University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Rick Yeatts Photography
Mean Green At Rainbow Wahine Showdown
11/28/2019 6:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HONOLULU, Hawai'i - North Texas will play three games in three days beginning Friday in the Heineken Rainbow Wahine Showdown at the Stan Sherriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawai'i.
About the Mean Green (2-3, 0-0 C-USA)
UNT dropped its first road game of the season to open the road trip with a 61-52 loss to CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday night. In the loss, the Mean Green again struggled from the field with the exception of the second quarter, when they shot a blistering 54.5% percent from the field and built a six-point lead. Freshman forward Destinee McDowell, who has perhaps been the team's most consistent player early on, had her first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds after flirting with double-doubles in her first four games. Freshman point guard Jazion Jackson scored a game-high 12 points in the loss.
About the Rainbow Wahine (3-2, 0-0 Big West)
Hawai'i is coming off a 75-57 home loss to Texas Southern. The Rainbow Wahine have two players in double figures - Julissa Tago (10.0 ppg) and Amy Atwell (10.4 ppg) and are allowing three points more per game (59.6) than they score (56.6).
About the Longhorns (3-2, 0-0 Big 12)
The Longhorns, coached by former UNT coach Karen Aston, started the year 1-2 - falling to Arizona and South Florida - but have reeled off two straight wins against Southern and UTRGV. The Longhorns have three players averaging double figures (Joyner Holmes, Charli Collier and Lashann Higgs) while two (Holmes and Collier) enter the tournament averaging double-doubles. UT is averaging 75.4 points per game while allowing 61.6 per game.
About the No. 12 Wolfpack (5-0, 0-0 ACC)
The Wolfpack have been fantastic defensively this year, allowing 45.6 points per game (fifth nationally) while averaging 37.8 defensive rebounds per game, which is second nationally. Through five games, teams have shot just 27.2% percent from the field against them. NC State has five players averaging double figures, led by Elissa Cunane (12.6), and two of those five are bench players. The Wolfpack are averaging 78.0 points per game.
Going for five
In her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater, head coach Jalie Mitchell, who is UNT's all-time leading scorer, has seen her teams improve their win totals in each of her four past seasons, culminating with last year's 18-win campaign that saw UNT make it to the final of the WBI postseason tournament, collecting the first postseason wins in program history along the way.
Aloha, Mean Green Ohana!
The Mean Green travel to Hawai'i for the first time in program history, where they will play host Hawai'i, Texas and NC State. The Mean Green are 1-0 all-time against the Rainbow Wahine, winning 80-76 at the Utah State Invitational in Logan, Utah, in the 1981-82 season. The Mean Green are 0-12 all-time against Texas with the last meeting coming last year – a 64-54 Texas victory in Denton. The meeting against NC State will be the first all-time.
UNT vs. the Top 25
North Texas' final opponent in Hawai'I is NC State, which enters the game as the nation's No. 12 team in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Mean Green are 1-17 all-time against Top-25 teams, with that one win coming over No. 17 Oklahoma in 2015 – Jalie Mitchell's first win as a college head coach.
Reunited and it feels so good
UNT head coach Jalie Mitchell, the program's all-time leading scorer, was recruited to North Texas by then-UNT assistant and current Texas head coach Karen Aston. Mitchell took a job as an assistant coach with UNT for the second time in 2011, when she worked under Aston for the 2011-12 season - Aston's one season as the head coach in Denton. Following that year, Aston left UNT and took the head coaching job at Texas, and Mitchell followed, serving as a Longhorns assistant for three seasons, including a Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament in 2015. Mitchell then became UNT's head coach for the 2015-16 season. Aston is currently in her eighth season at Texas. The two met on the floor for the first time as opposing head coaches last season, a game Texas won 64-54 in Denton.
By George!
Post Anisha George, the team's lone senior, is off to a hot start and has produced three double-doubles in five games. The St. Croix, Virgin Islands, native is averaging 13.6 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. Her 26 rebounds in the season opener against Mid-America Christian is still the single-game high by a player nationally this year. George's prowess on the offensive glass has helped the Mean Green become the nation's fifth-best offensive rebounding team to date, averaging 20.0 offensive boards per game. George is tied for fourth nationally averaging 6.0 offensive rebounds per game.
D-Mac attack
Forward Destinee McDowell (Fort Worth, Texas) showed remarkable consistency through two games of her college career. The 5-foot-11 forward scored 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds in each of her first two college games, while also nabbing a game-high five steals in a win over Alcorn State. Through five games, McDowell is averaging 11.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game – second on the team behind George in both categories. She is also averaging 3.2 steals per game and nabbed eight steals in a win over Xavier (La.). She had her first career double-double in the loss to CSU Bakersfield with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Feelin' fresh
The Mean Green will rely on a talented group of freshmen that earned the rating of the best recruiting class in Conference USA during last year's signing period. Point guards N'Yah Boyd (Mesquite, Texas) and Jazion Jackson (Dallas), along with guard Randi Thompson (Plano, Texas) and forward Destinee McDowell (Fort Worth, Texas) will all be significant contributors.
Jackson leading team in minutes
As one member of UNT's heralded freshman class, point guard Jazion Jackson (Dallas) has been a marathon woman through the first five games of her collegiate career. She is averaging a team-high 29.2 minutes per game and is also the team leader in assists (3.0 per game) and is in fourth in rebounds per game (4.2). Jackson scored a game-high 12 points in the loss to CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday.
A call for depth
Last season, two players (Terriell Bradley and Anisha George) accounted for 39% of the team's points, but this year, Mitchell hopes to leave opponents with much more doubt as to who might be scoring for the Mean Green. In a win over Alcorn State, the Mean Green had two players (George and McDowell) finish in double figures, while two other players scored eight apiece (Summer Jones and Callie Owens). So far this season, George and freshman forward Destinee McDowell have accounted for 42% of the Mean Green's points.
Put it on lockdown
Jalie Mitchell's teams have always been regarded for their defense, and that won't change this season. What will change is the pace at which the Mean Green play. Showing more pressure defense than in past seasons, thanks to a change in philosophy and some new assistant coaches. Two weeks ago in a win over Alcorn State, UNT's defense set a program record as it allowed just 31 points to the Lady Braves. The Mean Green then tied the mark last week with the win over Xavier (La.). The previous low in a game was when UNT allowed 33 points in a win at New Orleans on Jan. 5, 2006. Through five games, the Mean Green are allowing 50.4 points per game.
About the Mean Green (2-3, 0-0 C-USA)
UNT dropped its first road game of the season to open the road trip with a 61-52 loss to CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday night. In the loss, the Mean Green again struggled from the field with the exception of the second quarter, when they shot a blistering 54.5% percent from the field and built a six-point lead. Freshman forward Destinee McDowell, who has perhaps been the team's most consistent player early on, had her first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds after flirting with double-doubles in her first four games. Freshman point guard Jazion Jackson scored a game-high 12 points in the loss.
About the Rainbow Wahine (3-2, 0-0 Big West)
Hawai'i is coming off a 75-57 home loss to Texas Southern. The Rainbow Wahine have two players in double figures - Julissa Tago (10.0 ppg) and Amy Atwell (10.4 ppg) and are allowing three points more per game (59.6) than they score (56.6).
About the Longhorns (3-2, 0-0 Big 12)
The Longhorns, coached by former UNT coach Karen Aston, started the year 1-2 - falling to Arizona and South Florida - but have reeled off two straight wins against Southern and UTRGV. The Longhorns have three players averaging double figures (Joyner Holmes, Charli Collier and Lashann Higgs) while two (Holmes and Collier) enter the tournament averaging double-doubles. UT is averaging 75.4 points per game while allowing 61.6 per game.
About the No. 12 Wolfpack (5-0, 0-0 ACC)
The Wolfpack have been fantastic defensively this year, allowing 45.6 points per game (fifth nationally) while averaging 37.8 defensive rebounds per game, which is second nationally. Through five games, teams have shot just 27.2% percent from the field against them. NC State has five players averaging double figures, led by Elissa Cunane (12.6), and two of those five are bench players. The Wolfpack are averaging 78.0 points per game.
Going for five
In her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater, head coach Jalie Mitchell, who is UNT's all-time leading scorer, has seen her teams improve their win totals in each of her four past seasons, culminating with last year's 18-win campaign that saw UNT make it to the final of the WBI postseason tournament, collecting the first postseason wins in program history along the way.
Aloha, Mean Green Ohana!
The Mean Green travel to Hawai'i for the first time in program history, where they will play host Hawai'i, Texas and NC State. The Mean Green are 1-0 all-time against the Rainbow Wahine, winning 80-76 at the Utah State Invitational in Logan, Utah, in the 1981-82 season. The Mean Green are 0-12 all-time against Texas with the last meeting coming last year – a 64-54 Texas victory in Denton. The meeting against NC State will be the first all-time.
UNT vs. the Top 25
North Texas' final opponent in Hawai'I is NC State, which enters the game as the nation's No. 12 team in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Mean Green are 1-17 all-time against Top-25 teams, with that one win coming over No. 17 Oklahoma in 2015 – Jalie Mitchell's first win as a college head coach.
Reunited and it feels so good
UNT head coach Jalie Mitchell, the program's all-time leading scorer, was recruited to North Texas by then-UNT assistant and current Texas head coach Karen Aston. Mitchell took a job as an assistant coach with UNT for the second time in 2011, when she worked under Aston for the 2011-12 season - Aston's one season as the head coach in Denton. Following that year, Aston left UNT and took the head coaching job at Texas, and Mitchell followed, serving as a Longhorns assistant for three seasons, including a Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament in 2015. Mitchell then became UNT's head coach for the 2015-16 season. Aston is currently in her eighth season at Texas. The two met on the floor for the first time as opposing head coaches last season, a game Texas won 64-54 in Denton.
By George!
Post Anisha George, the team's lone senior, is off to a hot start and has produced three double-doubles in five games. The St. Croix, Virgin Islands, native is averaging 13.6 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. Her 26 rebounds in the season opener against Mid-America Christian is still the single-game high by a player nationally this year. George's prowess on the offensive glass has helped the Mean Green become the nation's fifth-best offensive rebounding team to date, averaging 20.0 offensive boards per game. George is tied for fourth nationally averaging 6.0 offensive rebounds per game.
D-Mac attack
Forward Destinee McDowell (Fort Worth, Texas) showed remarkable consistency through two games of her college career. The 5-foot-11 forward scored 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds in each of her first two college games, while also nabbing a game-high five steals in a win over Alcorn State. Through five games, McDowell is averaging 11.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game – second on the team behind George in both categories. She is also averaging 3.2 steals per game and nabbed eight steals in a win over Xavier (La.). She had her first career double-double in the loss to CSU Bakersfield with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Feelin' fresh
The Mean Green will rely on a talented group of freshmen that earned the rating of the best recruiting class in Conference USA during last year's signing period. Point guards N'Yah Boyd (Mesquite, Texas) and Jazion Jackson (Dallas), along with guard Randi Thompson (Plano, Texas) and forward Destinee McDowell (Fort Worth, Texas) will all be significant contributors.
Jackson leading team in minutes
As one member of UNT's heralded freshman class, point guard Jazion Jackson (Dallas) has been a marathon woman through the first five games of her collegiate career. She is averaging a team-high 29.2 minutes per game and is also the team leader in assists (3.0 per game) and is in fourth in rebounds per game (4.2). Jackson scored a game-high 12 points in the loss to CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday.
A call for depth
Last season, two players (Terriell Bradley and Anisha George) accounted for 39% of the team's points, but this year, Mitchell hopes to leave opponents with much more doubt as to who might be scoring for the Mean Green. In a win over Alcorn State, the Mean Green had two players (George and McDowell) finish in double figures, while two other players scored eight apiece (Summer Jones and Callie Owens). So far this season, George and freshman forward Destinee McDowell have accounted for 42% of the Mean Green's points.
Put it on lockdown
Jalie Mitchell's teams have always been regarded for their defense, and that won't change this season. What will change is the pace at which the Mean Green play. Showing more pressure defense than in past seasons, thanks to a change in philosophy and some new assistant coaches. Two weeks ago in a win over Alcorn State, UNT's defense set a program record as it allowed just 31 points to the Lady Braves. The Mean Green then tied the mark last week with the win over Xavier (La.). The previous low in a game was when UNT allowed 33 points in a win at New Orleans on Jan. 5, 2006. Through five games, the Mean Green are allowing 50.4 points per game.
Players Mentioned
Point Guard
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Point Guard
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Forward
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Guard
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Guard
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