Mean Green Ready For Big Home Series

Who: Louisiana Tech (14-5, 7-3) vs. North Texas Mean Green (9-5, 5-1)
What: Divisional rivals and two of the best teams in the league battle at the Super Pit
When: Friday – Feb. 5 – 7:00 pm CT
Where: Denton, TX (The Super Pit)
How (to follow):

TV: Stadium (Click Here) to stream Stadium
Radio: Learfield IMG College Mean Green Sports Network (Dave Barnett and Hank Dickenson). Listen to Mean Green Sports Network Online: CLICK HERE
Live Stats: MeanGreenStats.com
C-USA Standings: CLICK HERE
North Texas Game Notes: CLICK HERE
Return To Play: CLICK HERE

DENTON — Two of the most exciting men's basketball games in Conference USA last season were played between North Texas and Louisiana Tech.

In the two games they played each other, both were decided by a shot made in the final second. The Mean Green's 51-50 win in Ruston, Louisiana, last season, which ended on a Javion Hamlet buzzer-beating floater ended up propelling North Texas to the regular season league title as they'd eventually finish one game ahead of the Bulldogs in the standings.

On Friday, UNT (9-5, 5-1) and LA Tech (14-5, 7-3) renew their battle with a two-game series at the Super Pit and once again the teams are two of the titans of C-USA.

"Every time we play them we know it's going to take everything we have," said senior Zachary Simmons. "We know it's going to be a rumble."

UNT and LA Tech have split their last four games against one another. Each of the last four games have been decided by an average of just five points — the last two decided by only one and two points.

The Mean Green's 51-50 win at LA Tech last season was their first road win over the Bulldogs since Harry Truman was President of the United States (1952). Eventual C-USA Player of the Year Javion Hamlet ran the distance of the court in under four seconds and released his shot without more than a tenth of a second to spare to end what was a 16-game road losing streak to LA Tech.

But the Bulldogs would get their chance for revenge as a month later they entered the Super Pit just two games behind UNT for first place.

After Hamlet made an and-one go-ahead layup and free throw with 24 seconds remaining, LA Tech senior DeQuan Bracey made the eventual game-winning layup with 1.1 seconds remaining.

In North Texas' last 19 home games, that is its only loss.

UNT, however, would have the final celebration as they clinched the regular season title with back-to-back wins over FIU and Western Kentucky following the loss at home to LA Tech. But its two games against the Bulldogs remain unforgettable for many on both sides of the court.

"Games like that are what conference basketball is all about," Simmons said. "We know if we want to repeat we're going to have to beat them and they're not going to make it easy of course."

Under North Texas' fourth-year head coach Grant McCasland the Mean Green and LA Tech have played six times. On average, the games have been decided by just four points.

UNT got the better of the Bulldogs at the Super Pit on Jan. 3, 2019, with a 63-59 win. Then a sophomore, Simmons led the way for his team in the victory with 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

On Friday, the most veteran Mean Green men's basketball player enters the game just two points shy from scoring his 1,000th career point.

Friday and Saturday's broadcast will be streamed on Stadium and the Mean Green Sports Network Learfield IMG College.
For more information on North Texas Men's Basketball, follow @MeanGreenMBB on Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

Javion Hamlet

Zachary Simmons

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