DENTON (1/13/05) - Junior Kennethia Wilson scored a career-high 19 points to lead the North Texas women’s basketball team to a 69-58 victory against Denver on Thursday night in the Super Pit.

The Mean Green (7-7, 2-0 Sun Belt) takes a 5-4 advantage in the series with Denver (2-12, 0-2 Sun Belt) and is off to its first 2-0 start in the Sun Belt Conference since joining the league in 2000.

Wilson was 8-for-14 from the field and 3-for-7 from three-point range in the victory. She also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. The junior scored eight points in a 15-4 run by the Mean Green at the start of the second half. Wilson made a layup and then connected on back-to-back threes to give North Texas its largest lead of the second half, 44-32, with 13:54 left in the game.

Denver cut the lead to three, 57-54, after a jumper by Venice Adams who led the Pioneers with a personal-best 21 points. North Texas responded with eight unanswered points and a 12-4 run to hold onto the win. Junior Erika Bobo was 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final five minutes of the game. She scored 16 points in the game and has recorded double figures in 12-of-14 games this season.

North Texas jumped out to an early 14-0 lead to start the game before Denver’s Tasha Jones hit a three-pointer with 14:32 left in the first half. Jones scored 12 points in the first half and finished with 18. The Pioneers took its first and only lead, 21-20, after a jumper by Sara Benham with 6:33 on the clock. The Mean Green held onto a one-point advantage at the half, 29-28.

North Texas recorded a season-high 16 steals, including five by sophomore Mia Ajekwu. She finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in the game. Freshman Talicia Sanders tied a career high with 12 points, 10 of which were in the second half.

The Mean Green ends its three-game homestand with a Saturday night matchup against Florida International at 7 pm in the Super Pit.