Second-Half Surge Leads Basketball To Victory

DENTON, Texas (11/14/11) - A second-half surge propelled the North Texas women's basketball team to a 63-50 win against New Mexico on Monday night at the Super Pit.

The Mean Green improves to 2-0 this season and 1-0 in its home opener. Head coach Karen Aston is now 2-0 in her first year at the helm of the Mean Green. The last time North Texas started a season 2-0 was during the 2005-06 season.

Through the first two games the Mean Green has allowed only 97 points on defense. That is the fewest points allowed through the first two games in school history.

The North Texas offense started off slowly, hitting just four field goals in the first half. The Mean Green picked up steam in the second half, increasing its lead as the game wore on. A 22-12 run in the final nine minutes fueled the Mean Green to a double-digit win.

Jasmine Godbolt and Brittney Hudson both scored double-digits in the second half to lead the Mean Green. Godbolt scored 13 of her 14 points in the second half, while Hudson hit 10 of her 12 during the latter period. Goldbolt was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards. Hudson led the team with four steals.

Tamara Torru joined Godbolt and Hudson in double figures with 10 points. Desiree Nelson came off the bench to score nine points, while starters Ash-Lynne Evans and Laura McCoy each poured in eight.

The Mean Green defense forced 23 turnovers and 28 New Mexico fouls in the game. North Texas scored 19 points off the turnovers and added 28 tallies from the free-throw line.

The Mean Green's defense held the Lobos to nine field goals on 36 percent shooting in the first half. Unfortunately, the North Texas offense managed to make only four field goals, including two three-pointers from McCoy. Eleven free throws aided the Mean Green in taking a 22-19 halftime score.

Evans opened the second half with a three-pointer, leading the Mean Green on a 5-0 run to go ahead by eight, 27-19. North Texas improved its shooting in the second half, hitting 6 of its first 12 shots in the opening nine minutes.

After scoring just one point in the first half, Godbolt scored 10 of the Mean Green's opening 20 points in the second period. A free-throw by Godbolt at 8:03 started a key 11-0 run by the Mean Green. North Texas led by just four points, 42-38, after the Godbolt free-throw, but held its first double-digit lead, 52-38, when Hudson capped the run with a jumper. Eight of those points were made at the free-throw line.

New Mexico cut the Mean Green lead to nine points twice in the final five minutes but was unable to get any closer to North Texas.

North Texas shot 14.3 percent (4 of 28) from the field in the first half but kept the lead with 11-of-15 shooting from the free-throw line.

With North Texas ahead, 12-11, at 7:10 in the first half, McCoy hit her second three-pointer to extend the lead to four points. Evans gave the Mean Green its largest lead of the first half, 19-13, with a three-pointer at 5:21.

New Mexico had a better shooting night than the Mean Green from the field. The Lobos made 19-of-44 for a 43.2 percentage, while the Mean Green was 15-for-54 (27.8 percent). North Texas improved in the second half, hitting 11-of-26 for a 42.3 shooting percentage.

The Mean Green shot 73.7 from the free-throw line, scoring 28 points. New Mexico went 10-for-15 from the charity stripe.

North Texas returns to action on Wednesday, Nov. 16 when it faces Oral Roberts at 12 p.m. at the Super Pit.


 

 

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