University of North Texas Athletics
NT vs FIU Nationally Televised Thursday Night
2/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
North Texas (13-10, 6-4 SBC) vs FIU (7-15, 4-6 SBC)
Miami • US Century Bank Arena (5,000)
Feb. 9, 2012 • 6:00 p.m. CST
TV: Sun Belt Network • Joe Davis, Dave Odom
Radio: MGRN • Hank Dickenson, Steven Bartolotta
Webcast: ESPN3.com
Live Stats: fiusports.com
Series: NT leads 10-3 • Last: NT won 87-77 on 1/13/11
GAME NOTES
MIAMI – The North Texas basketball team continues its charge toward the Sun Belt Tournament with a nationally televised tilt at FIU on Thursday at 6 p.m. Central. The game can be seen on the Sun Belt Television Network, which is available nationally on Cox Sports Television (CST), Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS), as well as the ESPN Full Court package and ESPN3.com.
Tony Mitchell has racked up 11 blocks over the last two games, which are the most blocks in a two-game span in NT history. His 37 total blocks rank eighth in school history for a single season, and he leads the Sun Belt with 2.9 blocks per league game. At 2.6 blocks per game overall Mitchell’s pace ranks just behind Shawnson Johnson (3.0 BPG in 2003-04) for the best blocks average for a single season in NT history.
If the Sun Belt Tournament were to start today NT would earn a bye and the No. 5 seed. The Mean Green would take on No. 4 Denver, which NT beat, 75-74, in overtime last month. No. 8 FIU would face No. 9 Arkansas State in the opening round. With six regular season games remaining NT trails West Division leader UALR by just two games.
Alzee Williams exploded for a career-high 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting Thursday, which is just a point shy of the fourth 30-point game by an NT player this season. The sophomore’s previous career high was 17 points at Texas earlier this year. Williams is second in the Sun Belt with 34.0 minutes per league game.
Mitchell is making his case for Sun Belt Player of the Year. In Sun Belt play the freshman leads the league in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, and blocks.
FIU is led by Isiah Thomas. The 12-time NBA All-Star was selected one of the league’s best 50 players of All-Time, is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and had his No. 11 jersey retired by the Detroit Pistons. He led Indiana to an NCAA national title in 1981, and was selected No. 2 overall by the Pistons.
Jones and Thomas met in the 1981 Final Four as players for LSU and Indiana. The Hoosiers went on to win the national title and Thomas was named the tournament MVP.
North Texas leads the overall series with FIU 10-3 after knocking off the Golden Panthers 87-77 last year at the Super Pit. As a matter of fact, NT has won four of the last five meetings and eight of the last 10. NT is 4-1 overall at US Century Bank Arena. NT and FIU first met as Sun Belt opponents in 2000 with a 70-68 North Texas victory in Denton.
