University of North Texas
13-10,6-5AAC
SMU
17-7,8-3AAC
Men's Hoops Falls At SMU, 71-68
2/11/2024 4:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Mean Green (13-5, 6-5), still without starting guards Rubin Jones and CJ Noland, led the Mustangs (17-7, 8-3) at Moody Coliseum for over 34 minutes from the 17-minute mark of the first half until the 3-minute mark of the second half. SMU ended the game on a 9-5 run over the final three minutes and 17 seconds to capture the three-point win.
North Texas' Jason Edwards' would-be game-tying 3-pointer rimmed in and out as the final buzzer rang.
Sunday was UNT's sixth game in the last month that was either won or lost by two possessions or less.
"First I want to give credit to coach Lanier and SMU," said North Texas head coach Ross Hodge. "He's got a tremendous team. An NCAA Tournament team. I loved our fight and togetherness. But I thought our inability to grab rebounds, especially down the stretch, was the difference in the game."
SMU outrebounded the Mean Green on Sunday 34-28.
Edwards led UNT in scoring with 18 points, most coming in the second half. Senior Robert Allen scored a season-high 16 points and junior John Buggs III scored a season-high 15 points as he knocked in five 3-pointers. Junior Aaron Scott added 10 point and led the Mean Green in rebounds with seven.
Next up for North Texas is a home game against Memphis (RV) at the Super Pit on Thursday. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT. It will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Mean Green Sports Network. Thursday will be the first time since the 2007 NCAA Tournament the two schools have met.
For more information on UNT men's basketball tickets, contact the Mean Green Ticket Office at 940-565-2527 or at ticketoffice@unt.edu. Fans can visit the UNT Athletics Ticket Office located at Gate 2 of DATCU Stadium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
