Game 3 • Wednesday, November 16, 2011 • 12:00 p.m.
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (2-0, 0-0 Summit)
North Texas Mean Green (2-0, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Denton, Texas • The Super Pit (10,500)
Radio: KNTU 88.1 FM • TV: None
Series Record: Oral Roberts leads 6-3
Last: L, 87-120 (11/14/2010) at ORU

Live Audio • Live Stats • Live Video

Mean Green, Off To Best Start Since 2005-06, Hosts DISD Education Day
North Texas is off to a 2-0 start, its first 2-0 start since 2005-06, and hosts Oral Roberts in a Denton ISD Education Day game at 12 p.m. The Mean Green have three players who have scored in double figures in each game, Tamara Torru, Jasmine Godbolt, and Brittney Hudson, as they take on a Oral Roberts team, known for up-tempo basketball. The Mean Green are looking for its first 3-0 start since 2002-03.

Mean Green Off To Fast Start
North Texas is off to its first 2-0 start since 2005-06, as Karen Aston takes over the reins of the program. Aston joined Tina Slinker as the only two coaches in North Texas program history to win a debut game, with a 66-47 road win. The Mean Green have allowed 97 points through two games, the fewest amount of points allowed through two games in program history.

North Texas vs. Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts leads the all-time series against North Texas, 6-3, falling last season 120-87 in Tulsa. The 87 points were the most scored by the Mean Green in 2010-11. Prior to last season's meeting the last matchup between the schools was in 1997, as the Mean Green knocked off ORU 81-72 at the Bertha Teague Classic in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The two teams have met six times in tournaments or the SWAIW regional championship.

Noon Hoops
North Texas hosts Oral Roberts on Nov. 16 at 12 p.m., in Denton ISD Elementary School Day game. Four schools from Denton ISD, Poloma Creek, Pecan Creek, Providence and Cross Oaks, have students coming to the game, with a total of close to 700 fifth and sixth grade students coming to the Super Pit. This is the first time the women have hosted a Denton ISD Elementary School game, although the men's program is hosting one on Jan. 18 for the third straight season.

Crashing The Boards
Through two games, North Texas is owning the offensive glass, having a 45.0% offensive rebounding percentage (36 offensive rebounds, 44 defensive rebounds allowed). The Mean Green have scored 36 second-chance points on 36 offensive rebounds, and have only allowed 15 second-chance points on 20 offensive rebounds allowed.

Hudson Does It All
Brittney Hudson is filling up the stat sheets two games into the season, and not just for her 28 points through two games. She is averaging 4.5 steals, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Hudson tied career-highs with five steals and three assists at UT Arlington on Nov. 11. She has made 12 of 15 free throws this season (80.0%) and posted her 14th and 15th 10+ point scoring efforts since transferring to North Texas.

Godbolt Has Strong Start
Preseason All-Sun Belt selection Jasmine Godbolt has started the season well, averaging 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting .524 from the floor, all of which would be career-highs if she produces at the same rate. She scored a game-high 14 points against New Mexico on Nov. 14, and came one rebound away (14 pts, 9 reb) from her 17th career double-double.

Torru Seeing Double-Double
Tamara Torru is averaging a double-double through two games, (11.5 pts, 10.0 reb) and had the second double-double of her career at UT Arlington (13 pts, 12 reb), helping the Mean Green to a 66-47 victory. Torru grabbed 12 rebounds at UTA, just one short of her career-high 13, and reached 10+ rebounds for only the third time in her career. Torru becomes the first North Texas player since Erika Bobo in 2005 to open the season with a double-double. She also tied a career-high with three assists.

Last Time With Oral Roberts
TULSA, Okla. (11/14/10)- The North Texas couldn't slow down the high powered offense of Oral Roberts as they ran away from the Mean Green for a 120-87 win at the Mabee Center. The Golden Eagles broke a school record for points with 120, as that mark is also the most points allowed by North Texas in a single game.

The Mean Green opened the game with a 7-0 run but Oral Roberts responded with a 16-4 run over the next five minutes to take a 16-11 lead. The Golden Eagles kept the pressure on as the extended their lead 16 at the break at 54-38.

In the second half North Texas, cut the Oral Roberts lead to 12 at 81-69 with 10 minutes left in the game, but the Golden Eagles responded with a 24-5 run over the next five minutes to pull away.

The Mean Green tried to stay in the game with the help of 10 3-pointers, but the Golden Eagles were able to force 30 North Texas turnovers.

Preseason Summit League Player of the Year Kevi Luper finished with a game-high 36 points as Oral Roberts had six players score in double figures. North Texas had three players score in double figures led by Jasmine Godbolt who had a team-high 19 points.

Godbolt Named Preseason All-Conference
Junior forward Jasmine Godbolt was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team. Godbolt led the team in both field goal percentage (.476) and rebounding (228 total/7.9 per game) in 2010-11. She finished second on North Texas and 13th in the Sun Belt in points per game with 13.2, ranked fifth in the league in rebounding, and ninth in field goal percentage during 2010-11.

North Texas Faces Daunting Schedule
North Texas' schedule includes 12 home games, plus marquee non-conference showdowns with New Mexico, SMU and Alabama coming to the Super Pit, and games against Oregon State, Arizona and Texas away from home. The rugged schedule contains 13 games, plus a potential 14th in the Rice Tournament, against teams which made the WNIT or NCAA Tournament last season.

The Super Pit Is It
The Mean Green won its last four non-conference home games dating back to the start of 2010-11, and have won six of its last seven non-conference home games in the Super Pit, dating back to 2009. Since 1998-99, North Texas is 103-54 (.656) in all games at The Super Pit.

NT Records At Home Since 1998-99
1998-99: 10-0
1999-00: 11-2
2000-01: 9-2
2001-02: 12-0
2002-03: 5-6
2003-04: 6-6
2004-05: 9-3
2005-06: 11-3
2006-07: 6-5
2007-08: 9-6
2008-09: 4-7
2009-10: 6-7
2010-11: 4-7
2011-12: 1-0

Defense Wins Championships
One area of emphasis for head coach Karen Aston will be on the defensive side of the ball. North Texas has allowed over 70 points in each of the last three seasons, as they allowed an average of 74.3 points a game during that stretch. In her last two seasons at Charlotte, Aston's team allowed an average of just 60.2 points a game while its opponents shot under 35 percent from the floor.

NT Defense the last 3 years.
Year Points FG%
2008-09 71.5 43.8
2009-10 78.5 43.8
2010-11 73.3 41.9

2011-12 48.5 38.3

Charlotte defense the last 2 years
Year Points FG%
2009-10 60.3 32.4
2010-11 60.1 35.6

Draining It From Downtown
North Texas is enjoying its best run of 3-pointers in school history. The last three seasons has seen the Mean Green hit a combined 382 3-pointers, which is the most in school history over a three year period. The last three seasons rank No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 all-time in a single season at North Texas in 3-pointers. North Texas had a school record 450 3-point attempts last season.

Bolting Into The Record Books
Entering her junior season, Jasmine Godbolt has a chance to enter the record books in numerous offensive categories. Godbolt is only 229 points away from becoming only the 13th player in school history to score 1,000 points. She needs 18 more rebounds to enter the top-10 all-time school history in rebouds and is 260 away from the school record. Godbolt has 206 free throws for her career, 16 away from the top-10 in school history, while she already ranks sixth all-time with 387 free throw attempts.

Mean Green Voted Fifth
North Texas recieved one first place vote and was picked to finish fifth in the West Division in the preseason coaches poll. Denver was picked to finish first in the West, and Middle Tennessee was picked to win the East division.

Torru Shoots The Three
Senior Tamara Torru led North Texas with 28 3-pointers last season and has a chance to break into the top-10 all-time at North Texas. Torru has 44 3-pointers for her career and needs only 19 more to enter the top-10 all-time.

Hot Hoops In Hot Springs
For the fourth consecutive season, the Sun Belt Conference Tournament will be held in Hot Springs, Arkansas at the Summit Arena & Convention Center. The format features all 12 teams going to Hot Springs. The top two teams from each division will earn bye's into the quarterfinals. The rest of the field will be seeded by finish in their respective division. The women's tournament will be held from March 3-6. North Texas' Coaches Show is on the day preceding the tournament, March 2, from Lucky's in Hot Springs.

North Texas On The Tube
The Sun Belt Network televises three North Texas women's basketball conference games this season. The Jan. 15 game at ULM game begins at 2 p.m. on the Sun Belt Network. The network televises a home double-header with the men's basketball team against Arkansas State on Jan. 28, at 7 p.m., which will also be live on Cox Sports Television (CST) and Comcast Sports Southwest (CSS). A home double-header on Feb. 18 against Louisiana-Lafayette tips off 1 p.m. followed by the men's game at 3:30 p.m, both televised on the Sun Belt Network.

North Texas Inks Five
North Texas signed five players in the early signing period, including two guards, Briana Brooks and Loryn Goodwin, and three forwards in Eboniey Jeter, I'Tiana Taylor and Acheil Tac. Brooks (Tyler Robert E. Lee HS), was named first-team all-district in her junior year, posting 15.5 points and five assists per game. Goodwin (Cypress Falls HS) was named was named TGCA All-State and TBCA All-Region, All-Super Centex team, academic all-district team, and was the District 12-5A Offensive MVP in 2010-11. Jeter (Harker Heights HS) averaged 13.9 points and 16 rebounds a year her junior year, en route to being named first team all-district. Tac (Sasche HS) is one of the leading rebounders in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for a forward and was named All-District 10-5A in 2011. Taylor (Pflugerville HS) ranks as the 52nd best power forward in the country by Dan Olsen Girls Basketball Report.

Game Time Changed For Tulane
North Texas' Dec. 7 home game against Tulane has been moved to 7:30 p.m., from its original game time of 7 p.m. The game time has been pushed back to accomadate fans who want to attend both the football banquet earlier that evening, and the women's basketball game.