Mean Green Lose 68-63 At Indiana After Slow Start

North Texas Outscores Indiana 35-27 In The Second Half












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Dec. 5, 2017






BLOOMINGTON, IN. -- The North Texas women's basketball team nearly overcame their first half deficit Tuesday night at Indiana but came up just short, 68-63.


The Mean Green trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter and returned to their defensive identity to pull themselves back and take a two-point lead early in the fourth quarter.


But the slow start and a 1-8 shooting stretch late in the game kept them from pulling off the large comeback in Assembly Hall.


"We didn't play our game in the first half," said head coach Jalie Mitchell. "I really think it was more of us not communicating properly. I think we missed some assignments. At the same time, we need to get used to winning and figuring it out in this environment."


Led by their engine, Tyra Buss, Indiana (5-4) jumped on the Mean Green (6-2) to a 10-2 lead to start the game.


Buss who came into Tuesday night's contest averaging just under 20 points per game, nearly matched her season's game average in the first half with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting.


The senior point guard pushed the tempo at every opportunity and put UNT in a hole right out of the gate. Indiana shot 63 percent from the floor in the first half and scored 41 points, which is almost as much as Mean Green opponents were averaging for entire games. 


The second half, however, was the Terriell Bradley and North Texas defensive show.


Buss scored only eight second-half points and while the Mean Green's leading scorer dropped 15 points in the second half, the UNT defense forced 13 Indiana turnovers and the Mean Green outscored the Hoosiers 35-27 in the half.


North Texas' second half defense led to offense the other way, which is where Bradley thrived. The redshirt junior made acrobatic layups, mid-range jumpers and converted at the free throw line as she finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds.


"We knew what we needed to do in the first half but just missed some assignments and had to dig ourselves out of a hole," Mitchell said. "That hurt us." 


MEAN GREEN QUICK SHOTS




    

  • Bradley recorded her second double-double of the season and the third of her career
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  • UNT shot a season-high 43 percent
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  • The 68 points the Mean Green gave up is the most they've given up all year by 13 points.
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NEXT UP
North Texas returns to the Super Pit on Saturday to face La Salle at 3:00 p.m.

 









 



  





 













    

          

        


        


 




    

    

    

      

        

          

            

            

            

            
          

        

      

    

    


    




    

      

        

            
North Texas Mean Green