Tulsa, Okla. (1/2/06) Junior guard Kendrick Davis scored 15 of his team-high 21 points in the second half to lead the North Texas men’s basketball team back from a five-point halftime deficit in a 67-61 victory over Tulsa on Monday at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
The Mean Green won its third consecutive game and its first road game of the season, actually snapping a six-game skid in road games that dated back to last season. The Mean Green improved to 7-4 as it defeated Tulsa for the first time since 1976, while the Golden Hurricane fell to 4-8.
The game marked the second time this season that the Mean Green has trailed at the half, but pulled out the victory. Tulsa led 47-41 with 11:28 left in the game, but North Texas went into a zone defense and went on an 11-0 run over the next six minutes to take its first lead of the second half. The Mean Green didn’t give up the lead the rest of the way and while Tulsa trailed just 57-60 with 1:17 left, Lionel Brown made five free throws over the remainder of the game to seal the victory.
Quincy Williams recorded his second career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Led by Williams and Jeffrey Simpson, who finished with six boards, the Mean Green outrebounded the Golden Hurricane 23-16 in the second half.
Simpson and Brown also scored in double figures with 10 and 11 points, respectively.
After attempting just six free throws in the first half, the Mean Green hit 12-of-16 attempts in the second half. NT also shot 43 percent from the field, while holding Tulsa to a 37 percent field goal percentage and .238 percentage from beyond the arc.
After eight lead changes and with the score tied 26-26, Tulsa went on a 7-2 run over the final 5:09 of the first half to take a 33-28 lead at halftime. North Texas was hurt by nine turnovers and was slapped with 10 fouls that Tulsa took advantage of, making 9-of-10 free throws during the first half. The Mean Green shot 42 percent from the field, but was limited to its second fewest points in a half this season.
North Texas returns to action this Thursday, January 5, when it hosts Louisiana-Lafayette at 7 p.m. in the first of four consecutive home games to start Sun Belt Conference play.
