University of North Texas Athletics
Balanced Attack Sends Mean Green Past South Alabama, 85-77
1/31/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DENTON (1/31/04) -- All five starters scored in double figures and leading scorer Jerome Rogers hit four key free throws in the final minute as North Texas knocked off South Alabama, 85-77, in a Sun Belt Conference game Saturday at the Super Pit.
Rogers, who finished with 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting, led a balanced Mean Green attack as fellow starters Leonard Hopkins (16 points), Michael DeGrate (11), Calvin Watkins (11) and Shawnson Johnson (10) also finished in double figures.
The win, NT's fifth in its last six games, improved the Mean Green to 10-9 overall and 5-2 in league play. The Jaguars dropped to 9-10 and 3-4.
"We couldn't attack their press the way we would have liked to," said North Texas head coach Johnny Jones. "Marquis Mitchell is ill and that put more pressure on Jerome Rogers to be our ball handler. He (Rogers) did an excellent job. If we execute properly we can break the press and end up with three-on-two fast breaks. I though Mike Jones played well. He came in an energized us and did a good job defensively for us."
North Texas took command early in the game and broke out to a 31-8 lead at the midway point of the first half. The Mean Green held a comfortable 46-29 lead at halftime.
But in the second half the Jaguars -- who connected on 6 of 11 three-point field goals in the final 20 minutes -- fought back and eventually tied the game at 61-61 with 10:52 remaining. But the Mean Green, behind 71 percent shooting at the free throw line (15 of 21) in the second half, quickly regained the lead and never gave it up.
NT's effort at the line was led by Hopkins, who connected on all six free throws he attempted and ran his consecutive made streak to 31. Rogers finished 8 for 9 at the line.
"I think it's a great win, especially coming off a loss," said Hopkins. "Coach said he wasn't accepting two losses in a row, so we went after it tonight. Anytime you can get some wins, it's a lot more fun, so I'd have to say this is some of the best basketball I've seen since I've been here."
Johnson paced the Mean Green's work on the boards, where NT out-rebounded USA by a 45-34 margin. Johnson finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine rebounds.
The Mean Green return to the road this week with a Thursday game at Louisiana-Lafayette followed by a Saturday match-up against New Mexico State.
