North Texas returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at FIU at 5 pm.
