University of North Texas Athletics
Mean Green Lose In Double Overtime Thriller 91-89
3/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (3/7/04) - In an epic battle the North Texas men’s basketball team fell to the New Orleans Privateers 91-89 in double overtime in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament from E.A. Diddle Arena. The Mean Green end their season at 13-15.
North Texas sent the game into overtime when Mike Jones knocked down a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 70-70.
The first overtime frame saw the Privateers score the first six points and take a 76-70 lead with 2:48 left. The Mean Green responded with the next six points capped off when Jones hit a lay-up with 59 seconds left. New Orleans had one final chance in the first overtime but Bo McCalebb’s shot was blocked by Shawnson Johnson.
In the second overtime North Texas fell behind by five points 83-78 with 3:08 left. The Mean Green rallied once again with six straight points to take an 84-83 lead with 2:06 . The two teams went back and forth until Jerome Rogers scored with 35 seconds remaining to give North Texas a one-point lead at 89-88.
New Orleans then put the ball in hands of McCalebb who came up with what turned out to be the game winning shot. McCalebb drove the lane and scored with 15 seconds left. Rogers had one final chance for the Mean Green but his shot fell short with 4.5 seconds. McCalebb added one more free throw and ended the game with a steal in the final 1.4 seconds.
Johnson finished the night with 10 points, 21 rebounds, and tied a team record with eight blocks. Johnson’s 21 rebounds were a Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Leonard Hopkins scored a career-high 27 points as did Calvin Watson with 17 points.
