Box Score
LAFAYETTE, La. (12/18/08) The winning ways continued for the North Texas men’s basketball team as they outlasted Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference opener 78-64 at the Cajundome. Sophomore Tristan Thompson poured in a career-high 27 points as North Texas (8-2, 1-0) won its fourth straight game and for only the second time ever against UL in the Cajundome.
Thompson was 11-for-15 from the floor including a game-high five 3-pointers.
“We knew coming in that if we were going to have a chance we had to play a full 40 minutes tonight because they are one of the most talented teams in the league,” said coach Johnny Jones. “For us to have a chance we had to get off to a great start and we did that”.
The Mean Green never trailed in the game as they jumped out to an early lead on the Ragin Cajuns and never looked back. North Texas scored the first six points of the game and had an 8-2 lead four minutes into the game.
Leading 9-6 at the 14 minute mark of the first half, North Texas exploded for a 14-4 run to take a 23-10 lead with nine minutes left in the first half. The Cajuns trimmed the North Texas lead to six points at the break at 34-28.
Louisiana-Lafayette (4-5, 0-1) opened the second half with four straight points and cut the Mean Green’s lead to just two points at 34-32. However North Texas had an answer. A 16-4 run by the Mean Green, powered by back-to-back 3-pointers from Eric Tramiel and Thompson, grew the lead back to 16 points at 50-34.
The Cajuns got as close as 10 points twice but could never get any closer throughout the second half.
Josh White joined Thompson in double figures with 13 points and Tramiel added 10 points as well.
North Texas is back in action next Monday night on the road as they visit the New Orleans Privateers.
