Thursday, March 5
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6:30 PM
University of North Texas
at
Middle Tennessee
Photo by: Jon Mitchell
Mean Green At Middle Tennessee
3/4/2020 9:23:00 AM | Women's Basketball
About the Mean Green
North Texas has won its last two contests with a 77-69 victory over Marshall Feb. 29 where N'Yah Boyd exploded for 24 points while hitting five 3-pointers and a 94-55 drubbing against UTSA Feb. 22 as Anisha George collected a career-high 26 points along with 15 rebounds. The victories moved the Mean Green to 5-11 in Conference USA contests to secure a berth in the C-USA tournament. George averages team-highs of 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, and Destinee McDowell contributes 11.1 and 7.2, respectively.
About the Lady Raiders
Middle Tennessee is on a two-game win streak to sit at 11-5 and is fighting for a top-four finish in conference play. On Monday, Anastasia and Aislynn Hayes were deemed Conference USA Player and Freshman of the Week, respectively, with Anastasia garnering her third honor of the season and Aislynn collecting her seventh. Anastasia leads the Lady Raiders with 18.3 points per game while Aislynn contributes 14.3. Charity Savage averages a double-double of 10.2 points and 10.8 rebounds.
History between the squads
The Lady Raiders own a 22-4 all-time series record over the Mean Green dating to the 2000-01 season. The last win for North Texas occurred Feb. 8, 2006, in Denton by a score of 69-64. The other three UNT victories took place during the first three meetings of the teams, two in 2000-01 and one in 2001-02, all when head coach Jalie Mitchell starred for the Mean Green.
Last meeting
DENTON (Feb. 6, 2020) – A cold shooting spell in the fourth quarter doomed North Texas in an 80-60 loss to Middle Tennessee at The Super Pit.
After scoring 43 points in the first half, the Mean Green (9-13, 3-7 C-USA) struggled to find the bottom of the net during the final 20 minutes. North Texas scored just 17 points in the second half while shooting 25.8% from the floor.
Anisha George led the Mean Green with 14 points, while freshman N'Yah Boyd scored 11 points and Madison Townley and Charlene Shepherd recorded 10 apiece.
Strong starts in C-USA play
In the most recent contest, the Mean Green flew out to a 32-11 lead in the second quarter in the win at Marshall Feb. 29. UNT is outscoring their league opponents 693 to 655 during the first half which breaks down to 43.5 points compared to 40.9. However, after the break, North Texas has not been as successful. Opponents have put up 373 points to 333 by the Mean Green, a difference of 23.3 points to 20.8.
Putting up the points
The 94 points North Texas hung on UTSA in the 39-point win Feb. 22 ties for the second-highest Conference USA total scored against a league opponent this season, just two shy of the 96 UTEP tallied against Florida Atlantic Jan. 20. Against Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29, the Mean Green piled up 114 points, the highest total scored by a C-USA team against an opponent, which ranks as the 16th-highest output in all of Division I women's basketball during the 2019-20 season.
George on target
Anisha George, the team's lone senior, is the most accurate field goal shooter in Conference USA at 65 percent and ranks sixth in the country. The St. Croix, Virgin Islands, native has connected on 152 of her 238 shots and has knocked down at least 80 percent of her tries six times this season. George is also a force on the glass as her 26 rebounds in the season opener against Mid-America Christian is still the single-game high by a player nationally this year. George is ranked 28th nationally averaging 3.8 offensive rebounds per game.
Lineup combos
Finding just the right starting lineup can be very beneficial for a team to reach consistency and collect wins. The Mean Green have faced several injuries, along with a mix of new players, making it difficult to pinpoint the perfect combination this season. North Texas has employed 15 different starting lineups, has not used the same five more than four times, and every eligible member of the team has cracked the first five at least twice. The mixture of Jazion Jackson, Trena Mims, Callie Owens, Destinee McDowell and Anisha George has recorded the best mark at 2-0.
Working overtime
Two Mean Green contests within a week were decided by extra periods with an 84-78 double overtime loss at Florida Atlantic Jan. 11 and a 74-69 win over LA Tech Jan. 18 in Denton. North Texas is now 13-27 all-time in overtime games. Before the loss at Florida Atlantic, the Mean Green had won six straight contests involving extra periods. Last season, North Texas defeated Missouri State, 83-76, UNT's third win in program history inside The Super Pit in OT. Three seasons ago, North Texas pulled out wins in each of its four overtime contests and went one-for-one in 2017-18.
Boards, boards, boards
The 63 rebounds collected against Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29 ranks as the ninth-highest output in NCAA Division I this season. Anisha George's 26 against Mid-American Christian Nov. 7 is the best performance in NCAA Division I this season and also tied a UNT record. Charlene Shepherd recorded 23 against WKU Jan. 2 to sit fourth in the country and second all-time at UNT.
Doubling up
The Mean Green have compiled 14 double-doubles in 2019-20, with eight of them from Anisha George, two each from Charlene Shepherd, Destinee McDowell and Callie Owens. Last season, the team registered a total of seven – six from George and one by Madison Townley.
Getting to the line
The Mean Green has made 502 trips to the free throw line this season compared to 452 from their opponents. Against Rice Feb. 1, the team sank a season-best 11-of-12 (91 percent) and also had a good showing against Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29 by going 16-of-18 (89 percent). However, excluding an 11-of-14 performance at ODU Feb. 15, UNT has shot a combined 72-of-146 (49 percent) in the last seven games, including 0-for-8 against UAB Feb. 8. The Mean Green also struggled early on by only converting 46-of-89 (51.7 percent) throughout the first five games. Destinee McDowell has been almost a sure bet at the line by knocking down nearly 83 percent of her tries.
Three-point woes
The Mean Green has encountered shooting trouble from beyond the arc by connecting on just 28.1 percent of their attempts, ranking them 291 of the 348 teams in NCAA Division I. The team had a breakout against WKU Jan. 2 by knocking down a season high 10-of-18 from deep, the seventh best performance in school history, and sank 10 again at UTEP Jan. 25. In 2018-19, the squad concluded the season at 30.4 percent while knocking down 5.1 per game compared to 4.6 this season.
Start of C-USA play
The win over WKU Jan. 2 marked the second season in a row the Mean Green began conference play with a win. In 2018-19, the team compiled a 3-0 start in C-USA play for the first time in program history. Under head coach Jalie Mitchell, UNT also opened the conference slate with a victory in 2015-16.
Flurry of season-highs
The Mean Green closed out the non-conference schedule on a high note with a barrage of season team-highs in the convincing win over Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29. The squad set season-highs in points (114), rebounds (63), assists (20) and steals (18) as well as a program-best 46 field goals against the Eagles.
Non-con results
UNT evened its overall record to 6-6 in non-conference with the dominant 114-54 win over Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29. Dating to the 2015-16 season, the Mean Green is 29-29 in games occurring before the start of C-USA play. The team posted a mark of 7-5 in pre-conference play last season.
UNT versus top 25
The final opponent for North Texas at the Rainbow Wahine Showdown, No. 12 NC State, was the latest top 25 team to face the Mean Green in program history. Following the 76-65 UNT loss Dec. 1, the Mean Green are 1-18 all-time against the top 25 teams, with that one win coming over No. 17 Oklahoma in 2015 – Jalie Mitchell's first win as a college head coach.
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. In the Nov. 11 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 Nov. 20 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 62.2 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.
Last Mean Green outing
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – N'Yah Boyd dropped 24 points and Anisha George recorded her second straight double-double to lead North Texas to a 77-69 win at Cam Henderson Center.
With FIU losing to Charlotte, UNT (11-17, 5-11 C-USA) officially punched its ticket to the Conference USA Tournament in nearby Frisco.
Saturday's win was the first time North Texas beat Marshall (11-16, 6-10 C-USA) since head coach Jalie Mitchell's first season at the helm. It also marked the first road win for the Mean Green since Jan. 23 at UTSA.
George finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Seven of her 10 rebounds came on the offensive end, where UNT outrebounded Marshall 18-5. North Texas scored 13 second chance points off of its 18 offensive rebounds.
Summer Jones scored 12 points on 4 of 8 from the floor. Charlene Shepherd added eight points and grabbed seven rebounds.
North Texas has won its last two contests with a 77-69 victory over Marshall Feb. 29 where N'Yah Boyd exploded for 24 points while hitting five 3-pointers and a 94-55 drubbing against UTSA Feb. 22 as Anisha George collected a career-high 26 points along with 15 rebounds. The victories moved the Mean Green to 5-11 in Conference USA contests to secure a berth in the C-USA tournament. George averages team-highs of 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, and Destinee McDowell contributes 11.1 and 7.2, respectively.
About the Lady Raiders
Middle Tennessee is on a two-game win streak to sit at 11-5 and is fighting for a top-four finish in conference play. On Monday, Anastasia and Aislynn Hayes were deemed Conference USA Player and Freshman of the Week, respectively, with Anastasia garnering her third honor of the season and Aislynn collecting her seventh. Anastasia leads the Lady Raiders with 18.3 points per game while Aislynn contributes 14.3. Charity Savage averages a double-double of 10.2 points and 10.8 rebounds.
History between the squads
The Lady Raiders own a 22-4 all-time series record over the Mean Green dating to the 2000-01 season. The last win for North Texas occurred Feb. 8, 2006, in Denton by a score of 69-64. The other three UNT victories took place during the first three meetings of the teams, two in 2000-01 and one in 2001-02, all when head coach Jalie Mitchell starred for the Mean Green.
Last meeting
DENTON (Feb. 6, 2020) – A cold shooting spell in the fourth quarter doomed North Texas in an 80-60 loss to Middle Tennessee at The Super Pit.
After scoring 43 points in the first half, the Mean Green (9-13, 3-7 C-USA) struggled to find the bottom of the net during the final 20 minutes. North Texas scored just 17 points in the second half while shooting 25.8% from the floor.
Anisha George led the Mean Green with 14 points, while freshman N'Yah Boyd scored 11 points and Madison Townley and Charlene Shepherd recorded 10 apiece.
Strong starts in C-USA play
In the most recent contest, the Mean Green flew out to a 32-11 lead in the second quarter in the win at Marshall Feb. 29. UNT is outscoring their league opponents 693 to 655 during the first half which breaks down to 43.5 points compared to 40.9. However, after the break, North Texas has not been as successful. Opponents have put up 373 points to 333 by the Mean Green, a difference of 23.3 points to 20.8.
Putting up the points
The 94 points North Texas hung on UTSA in the 39-point win Feb. 22 ties for the second-highest Conference USA total scored against a league opponent this season, just two shy of the 96 UTEP tallied against Florida Atlantic Jan. 20. Against Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29, the Mean Green piled up 114 points, the highest total scored by a C-USA team against an opponent, which ranks as the 16th-highest output in all of Division I women's basketball during the 2019-20 season.
George on target
Anisha George, the team's lone senior, is the most accurate field goal shooter in Conference USA at 65 percent and ranks sixth in the country. The St. Croix, Virgin Islands, native has connected on 152 of her 238 shots and has knocked down at least 80 percent of her tries six times this season. George is also a force on the glass as her 26 rebounds in the season opener against Mid-America Christian is still the single-game high by a player nationally this year. George is ranked 28th nationally averaging 3.8 offensive rebounds per game.
Lineup combos
Finding just the right starting lineup can be very beneficial for a team to reach consistency and collect wins. The Mean Green have faced several injuries, along with a mix of new players, making it difficult to pinpoint the perfect combination this season. North Texas has employed 15 different starting lineups, has not used the same five more than four times, and every eligible member of the team has cracked the first five at least twice. The mixture of Jazion Jackson, Trena Mims, Callie Owens, Destinee McDowell and Anisha George has recorded the best mark at 2-0.
Working overtime
Two Mean Green contests within a week were decided by extra periods with an 84-78 double overtime loss at Florida Atlantic Jan. 11 and a 74-69 win over LA Tech Jan. 18 in Denton. North Texas is now 13-27 all-time in overtime games. Before the loss at Florida Atlantic, the Mean Green had won six straight contests involving extra periods. Last season, North Texas defeated Missouri State, 83-76, UNT's third win in program history inside The Super Pit in OT. Three seasons ago, North Texas pulled out wins in each of its four overtime contests and went one-for-one in 2017-18.
Boards, boards, boards
The 63 rebounds collected against Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29 ranks as the ninth-highest output in NCAA Division I this season. Anisha George's 26 against Mid-American Christian Nov. 7 is the best performance in NCAA Division I this season and also tied a UNT record. Charlene Shepherd recorded 23 against WKU Jan. 2 to sit fourth in the country and second all-time at UNT.
Doubling up
The Mean Green have compiled 14 double-doubles in 2019-20, with eight of them from Anisha George, two each from Charlene Shepherd, Destinee McDowell and Callie Owens. Last season, the team registered a total of seven – six from George and one by Madison Townley.
Getting to the line
The Mean Green has made 502 trips to the free throw line this season compared to 452 from their opponents. Against Rice Feb. 1, the team sank a season-best 11-of-12 (91 percent) and also had a good showing against Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29 by going 16-of-18 (89 percent). However, excluding an 11-of-14 performance at ODU Feb. 15, UNT has shot a combined 72-of-146 (49 percent) in the last seven games, including 0-for-8 against UAB Feb. 8. The Mean Green also struggled early on by only converting 46-of-89 (51.7 percent) throughout the first five games. Destinee McDowell has been almost a sure bet at the line by knocking down nearly 83 percent of her tries.
Three-point woes
The Mean Green has encountered shooting trouble from beyond the arc by connecting on just 28.1 percent of their attempts, ranking them 291 of the 348 teams in NCAA Division I. The team had a breakout against WKU Jan. 2 by knocking down a season high 10-of-18 from deep, the seventh best performance in school history, and sank 10 again at UTEP Jan. 25. In 2018-19, the squad concluded the season at 30.4 percent while knocking down 5.1 per game compared to 4.6 this season.
Start of C-USA play
The win over WKU Jan. 2 marked the second season in a row the Mean Green began conference play with a win. In 2018-19, the team compiled a 3-0 start in C-USA play for the first time in program history. Under head coach Jalie Mitchell, UNT also opened the conference slate with a victory in 2015-16.
Flurry of season-highs
The Mean Green closed out the non-conference schedule on a high note with a barrage of season team-highs in the convincing win over Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29. The squad set season-highs in points (114), rebounds (63), assists (20) and steals (18) as well as a program-best 46 field goals against the Eagles.
Non-con results
UNT evened its overall record to 6-6 in non-conference with the dominant 114-54 win over Texas A&M-Texarkana Dec. 29. Dating to the 2015-16 season, the Mean Green is 29-29 in games occurring before the start of C-USA play. The team posted a mark of 7-5 in pre-conference play last season.
UNT versus top 25
The final opponent for North Texas at the Rainbow Wahine Showdown, No. 12 NC State, was the latest top 25 team to face the Mean Green in program history. Following the 76-65 UNT loss Dec. 1, the Mean Green are 1-18 all-time against the top 25 teams, with that one win coming over No. 17 Oklahoma in 2015 – Jalie Mitchell's first win as a college head coach.
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. In the Nov. 11 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 Nov. 20 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 62.2 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.
Last Mean Green outing
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – N'Yah Boyd dropped 24 points and Anisha George recorded her second straight double-double to lead North Texas to a 77-69 win at Cam Henderson Center.
With FIU losing to Charlotte, UNT (11-17, 5-11 C-USA) officially punched its ticket to the Conference USA Tournament in nearby Frisco.
Saturday's win was the first time North Texas beat Marshall (11-16, 6-10 C-USA) since head coach Jalie Mitchell's first season at the helm. It also marked the first road win for the Mean Green since Jan. 23 at UTSA.
George finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Seven of her 10 rebounds came on the offensive end, where UNT outrebounded Marshall 18-5. North Texas scored 13 second chance points off of its 18 offensive rebounds.
Summer Jones scored 12 points on 4 of 8 from the floor. Charlene Shepherd added eight points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Players Mentioned
Point Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Post
/ Women's Basketball
Point Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Point Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
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