DENTON (11/19/04) - The North Texas women’s basketball team used a dominant first half to secure a 62-44 victory against Binghamton in the Mean Green’s home opener on Friday night in the Super Pit.

North Texas (1-0) tied up the series with the Bearcats, 1-1, after Binghamton defeated the Mean Green last year in the championship of the Time Warner Classic. North Texas now has a record 18-11 in season openers.

"I am really pleased that we were able to come out tonight with such intensity on the defensive side of the ball," said head coach Tina Slinker. "We were able to use our quickness and create a lot of turnovers in the first half."

North Texas held the Bearcats to 10 points and 21.4 shooting from the field in the first half, while forcing 22 turnovers. A 20-5 run midway through the first period put the Mean Green out ahead, 27-9.

Sophomore Kelsie Edwards led the Mean Green with 14 points. Junior Mian Williams joined her in double figures with a career-high 11 points. Junior Erika Bobo added nine points and defensively held the Bearcats’ top scorer, Rachel Laws, to nine points in the game.

The Bearcats came out in the second half with an 11-5 run to cut the lead to 14, 35-21 with 15 minutes left in the game. The Mean Green’s defense would not let Binghamton get any closer. A three-pointer by Kennethia Wilson midway through the second half would give North Texas its largest lead of the game, 50-28. Binghamton outscored North Texas, 34-32, in the second period but was not able to make up the ground lost in the first half.

North Texas returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 21 when it faces Houston on the road at 2 p.m.