University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Jon Mitchell
No. 25 Rice at Mean Green
2/22/2019 8:36:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DENTON – North Texas women's basketball hosts 25th-ranked Rice Saturday at 3 p.m. inside The Super Pit.
About the Mean Green (14-11, 7-6 C-USA)
North Texas is riding a three-game winning streak heading into the meeting with Rice. Three contests remain before the Conference USA Basketball Championships begin in Frisco March 13.
Terriell Bradley's scoring average of 17.2 leads the Mean Green and is fourth within Conference USA. Anisha George contributes 11 points per contest along with a team-best 7.8 rebounds to rank fourth in the league. Grace Goodhart averages 6.9 points, and Trena Mims puts up six. Brittany Smith hands out 3.3 assists per contest for the eighth-best output in C-USA, while the 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio by Trena Mims ranks second in the league.
About the No. 25 Owls (22-3, 13-0 C-USA)
Rice earned its first Associated Press ranking this week by achieving the 25thspot. The Owls have won their last 15 contests to trail only No. 1 Baylor's 16 for the nation's longest active win streak.
Erica Ogwumike, the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, leads the Owls with averages of 16.3 points and 11 rebounds, ranking fifth and first in the conference, respectively. Nancy Mulkey totals 12.2 points per contest along with a nation-leading 3.8 blocks.
The Owls lead the league in blocks (116), field goal percentage (46.5), field goal percentage defense (36.4) and scoring defense (53.9).
History between the squads
The Owls have won nine of the 13 meetings dating to the 1986-87 season. Rice has been winners in seven of the last eight since the 2015-16 season, but those matchups have needed a single, double, and triple overtime to decide the outcome while the average margin of victory is 4.6 points.
Last meeting
HOUSTON (Jan. 19, 2019) – North Texas played Rice close after outscoring the Owls in the second quarter, but the Mean Green went without a field goal for nearly seven minutes after halftime before eventually falling, 64-52, Saturday afternoon inside Tudor Fieldhouse.
Terriell Bradley, returning from a two-game absence, scored a team-high 13 points as Grace Goodhart joined her in double figures with 10. Anisha George pulled down a career and game-high 14 rebounds while battling with Rice's 6-9 center, Nancy Mulkey. Brittany Smith handed out a game-high six assists for North Texas.
The Mean Green (10-7, 3-2 C-USA) struggled shooting below 32 percent (18-of-57) from the field, while Rice (14-3, 5-0 C-USA) was slightly better at 41 percent (22-of-54). The Owls recorded 42 rebounds whereas North Texas tallied 31, and UNT forced Rice into 17 turnovers while committing 14. Mulkey recorded six blocks at the expense of North Texas.
UNT versus ranked opponents
Dating to the 2003-04 season, the Mean Green have faced top 25 opponents on 14 occasions. The lone North Texas win occurred Nov. 16, 2015, under head coach Jalie Mitchell in a 61-57 victory at No. 17 Oklahoma.
Rice will be the second top 25 team to face the Mean Green this season as No. 11 Texas came to The Super Pit Nov. 12 and left with a 64-54 win. This will be the first time (as records indicate) North Texas welcomes two ranked opponents to Denton in the same season.
Shepherd Nabs C-USA FOTW
Charlene Shepherd of North Texas earned her first Conference USA honor by being selected as the Freshman of the Week for her performances against Florida Atlantic and FIU last week.
Shepherd scored a career-high 16 points and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds in the win over FIU Feb. 16. In the third quarter, the Killeen native hit a deep two and then nailed a 3 on the next offensive possession to increase the margin to 56-28 to help put the game out of reach. Against Florida Atlantic Feb. 14, the forward dished out a career-best three assists in the 20-point win. In the two victories, Shepherd shot 46 percent from the field, 88 percent from the free throw line, and recorded 11 rebounds along with five assists.
Shepherd becomes the first Mean Green of the season to achieve the award and the second overall in program history.
Conference highs
The past three Mean Green wins have produced several team season-highs in conference play this season. At home against Florida Atlantic Feb. 14, the 82 points, 46 rebounds, 10 3-pointers, 44.9 percent shooting, and the 41.7 percent showing on 3-pointers were all the highest outputs by UNT versus league opponents this year. The 25-point triumph versus FIU Feb. 16 was the largest Mean Green margin of victory in C-USA play this year, and the 17 assists were the most distributed. The team also matched their high in steals with nine and rebounding margin of 13.
Sharing the scoring wealth
Nearly every Mean Green player who has seen the court this season has led or co-led the team in scoring at least once this season, proving that UNT has several potent offensive options. C-USA Preseason selection Terriell Bradley has posted the high score on a 14 occasions, with Anisha George coming in next with six. Grace Goodhart has tallied a team-high twice, while Velma Mitchell, Charlene Shepherd, Madison Townley, Callie Owens, and Deja Terrell have each garnered the distinction once.
Home court advantage
UNT's 2018-19 record in The Pit stands at 9-4, while they have amassed a 5-7 mark in other gyms. North Texas averages 72.7 points in Denton and are outscoring opponents by 13.2. On the road, that average drops to 57.9 points as the Mean Green are being outscored by 2.8. As the home team, UNT grabs 7.5 more rebounds per contest and boasts a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Never ever had we ever…
Won at La Tech, Southern Miss, or WKU until the 2018-19 season. The Mean Green have achieved three huge milestones with victories in Ruston, La., Hattiesburg, Miss., and Bowling Green, Ky. Before picking up the wins this year, North Texas had gone 0-5 at La Tech, 0-3 at Southern Miss, and 0-9 at WKU.
Doubling up
The Mean Green have compiled seven double-doubles in the 2018-19 season, with six from junior post Anisha George and the other by redshirt sophomore forward Madi Townley. George's six double-doubles ranks third in C-USA, and she has been shy one or two rebounds on three occasions.
Throughout the 2017-18 season, the team amassed five, one each from current players Terriell Bradley and Micayla Buckner. Two seasons ago, six double-doubles were accomplished, half of them coming from Bradley.
Back at home
The Mean Green have compiled a 4-1 record when returning to The Super Pit following a road tilt this season. North Texas has won home contests after returning from a trip with victories over Missouri State, CSU Bakersfield, UTEP, and most recently FAU.
Mitchell notches 50 career wins
With the 70-51 win over UTEP Jan. 10, head coach Jalie Mitchell placed herself alongside former UNT coaches Judy Nelson and Tina Slinker in the 50-win club. Mitchell also became the fastest to achieve the honor in program history.
Bradley enters top 10 in scoring
With her career-high 40-point performance against NDSU Nov. 24, Terriell Bradley has continued to show her offensive prowess with 30 points at SMU Nov. 28 and 36 versus Missouri State Dec. 1. She has elevated from 14thto seventh in the UNT career-scoring charts with 1,355 points. Head coach Jalie Mitchell's (1998-2002) record of sits at 1,764.
If Bradley continues her current 17.2 average throughout the regular season, she would move into fifth all-time with over 1,400 points.
Chart-topping Bradley
With 381 free throws made, Bradley is second all-time in program history. Not out of sight is the No. 1 spot, held by head coach Jalie Mitchell, who sank 411 throughout her career. Bradley made 164 from the line last season and needs 30 to dethrone Mitchell.
Bradley is fifth all-time in 3-pointers made with 128. Ashley Norris (1995-2000) occupies the top spot with 197.
Bring on the OT
The Mean Green have compiled a lowly 12-26 record throughout program history in overtime games, but following the 83-76 win over Missouri State Dec. 1, UNT has strung together six straight victories involving extra periods. The win over the Bears was just the third in program history UNT has found success inside The Super Pit in OT, as the team is now at 3-10 at home. Two seasons ago, North Texas pulled out wins in each of their four overtime contests, and went one-for-one in 2017-18.
Last outing for the Mean Green
DENTON – Charlene Shepherd posted a career-high 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds while Terriell Bradley was the leading scorer with 19 as North Texas women's basketball won its third straight with a convincing 75-50 win over FIU Saturday inside The Super Pit.
The Mean Green (14-11, 7-6 C-USA) once again set conference season-highs, including the 25-point winning margin along with 17 assists. The team also matched their high in steals with nine and rebounding margin of 13. Anisha George contributed eight points and six rebounds, and Brittany Smith handed out a game-high five assists.
About the Mean Green (14-11, 7-6 C-USA)
North Texas is riding a three-game winning streak heading into the meeting with Rice. Three contests remain before the Conference USA Basketball Championships begin in Frisco March 13.
Terriell Bradley's scoring average of 17.2 leads the Mean Green and is fourth within Conference USA. Anisha George contributes 11 points per contest along with a team-best 7.8 rebounds to rank fourth in the league. Grace Goodhart averages 6.9 points, and Trena Mims puts up six. Brittany Smith hands out 3.3 assists per contest for the eighth-best output in C-USA, while the 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio by Trena Mims ranks second in the league.
About the No. 25 Owls (22-3, 13-0 C-USA)
Rice earned its first Associated Press ranking this week by achieving the 25thspot. The Owls have won their last 15 contests to trail only No. 1 Baylor's 16 for the nation's longest active win streak.
Erica Ogwumike, the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, leads the Owls with averages of 16.3 points and 11 rebounds, ranking fifth and first in the conference, respectively. Nancy Mulkey totals 12.2 points per contest along with a nation-leading 3.8 blocks.
The Owls lead the league in blocks (116), field goal percentage (46.5), field goal percentage defense (36.4) and scoring defense (53.9).
History between the squads
The Owls have won nine of the 13 meetings dating to the 1986-87 season. Rice has been winners in seven of the last eight since the 2015-16 season, but those matchups have needed a single, double, and triple overtime to decide the outcome while the average margin of victory is 4.6 points.
Last meeting
HOUSTON (Jan. 19, 2019) – North Texas played Rice close after outscoring the Owls in the second quarter, but the Mean Green went without a field goal for nearly seven minutes after halftime before eventually falling, 64-52, Saturday afternoon inside Tudor Fieldhouse.
Terriell Bradley, returning from a two-game absence, scored a team-high 13 points as Grace Goodhart joined her in double figures with 10. Anisha George pulled down a career and game-high 14 rebounds while battling with Rice's 6-9 center, Nancy Mulkey. Brittany Smith handed out a game-high six assists for North Texas.
The Mean Green (10-7, 3-2 C-USA) struggled shooting below 32 percent (18-of-57) from the field, while Rice (14-3, 5-0 C-USA) was slightly better at 41 percent (22-of-54). The Owls recorded 42 rebounds whereas North Texas tallied 31, and UNT forced Rice into 17 turnovers while committing 14. Mulkey recorded six blocks at the expense of North Texas.
UNT versus ranked opponents
Dating to the 2003-04 season, the Mean Green have faced top 25 opponents on 14 occasions. The lone North Texas win occurred Nov. 16, 2015, under head coach Jalie Mitchell in a 61-57 victory at No. 17 Oklahoma.
Rice will be the second top 25 team to face the Mean Green this season as No. 11 Texas came to The Super Pit Nov. 12 and left with a 64-54 win. This will be the first time (as records indicate) North Texas welcomes two ranked opponents to Denton in the same season.
Shepherd Nabs C-USA FOTW
Charlene Shepherd of North Texas earned her first Conference USA honor by being selected as the Freshman of the Week for her performances against Florida Atlantic and FIU last week.
Shepherd scored a career-high 16 points and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds in the win over FIU Feb. 16. In the third quarter, the Killeen native hit a deep two and then nailed a 3 on the next offensive possession to increase the margin to 56-28 to help put the game out of reach. Against Florida Atlantic Feb. 14, the forward dished out a career-best three assists in the 20-point win. In the two victories, Shepherd shot 46 percent from the field, 88 percent from the free throw line, and recorded 11 rebounds along with five assists.
Shepherd becomes the first Mean Green of the season to achieve the award and the second overall in program history.
Conference highs
The past three Mean Green wins have produced several team season-highs in conference play this season. At home against Florida Atlantic Feb. 14, the 82 points, 46 rebounds, 10 3-pointers, 44.9 percent shooting, and the 41.7 percent showing on 3-pointers were all the highest outputs by UNT versus league opponents this year. The 25-point triumph versus FIU Feb. 16 was the largest Mean Green margin of victory in C-USA play this year, and the 17 assists were the most distributed. The team also matched their high in steals with nine and rebounding margin of 13.
Sharing the scoring wealth
Nearly every Mean Green player who has seen the court this season has led or co-led the team in scoring at least once this season, proving that UNT has several potent offensive options. C-USA Preseason selection Terriell Bradley has posted the high score on a 14 occasions, with Anisha George coming in next with six. Grace Goodhart has tallied a team-high twice, while Velma Mitchell, Charlene Shepherd, Madison Townley, Callie Owens, and Deja Terrell have each garnered the distinction once.
Home court advantage
UNT's 2018-19 record in The Pit stands at 9-4, while they have amassed a 5-7 mark in other gyms. North Texas averages 72.7 points in Denton and are outscoring opponents by 13.2. On the road, that average drops to 57.9 points as the Mean Green are being outscored by 2.8. As the home team, UNT grabs 7.5 more rebounds per contest and boasts a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Never ever had we ever…
Won at La Tech, Southern Miss, or WKU until the 2018-19 season. The Mean Green have achieved three huge milestones with victories in Ruston, La., Hattiesburg, Miss., and Bowling Green, Ky. Before picking up the wins this year, North Texas had gone 0-5 at La Tech, 0-3 at Southern Miss, and 0-9 at WKU.
Doubling up
The Mean Green have compiled seven double-doubles in the 2018-19 season, with six from junior post Anisha George and the other by redshirt sophomore forward Madi Townley. George's six double-doubles ranks third in C-USA, and she has been shy one or two rebounds on three occasions.
Throughout the 2017-18 season, the team amassed five, one each from current players Terriell Bradley and Micayla Buckner. Two seasons ago, six double-doubles were accomplished, half of them coming from Bradley.
Back at home
The Mean Green have compiled a 4-1 record when returning to The Super Pit following a road tilt this season. North Texas has won home contests after returning from a trip with victories over Missouri State, CSU Bakersfield, UTEP, and most recently FAU.
Mitchell notches 50 career wins
With the 70-51 win over UTEP Jan. 10, head coach Jalie Mitchell placed herself alongside former UNT coaches Judy Nelson and Tina Slinker in the 50-win club. Mitchell also became the fastest to achieve the honor in program history.
Bradley enters top 10 in scoring
With her career-high 40-point performance against NDSU Nov. 24, Terriell Bradley has continued to show her offensive prowess with 30 points at SMU Nov. 28 and 36 versus Missouri State Dec. 1. She has elevated from 14thto seventh in the UNT career-scoring charts with 1,355 points. Head coach Jalie Mitchell's (1998-2002) record of sits at 1,764.
If Bradley continues her current 17.2 average throughout the regular season, she would move into fifth all-time with over 1,400 points.
Chart-topping Bradley
With 381 free throws made, Bradley is second all-time in program history. Not out of sight is the No. 1 spot, held by head coach Jalie Mitchell, who sank 411 throughout her career. Bradley made 164 from the line last season and needs 30 to dethrone Mitchell.
Bradley is fifth all-time in 3-pointers made with 128. Ashley Norris (1995-2000) occupies the top spot with 197.
Bring on the OT
The Mean Green have compiled a lowly 12-26 record throughout program history in overtime games, but following the 83-76 win over Missouri State Dec. 1, UNT has strung together six straight victories involving extra periods. The win over the Bears was just the third in program history UNT has found success inside The Super Pit in OT, as the team is now at 3-10 at home. Two seasons ago, North Texas pulled out wins in each of their four overtime contests, and went one-for-one in 2017-18.
Last outing for the Mean Green
DENTON – Charlene Shepherd posted a career-high 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds while Terriell Bradley was the leading scorer with 19 as North Texas women's basketball won its third straight with a convincing 75-50 win over FIU Saturday inside The Super Pit.
The Mean Green (14-11, 7-6 C-USA) once again set conference season-highs, including the 25-point winning margin along with 17 assists. The team also matched their high in steals with nine and rebounding margin of 13. Anisha George contributed eight points and six rebounds, and Brittany Smith handed out a game-high five assists.
Players Mentioned
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Post
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Point Guard
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Guard
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Forward
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Point Guard
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Forward
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Forward
/ Women's BasketballSaturday, February 28
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Wednesday, February 25
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