University of North Texas Athletics
Mean Green Sweet 16: MBB C-USA Champions
3/19/2020 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MEAN GREEN SWEET 16
MEN'S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONS
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.
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.
"This championship is about and for everyone. There are so many people over the years who have put their sweat and soul into this. We wouldn't be here without them. The relationships is what this is all about.HEAD COACH Grant McCasland
With the clock winding down Javion Hamlet gets it done! @MeanGreenMBB goes to the locker room up by 5 at the half. pic.twitter.com/tIyTXIe9BI
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 1, 2020
Zach Simmons gets a nod of approval from his pops on that play! @MeanGreenMBB pic.twitter.com/M0eAFfCUek
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 1, 2020
.@MeanGreenMBB and @WKUBasketball are heading to overtime! pic.twitter.com/yL80f3rUPx
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 1, 2020
.@MeanGreenMBB WITH AUTHORITY! pic.twitter.com/6lkUDQCVmu
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 1, 2020
when you remember what month it is pic.twitter.com/yitJq577Y9
— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) March 1, 2020
.@MeanGreenMBB HAVE DONE IT!! North Texas becomes the @ConferenceUSA Regular Season Champions with their win over Western Kentucky! Their first outright conference championship title in 31 years ?? pic.twitter.com/BfYREMBh1s
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 1, 2020
GO MEAN GREEN!#GMG ?? pic.twitter.com/keoIsMq51t
— North Texas Basketball (@MeanGreenMBB) March 1, 2020
"We never stopped believing. From the first day we started summer workouts....When we trailing at the last timeout in regulation... We never stopped believing."
— North Texas Basketball (@MeanGreenMBB) March 2, 2020
- Javion Hamlet#GMG pic.twitter.com/JtP7UePJ9i
I love the North Texas court pic.twitter.com/EbuNPuHiC3
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) March 1, 2020
“It spreads.”
— North Texas Basketball (@MeanGreenMBB) March 2, 2020
cc: @JonRothstein pic.twitter.com/fbBaNOq8hj
God is Great Me and my brothers really are champions ????
— J hamlet (@javion_hamlet) March 2, 2020
North Texas wins a classic over Western Kentucky on @CBSSportsNet.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 1, 2020
Have a feeling this may not be the last time these two teams play this month.
Mean Green win the Conference-USA regular season title.
