DENTON (1/29/05) - Junior Mian Williams scored a career-high 23 points to lead the North Texas women’s basketball team to a 64-56 win against New Orleans on Saturday night at the Super Pit.

The Mean Green (10-9, 5-2 Sun Belt) has won its last two games and its last five at home, which is the longest streak at the Super Pit for the women since the 2001-02 season. North Texas is currently in first place in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference.

Williams was 8-of-15 from the field and made five three-pointers in the victory. After ending half with a 28-28 tie, Williams started the Mean Green on a 9-0 run with a three-pointer to put North Texas ahead, 37-28. She scored five points in the run and 13 in the second period.

The Mean Green went on to take its largest lead of the game, 55-40, after a 27-12 run midway through the second half. North Texas hit three three-pointers in the run and was 10-of-26 for the game. The 10 three-pointers is the third most in school history and the 26 attempts ties a North Texas record.

Chris Miller cut the New Orleans lead to eight, 62-54, with a three-pointer at 2:41 but the Privateers were unable to cut the lead any further. Freshman Erica Howard hit a layup with 2:01 to go to put NT ahead by 10, 64-54. Howard recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and a personal-best 10 rebounds.

The first half featured seven ties and 11 lead changes. New Orleans held the biggest lead of the first half, a 13-8 advantage to start off the game.

North Texas takes to the road for three games, beginning with a Feb. 2 matchup against New Mexico State in Las Cruces.