University of North Texas
Indiana State
Mean Green Ices Sycamores With Powerful Late Run
11/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Box Score
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (11/23/08) It takes fundamental basketball to win in the Hoosier state, and that’s exactly what won the game for North Texas in an 80-69 victory at Indiana State on Sunday afternoon.
The Mean Green (3-1) took advantage of a late switch to man-to-man defense by the Sycamores (0-2) and belted out a 10-0 run with just four minutes remaining. Thirteen made free throws in the final 2:06 iced the game for North Texas.
Dominique Johnson and Eric Tramiel racked up 17 and 15 points apiece, but Josh White was the catalyst with 16. White went 4-of-6 from the 3-point arc, and posted another five rebound performance in the win. The sophomore pushed the tempo late in the game to open up an insurmountable 14-point lead.
As a team, North Texas was dynamite from downtown, making the Sycamores pay for their zone defensive scheme. NT landed 11-of-25 from deep, and had its finest outing from the free-throw line at 21-of-26 shooting. Johnson was a perfect 9-of-9 from the stripe, and Tramiel was also perfect at 6-for-6.
It was evident early that North Texas was on fire from deep early against the Sycamores. Collin Dennis, White and Adam McCoy all hit from 3-point in a two-minute stretch to give NT an 11-8 edge with just over 16 minutes to play in the opening period. In all, five North Texas players would hit from deep in the first half as the Mean Green would shoot 7-of-15 from beyond the arc.
Tramiel paced the Mean Green in the opening frame with nine points and a tough block pinned against the glass. George Odufuwa led all rebounders with another 13 board performance, his third straight outing of double-digit rebounds.
The Sycamores gave the Mean Green trouble in the paint in a fast-paced opening half. Josh Crawford lit NT up for 13 points on five turn-and-shoot hook shots in a first half that featured just 11 total fouls between both squads. Neither team reached the bonus in the opening frame that saw NT take a 33-31 lead into the break.
Crawford was a handful in the lane with 16 points on the day, while Carl Richard led the ISU backcourt with 17 points.
North Texas returns home on Wednesday night against Jackson State. It will be the Mean Green’s Super Pit debut, as the opener against Cameron took place in the Snake Pit. Action from the Super Pit begins at 7 p.m.
