University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Luke Della
Second Half Dominance
8/17/2018 4:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Mean Green Beat Italian All Star Team 83-59
FLORENCE — The North Texas men's basketball team overcame a first quarter deficit and offensive adversity Friday night to pull together and beat an Italian all-star team 83-59 in Florence, Italy.
Playing the second game of their foreign tour in Italy, the Mean Green faced a physical and sharp-shooting squad but once again turned defense into offense as they outscored the Italian team 46-28 in the second half to pull away with the 24-point victory.
"This was definitely a more physical game and a great test," McCasland said. "We found a way to win and not base how hard we play on whether shots went in."
After getting out to an 8-2 lead to begin the game, North Texas struggled from beyond the arc, finishing at the rim and even making free throws. Meanwhile, the Italian team found their stroke and used physical play to get open shooters and hit shots.
At the end of the first quarter, UNT trailed by one. They never trailed in the first game of the foreign tour in Rome.
A quick start in the second quarter by the Mean Green that was ignited by Roosevelt Smart hitting a three-pointer and getting a steal and a fast break dunk gave UNT a lead that they'd never give back.
"Our commitment to getting better is the number one goal," McCasland said. "And this game helped us take another step."
A phrase McCasland is notorious for saying is "play for one another," Friday in the second half the Mean Green were diving on the floor for loose balls, getting back on defense and getting second chance opportunities. Even though the normal shots weren't falling at first, the team appeared to do what was needed to create offense despite shooting below 28 percent for the first half of the game.
In the team's win on Wednesday, senior Jorden Duffy led the way for the Mean Green with 15 points. On Friday, it was redshirt freshman Umoja Gibson who in only 21 minutes had 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
Gibson led the team out the gate with nine points in the first quarter but as the game progressed, he found a way to score from everywhere on the court.
As the game began to lean in UNT's favor, the Mean Green sealed the victory with ferocious dunks including an alley-oop to Smart in the final minutes of the game to put the stamp on a hard-fought win.
In total, the Mean Green have scored 178 points in their two games in Italy combined and are shooting at a 47 percent clip. Through the two games, Smart is the team's leading scorer, averaging 15.5 points per game. He finished with 17 on Friday.
Three other UNT players are averaging double digits. Gibson is averaging 14, Ryan Woolridge is averaging 10.5 and Jorden Duffy is averaging 10.
Sophomore Zachary Simmons, who had a double-double on Friday with 11 points and 11 rebounds, is the team's leading rebounder with 7.5 rebounds per game.
NEXT UP
UNT heads to Venice, Italy, on Friday and plays its final game of the tour.
FRIDAY'S LEADERS
POINTS
U. Gibson: 18 points
R. Smart: 17 points
J. Simmons: 13 points
Z. Simmons: 11 points
R. Woolridge: 7 points
D. Draper: 6 points
J. Duffy: 5 points
A. Mohamed: 4 points
L. Wise: 2 points
REBOUNDS
Z. Simmons: 11 rebounds
J. Simmons: 7 rebounds
A. Mohamed: 7 rebounds
R. Smart: 7 rebounds
U. Gibson: 4 rebounds
R. Woolridge: 4 rebounds
J. Duffy: 3 rebounds
L. Wise: 3 rebounds
D. Draper: 2 rebounds
J. Murray: 1 rebound
ASSISTS
U. Gibson: 6 assists
R. Woolridge: 6 assists
J. Duffy: 3 assists
J. Simmons: 2 assists
J. Murray 1 assist
R. Smart 1 assist
3-POINTERS
R. Smart: 3 3FGs
D. Draper: 1 3FGs
J. Duffy: 1 3FG
U. Gibson: 1 3FG
R. Woolridge: 1 3FG
STEALS
U. Gibson: 5 steals
R. Smart: 4 steals
R. Woolridge: 2 steals
J. Duffy: 2 steals
J. Murray: 2 steals
J. Simmons: 1 steal
L. Wise: 1 steal
Playing the second game of their foreign tour in Italy, the Mean Green faced a physical and sharp-shooting squad but once again turned defense into offense as they outscored the Italian team 46-28 in the second half to pull away with the 24-point victory.
"This was definitely a more physical game and a great test," McCasland said. "We found a way to win and not base how hard we play on whether shots went in."
After getting out to an 8-2 lead to begin the game, North Texas struggled from beyond the arc, finishing at the rim and even making free throws. Meanwhile, the Italian team found their stroke and used physical play to get open shooters and hit shots.
At the end of the first quarter, UNT trailed by one. They never trailed in the first game of the foreign tour in Rome.
A quick start in the second quarter by the Mean Green that was ignited by Roosevelt Smart hitting a three-pointer and getting a steal and a fast break dunk gave UNT a lead that they'd never give back.
"Our commitment to getting better is the number one goal," McCasland said. "And this game helped us take another step."
A phrase McCasland is notorious for saying is "play for one another," Friday in the second half the Mean Green were diving on the floor for loose balls, getting back on defense and getting second chance opportunities. Even though the normal shots weren't falling at first, the team appeared to do what was needed to create offense despite shooting below 28 percent for the first half of the game.
In the team's win on Wednesday, senior Jorden Duffy led the way for the Mean Green with 15 points. On Friday, it was redshirt freshman Umoja Gibson who in only 21 minutes had 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
Gibson led the team out the gate with nine points in the first quarter but as the game progressed, he found a way to score from everywhere on the court.
As the game began to lean in UNT's favor, the Mean Green sealed the victory with ferocious dunks including an alley-oop to Smart in the final minutes of the game to put the stamp on a hard-fought win.
In total, the Mean Green have scored 178 points in their two games in Italy combined and are shooting at a 47 percent clip. Through the two games, Smart is the team's leading scorer, averaging 15.5 points per game. He finished with 17 on Friday.
Three other UNT players are averaging double digits. Gibson is averaging 14, Ryan Woolridge is averaging 10.5 and Jorden Duffy is averaging 10.
Sophomore Zachary Simmons, who had a double-double on Friday with 11 points and 11 rebounds, is the team's leading rebounder with 7.5 rebounds per game.
NEXT UP
UNT heads to Venice, Italy, on Friday and plays its final game of the tour.
FRIDAY'S LEADERS
POINTS
U. Gibson: 18 points
R. Smart: 17 points
J. Simmons: 13 points
Z. Simmons: 11 points
R. Woolridge: 7 points
D. Draper: 6 points
J. Duffy: 5 points
A. Mohamed: 4 points
L. Wise: 2 points
REBOUNDS
Z. Simmons: 11 rebounds
J. Simmons: 7 rebounds
A. Mohamed: 7 rebounds
R. Smart: 7 rebounds
U. Gibson: 4 rebounds
R. Woolridge: 4 rebounds
J. Duffy: 3 rebounds
L. Wise: 3 rebounds
D. Draper: 2 rebounds
J. Murray: 1 rebound
ASSISTS
U. Gibson: 6 assists
R. Woolridge: 6 assists
J. Duffy: 3 assists
J. Simmons: 2 assists
J. Murray 1 assist
R. Smart 1 assist
3-POINTERS
R. Smart: 3 3FGs
D. Draper: 1 3FGs
J. Duffy: 1 3FG
U. Gibson: 1 3FG
R. Woolridge: 1 3FG
STEALS
U. Gibson: 5 steals
R. Smart: 4 steals
R. Woolridge: 2 steals
J. Duffy: 2 steals
J. Murray: 2 steals
J. Simmons: 1 steal
L. Wise: 1 steal
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
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