Sunday, March 1
The Super Pit
1:00 PM CT
University of North Texas
-2010,143 CUSA
78
vs
72
Western Kentucky
-1910,125 CUSA
1
2
OT 1
F
Western Ky.
31
32
9
72
North Texas
36
27
15
78
Photo by: Rick Yeatts Photography
Conference Champions
3/1/2020 3:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DENTON — The North Texas men's basketball team is the 2019-20 Conference USA Regular Season Champions. It's the Mean Green men's basketball team's first regular season conference championship in 31 years.
The Mean Green (20-10, 14-3 C-USA) defeated second-place Western Kentucky (19-10, 12-5 C-USA) 78-72 in overtime on Sunday to clinch the title. With the victory, UNT clinches the No. 1 seed in the 2020 C-USA Championship in Frisco, which begins March 11. They also earn an automatic bid into the NIT. The 14 conference regular season wins is a program record for North Texas.
"This championship is about and for everyone," said third-year head coach Grant McCasland. "There are so many people over the years who have put their sweat and soul into this. We wouldn't be here without them."
Javion Hamlet led all scorers with 25 points and had nine assists. Thomas Bell chipped in a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds.
With 4:31 left in regulation, North Texas trailed by five points to the Hilltoppers but held them scoreless from there on out in regulation. In the final 4:31, UNT forced three turnovers and held WKU to 0-2 shooting from the field. Furthermore, the league's top free throw shooter Taveion Hollingsworth for WKU missed two crucial free throws with five seconds remaining.
In the five-minute overtime, North Texas was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line as they pulled out the victory over Western Kentucky, ending an 11-game losing streak to the Hilltoppers.
"We never stopped believing," said Javion Hamlet. "From the first day we got here during the summer. When we were trailing at the last timeout. We never stopped believing."
UNT still has one more game remaining on its regular season schedule. North Texas will play at Charlotte on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT to close out the regular season before heading to the conference tournament. North Texas hasn't won a conference tournament since the 2010 Sun Belt Confernce tournament title.
The Mean Green (20-10, 14-3 C-USA) defeated second-place Western Kentucky (19-10, 12-5 C-USA) 78-72 in overtime on Sunday to clinch the title. With the victory, UNT clinches the No. 1 seed in the 2020 C-USA Championship in Frisco, which begins March 11. They also earn an automatic bid into the NIT. The 14 conference regular season wins is a program record for North Texas.
"This championship is about and for everyone," said third-year head coach Grant McCasland. "There are so many people over the years who have put their sweat and soul into this. We wouldn't be here without them."
Javion Hamlet led all scorers with 25 points and had nine assists. Thomas Bell chipped in a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds.
With 4:31 left in regulation, North Texas trailed by five points to the Hilltoppers but held them scoreless from there on out in regulation. In the final 4:31, UNT forced three turnovers and held WKU to 0-2 shooting from the field. Furthermore, the league's top free throw shooter Taveion Hollingsworth for WKU missed two crucial free throws with five seconds remaining.
In the five-minute overtime, North Texas was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line as they pulled out the victory over Western Kentucky, ending an 11-game losing streak to the Hilltoppers.
"We never stopped believing," said Javion Hamlet. "From the first day we got here during the summer. When we were trailing at the last timeout. We never stopped believing."
UNT still has one more game remaining on its regular season schedule. North Texas will play at Charlotte on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT to close out the regular season before heading to the conference tournament. North Texas hasn't won a conference tournament since the 2010 Sun Belt Confernce tournament title.
Team Stats
WestKy
UNT
FG%
.435
.491
3FG%
.400
.238
FT%
.556
.864
RB
30
37
TO
10
15
STL
12
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
25
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
8
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
Forward
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