University of North Texas Athletics
Mitchell, Mean Green Head To Red Wolves Sat.
1/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
North Texas (9-7, 2-1 SBC) at Arkansas State (7-9, 1-1 SBC)
Jonesboro, Ark. • Convocation Center (10,563)
Jan. 7, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. CST
Radio: 88.1 KNTU-FM, 100.7 KWRD-FM • Hank Dickenson
TV: None
Live Stats & Webcast: AStateRedWolves.com
Series: ASU leads 19-16
Last: ASU won 63-47 in Jonesboro, Feb. 24, 2011
GAME NOTES
JONESBORO, Ark. - Coming off a breakout performance for the ages, North Texas freshman Tony Mitchell will look to keep the Mean Green on the winning track at Sun Belt West Division rival Arkansas State on Saturday night. Tip off from the Convocation Center is slated for 7 p.m. and can be heard on the Mean Green Radio Network.
At South Alabama's Mitchell Center on Thursday, Mitchell racked up 34 points and 16 rebounds, which is the highest combined points/rebounds outing in the NCAA this season. It also qualifies as the third best points/rebounds night in NT history, and best since Jesse Ratliff had 38 points, 16 rebounds against USA in 1992.
The win brought North Texas head coach Johnny Jones one step closer to his 200th career win. Including his stay as the interim head coach at Memphis in 1999-00, Jones is 196-155 (55.8 percent). Jones, in his 11th year at NT, has won at least 20 games in each of the last five seasons and has taken the Mean Green to three of the last five Sun Belt Tournament finals.
Arkansas State holds a slim 19-15 margin in the all-time series with North Texas after last year's split saw the home team win both games. The Mean Green took an 83-64 decision at the Super Pit on Jan. 22, but the Red Wolves returned the favor, 63-47, in Jonesboro on Feb. 24. NT has won seven of the last 10 matchups with ASU dating back to the 2007 Sun Belt Championship game. Since joining the Sun Belt in 2000 NT is 4-3 in ASU's Convocation Center.
Since the Sun Belt Tournament moved to Hot Springs, Ark., for the 2008-09 season North Texas is 10-6 overall in Arkansas.
