March 9, 2018

FRISCO - In less than eight minutes, the North Texas women's basketball team saw its 19-point second-half lead on Louisiana Tech in Thursday afternoon's quarterfinals of the Conference USA Championships shrivel to five points.

As the determined Lady Techsters appeared to be set on taking the lead in the fourth quarter, the Mean Green's veteran leader, Terriell Bradley, confidently gave the keys to the North Texas offense to the freshman Trena Mims.

Mims, who hadn't scored more than six points in a game in exactly a month, stepped up and came through.

The freshman point guard scored 13 points in the second half and was a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter as the Mean Green held off Louisiana Tech 76-69 to reach Friday night's C-USA Championships semifinals. Mims finished with a team-high 19 points and six rebounds. It was the first time someone other than Bradley led the Mean Green in scoring since Jan. 5.

"She's got ice water in those Oklahoma veins," head coach Jalie Mitchell said.

Mims and the Mean Green will face No. 2 seed Western Kentucky at 8 p.m. Friday in the semifinals at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco. Tickets are available at the Ford Center at The Star's ticket office. A win Friday would propel North Texas to Saturday's C-USA Championships final.

Mims, a Muskogee, Oklahoma, native showed why she was the Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was a Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association All-State Selectee as she led UNT to its first conference tournament semifinals appearance since March of 2002, when Mims was just two years old.

"I'm always confident," Mims said. "It's part of my game."

Mims never hesitated when facing LA Tech's second-half pressure defense. She avoided traps, attacked the paint in the half court, which opened up the Mean Green's offense, and she got to the foul line and converted all of her free throw attempts.

Mims has had an up and down season, as expected from freshmen.

Thursday marked the first time she'd scored in double figures in over a month, but despite going 10 consecutive games without scoring 10 or more points in a game, Mims has remained a starter in the Mean Green's lineup and has been a key contributor on offense and defense.

"She doesn't quit," Mitchell said earlier in the year about her point guard. "She takes on every challenge and is getting better because of it."

Mims made her first big impact in a game in just the third game of the year.

With veteran starting point guard Brittany Smith out, the freshman was inserted in the starting lineup against Kansas State, a team that had reached the second-round of the NCAA Tournament last year.

Mims led the UNT offense to a tremendous performance where it outplayed the K-State offense. Mims finished with 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

In early December, Mims scored 15 points against her hometown school Tulsa and finished the Golden Hurricanes off by scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter. 

Mims was once again asked to step up to a hefty task in the very next game.

On the road at the historic Assembly Hall at Indiana University, Mims played all 40 minutes in front of more than 4,000 Hoosier fans on national television. She was the Mean Green's primary ball stop on defense and helped lead the Mean Green back from a 17-point deficit.

"I'm so proud of how she's faced every opportunity and has handled adversity," Mitchell said. 

Mims stands at maybe 5-foot-5, but yet she is one of the team's best rebounders and doesn't think twice about getting dirty and fighting for balls in the paint with opponents who are twice her size.

Heck, she's even fought for rebounds with her own teammates.

"She plays like a senior," Bradley said. "We're confident that she can get the job done and we're confident with the ball in her hand."

Despite only scoring a combined 12 points in the five games prior to Thursday, there was no uncertainty in Mims as the Lady Techsters pressed it on the Mean Green looking to put an end to their Cinderella story.

But Mims has faced plenty of challenges before.

"I and we have grown as a team over the season," Mims said. "We knew what we came here to do and we're going to continue to play our brand of basketball."

UNT student tickets are free! Take a free shuttle to the game by reserving a space here. Space is limited.