Mean Green To Open Sun Belt Tournament Against Ragin' Cajuns

DENTON (2/26/07) The North Texas men’s basketball team will open up its run for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship at 7 p.m. on Wednesday with a first-round game against Louisiana-Lafayette at the Super Pit.

North Texas enters the tournament with its highest ever seeding at No. 5, while the Ragin’ Cajuns enter as the No. 12 seed.

This will mark the first time that the Mean Green and the Cajuns have faced each other three times in a season, with both previous games going North Texas’ way in dramatic fashion. The most recent episode concluded Saturday in Lafayette when Kendrick Davis’ three-pointer with 2.2 seconds remaining gave the Mean Green a 72-70 win.

In the team’s first matchup at the Super Pit it was Davis playing the role of hero not once, but twice in a 73-72 overtime win. Davis completed a three-point play late in regulation to send the game into overtime, and then put in another three-point play with two seconds remaining to give the Mean Green a one-point win.

That game was made even more dramatic when the Cajuns’ Derrick Dees’ desperation three-point shot from the midcourt stripe was overturned by the officials after video review.

With one more win this edition of the Mean Green would become only the fifth 20-win team in the school’s history. Currently the 19 wins stands as the most successful season at NT since 1977-78.

The Mean Green will bring the nation’s 30^th rated offense into the tournament. It is led not only by Davis but, also the low-post duo of Quincy Williams and Keith Wooden. Williams currently leads the Sun Belt in field goal percentage (56.8), and Wooden is averaging 11 points and 8.5 rebounds per game over his last six outings.

The Cajuns will look to their own scoring duo of Dees and Ross Mouton to pull the upset, as each are averaging over 17 points per contest this season.

The game’s winner is set to take on the winner of Louisiana-Monroe/Denver in the SBC Tournament’s second round. Each of the final three rounds of the tournament will be played at the Cajundome in Lafayette, La. beginning March 4.

Don't forget about the Fan Friendly Family Atmosphere at the Super Pit. The Junior Mean Green Fun Zone opens one hour prior to tip off and is a place where kids can jump in the North Texas Bounce House while making spirited signs and interacting with other kids.

Tickets start at $7 and students receive free admission with Valid North Texas student ID. For $30 you can purchase a Dominos Family fun pack which contains 4 tickets, 4 drinks and a large Dominos pizza (please call ahead to reserve your family fun pack at 940-565-2527).

The complete bracket can be viewed at www.sunbeltsports.org.

Click here for ticket information

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