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University of North Texas
Sam Houston State
Mean Green Men Outlast Sam Houston, 53-50
12/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Postgame Notes
Box Score
DENTON, Texas - The North Texas men overcame their lowest scoring night of the season, getting a strong defensive effort and clutch shooting late from Jacob Holmen and Chris Jones for a 53-50 win over Sam Houston State Saturday night at the Super Pit.
Holmen hit a three-point field goal with 2:36 to play to put the Mean Green on top 49-48. After Sam Houston re-took the lead, one of six lead changes late in the second half, Jones scored with 1:06 left for a 51-50 lead. Holmen then sank two free throws with 21.6 seconds to play for the final margin.
The victory gives North Texas its first winning streak of the young season.
Playing its first home game in a month after completing seven-straight road games, the Mean Green (4-5) struggled offensively but rode their defense throughout the night, especially in minimizing the damage of a ten-minute first-half scoreless streak.
Despite playing just three minutes of the first half due to foul trouble, Jones was the Mean Green's leading scorer with 14 points, and his basket with 1:06 to play put North Texas on top for good. Holmen finished with nine and Niko Stojiljkovic had eight, including one of three three-pointers North Texas could muster. The Mean Green made just 34 percent of their shots, including 3-of-17 shooting from the three-point line.
Sam Houston, meanwhile, hit 7-of-18 three-point attempts, including a trio of three-pointers that gave the Bearkats leads in second half. But Sam Houston (3-7) but missed its final two long-distance attempts that could have tied the score.
North Texas raced out to an 8-0 lead on the strength of four points from Jones, two Alzee Williams free throws, and a jumper from Holmen. But with just over three minutes gone in the game, Jones picked up his second foul and was forced to the bench for the remainder of the half.
Sam Houston then began to find the range from the three-point line, connecting three times to take an 11-10 lead. At the same time, the Mean Green was mired in a scoring drought that would eventually reach over ten minutes and turn their early eight-point lead into an eight-point deficit.
Holmen ended the scoreless streak and a 13-0 Sam Houston run with 5:36 left in the first half, and North Texas began to chip away at the Bearkat lead, eventually drawing even at 22-22 on a three-point basket by Tyler Hall.
Kedrick Hogans, who had a pair of shot blocks on the defensive end while the Mean Green offense floundered, put North Texas back on top at 27-25 early in the second half with an offensive rebound and put back, drawing a foul and making the free throw.
The Mean Green lead grew to five at 32-27, but Sam Houston's strong three-point shooting sent the Bearkats back in front, 34-32 midway through the second half.
North Texas next plays Jackson State on December 18 at 7 p.m. at the Super Pit.
