UNTLifer

Men's basketball: Mean Green upends Ragin’ Cajuns Jones, bench set up Rogers’ big finish 08:24 AM CST on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Jerome Rogers said earlier this week that he wanted to make sure the North Texas men’s basketball team went out with a bang in its final home game of the season. Mission accomplished. Rogers hit four free throws in the final 15 seconds and also came up with a key steal to lift the Mean Green to a 71-68 win over Louisiana-Lafayette in a stunning upset on Senior Night at the Super Pit. UNT (12-13, 7-6) trailed by as many as 18 points late in the first half before coming back to knock off the top team in the Sun Belt Conference on Monday night. "This is one of the best comebacks we have made since I have been here," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "It ranks among the best wins we have had." Rogers hit two free throws with 15 seconds left to give UNT a 69-68 lead. The senior then tipped a pass away from Ragin’ Cajuns guard Brian Hamilton with less than 10 seconds left. Junior guard Leonard Hopkins grabbed the ball and passed it back to Rogers, who was fouled with three seconds left. Rogers then hit two free throws to ice the win. Lafayette (15-8, 10-3) came into the game having already captured at least a share of the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division title. A win would have earned the Ragin’ Cajuns the overall league title and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament. Hopkins helped spoil Lafayette’s night by scoring all of his game-high 19 points in the second half. Rogers added 14 points while Michael Jones had 13. "This was a big win for us," Rogers said. "It sends a message to the rest of the league that they better look out for us in the tournament." UNT appeared to be an unlikely candidate to upset Lafayette after losing four of its last five games. The Mean Green’s chances seemed even bleaker after the team got off to a slow start in the first half. UNT shot just 19.4 percent from the field and fell behind 37-23 at the break. UNT missed 20 of its first 23 shots from the field. "We had to bring some energy to our game in the second half," Michael Jones said. "When I was over on the bench in the first half and we were down by 18 or whatever it was, I knew I had to come in and contribute." That was just what Jones and a series of other UNT players did to help rally the Mean Green. UNT went on an 11-1 run midway through the second half to pull to within 47-40 on a layup by Jones. Lafayette responded with a 3-point basket by Brad Boyd, a shot that only stalled UNT’s comeback. The Mean Green tied the game at 56 when senior forward Shawnson Johnson took an outlet pass, dribbled half the length of the court and threw down a dunk with 6:03 left. UNT’s players attributed their run in part to its defense in the second half. Lafayette hit just 1-of-12 three-point shots after intermission. "I thought we were more aggressive in the second half and started playing better defense," Hopkins said. "We were shutting off their passing lanes and started playing harder." UNT’s defense helped UNT finally grab its first lead of the game when freshman guard Calvin Watson hit a 3-point shot from the wing to give the Mean Green a 59-56 advantage with 5:42 left. The Mean Green pushed its lead to 65-56 with 3:31 left on a pair of free throws by Rogers. The Mean Green appeared as if it might pull away, but went cold from the field. Lafayette went on a 12-2 run and regained the lead on Laurie Bridges’ layup with 41 seconds left. UNT responded when Rogers drew a foul from Boyd on a drive to the basket and hit a pair of free throws to give the Mean Green a 69-68 lead. "One of the things we wanted to do in the second half was drive and finish," Johnny Jones said. UNT finished in fine fashion thanks to a few clutch plays by Rogers and Hopkins at the end of the game. "You can never quit on the floor because anything can happen," Hopkins said. "If you have any competitiveness you, always feel like you can come back and win."

Shouldn't there be an * since this is really a 1/2 a season record?

That's what I was thinking and hoping for.

Soriano already stated that he didn't want to play anywhere but 2nd, stating that he was a two time All Star. Well, Young is much better defensively and hits around.300 to .315 and would have been the All Star had he been playing in New York with that media machine. Soriano is the epitome of what has been wrong with the Rangers for years, all hit, no field. Send him packing for a true shortstop, and if he is that good, some pitching should be thrown in also. Some people act as if he is the best 2nd baseman ever, I just don't see it, especially defensively.

Hopkins is a Jr based on his eligibility, but with the possibility of him graduating in August, I wondered if he was coming back.

Jerome Rogers Will Smith Michael DeGrate Shawson Johnson John Franklin? I also read where Hopkins is on schedule to graduate in August. Will he be back next year?

I will root for my team, but not by going to the Ballpark this year.

bump

Right there with you UNT_92_Fan. I was there with my dad for David Clyde's debut and many other nights in old Arlington Stadium, but this off season has finally run me off. I will track them in the paper, but will not spend on dime on them this year. I will be heading over to Fort Worth to watch the Cats this year.

Fantasy Baseball Click on the link above and sign up in the private leagues. League#76009 Password: 4in04 This will be a head to head league with auto draft. Limited to the first 10 teams to sign up.

Great news on the win. It looks as if the program is improving game by game. I hope all of ya'll that attended tip-toed through the Denia neighborhood on the way to the ballpark.

I remembered seeing the yucca plants on campus back in the late 60's and 70's when I would go up to my Dad's office. I just never understood why they named it after a desert plant and not something referring to an eagle.

Where did the name "Yucca" come from?

I never said he was "mediocre." My point was: The Rangers did not receive equal value in return. The Rangers received a player that plays a position that we do not need help at. The received no pitching help, which is what they really need. The Rangers may attempt to move Soriano to CF, but he has stated that 2b is his position and he really doesn't want to move. The move could totally backfire, he becomes disgruntled, his stats go down and the Rangers end up with nothing to show for A-Rod other than monthly payments on his home in Highland Park, his luxury suites and his salary in NY. Canseco was also a 40-40 player and ended up an idiot and a flop in the outfield. I hope that some day the soreness will wear off and Hicks is able to pull his pants back up from around his ankles. He has turned this club into the laughingstock of MLB, lost all credibility with his fans and allowed himself to be bent over the couch by George Steinbrenner. BAD TRADE.

I am not discounting Soriano's talent, but I am not blown away by him either. We just traded away what many consider to be the best player in baseball and didn't even get the best second baseman in return. Soriano committed 19 errors at second last year. He also hit about .270 against the pitching outside of the AL East. With the unbalanced schedule he as able to hit about .330 against the East that included very weak staffs in Baltimore, Toronto and Tampa Bay. Is Soriano good? Sure. Great? I don't know, but I do now the Rangers didn't get equal value in return plus no pitching that will help right away. In fact, I would say the Yankees are pleased to get rid of Soriano in light of his disappearing act in the World Series last year. I would also say that of all the help the Rangers need, 2nd base isn't one of their needs. Michael Young is a Gold Glover that only committed 10 errors and had the highest fielding percentage in the AL among second basemen. This was a BAD trade.

I hope JJ has stayed in contact. Byrd is exactly what we will need next year. Of course if Brooks was his recruiter here, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see him show up in El Paso. Thanks for the info. Harry.

front office has made the franchise the laughingstock of baseball.

Sam Byrd C 6-10/225 NR Alief, TX

Are you referring to Hopkins? I hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me considering I read in his DRC profile that he graduates in August.

Who are we signing/recruiting from Mansfield Summitt? I knew we had signed Sturns from North Crowley and the kid from Oklahoma, but didn't know about anyone else.

Athlete profile Full name: Leonard Bernard Hopkins Nickname: L Hop High school: Dallas Lincoln Born (and where): Jan. 13, 1982 (Dallas) Family (with ages): Paula Hopkins, mother; Ryan Hopkins, brother (20), Bryan Hopkins, brother (20), Lakiesha Bowman, sister (29), Kimley Bowman, sister (26) Position: shooting guard, Hopkins is averaging 12 points and three rebounds a game Major: Applied Arts and Sciences I plan to graduate: August 2004 My best (or worst) superstitution is: splitting poles I am sick of athletes who: Don’t work hard and want results If I could get four tickets to any sporting event in the world, it would be: A Los Angeles Lakers-Dallas Mavericks game The three people I would take to the event, living or dead, would be: Ashley Johnson, Paula Hopkins, John Carter My favorite sports movie is: Blue Chips My favorite pro sports team is: The Dallas Cowboys My favorite restaurant is: Cheesecake Factory The person who had the most influence on my life is: My mother The best summer I ever spent was: Playing at the Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas If I was not going to school at UNT, I would be: Working as a business man My goal for this year is to: Help my team reach the NCAA Tournament and be named all-conference My dream for this year is to: Graduate college If I could say one thing in the newspaper, it would be: Live every day like it is your last one

Plus the 7 Day Calendar Softball Waters posts first hit Susan Waters made sure the first hit of the North Texas softball team’s season was a memorable one. The freshman from Davenport, Okla., hit a solo home run to lift UNT into a tie with Texas A&M on Feb. 2. Waters’ hit proved to be one of the few highlights for the Mean Green in its first game. The Aggies came back to win the game 6-1. UNT’s game against Texas A&M is part of a brutal schedule. The Mean Green will face 10 teams that are ranked in the ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 poll. The Mean Green is fielding a softball team for the first time since 1988. Track and field UNT hit stretch run The indoor track season only started a few weeks ago, and it is already entering the stretch run. UNT has competed in three meets so far this season. UNT’s final tune-up for the Sun Belt Conference meet will come this weekend at the Oklahoma Indoor meet in Norman, Okla. "It’s a short season," UNT coach Rick Watkins said. "We are starting to sharpen up for the conference meet." UNT began the buildup for the conference meet when it competed in the Houston Indoor meet. The event had one of the largest fields UNT’s athletes will compete against this season. A total of 18 teams competed. Junior Jarrod Stone posted the second-best high jump marks of his college career in Houston, a leap of 6-8 3/4. The mark also ranks second in the Sun Belt this season. Sprinter Osaze Aghedo posted a time of 7.76 in the 60-meter dash, a time that ranks third in the conference. David Turner (49.38) and Andre Douglas (49.68) posted times that rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Sun Belt in the 400-meter dash. UNT will open its outdoor season at the College Station relays on March 12-13, a week after the NCAA Indoor National Championships. Player of the week One of North Texas’ newest athletes continued to shine in one of the NCAA newest events this week. Desiree Hill broke the school record in the pole vault for the second time this season when she posted a mark of 11-1 3/4 at the Houston Indoor meet. Hill’s mark ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference. The freshman from Arlington Bowie has competed in three meets this season. "She is very aggressive," UNT coach Rick Watkins said. "That is what you need to be in the pole vault." For her efforts, Hill is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s UNT athlete of the week. 7-day slate The following events are on tap in the UNT athletic department in the next week. WEDNESDAY — Softball at Texas, 5/7 p.m. THURSDAY — Middle Tennessee at men’s basketball, 7 p.m.; Women’s basketball at Middle Tennessee, 7 p.m. FRIDAY — Softball vs. Colorado State, 9:30 a.m.; softball at UT-San Antonio, noon SATURDAY — Men’s basketball at Western Kentucky, 7 p.m.; Western Kentucky at women’s basketball, 7 p.m.; softball vs. Bethune Cookman, 9:30 a.m.; softball vs. Kansas, noon; softball vs. Kentucky, 5 p.m. SUNDAY — Softball vs. Missouri-Kansas City, 5 p.m.

UNT notebook: Duo earns added playing time 08:22 AM CST on Wednesday, February 11, 2004 A season’s worth of hard work has started to pay off for a pair of guards on the North Texas women’s basketball team. Mian Williams has started the last two games for the Lady Eagles, while Natalie Mireles has seen her playing time increase. Williams scored eight points in UNT’s last two games. Mireles has not started this season, but has seen her playing time increase. The sophomore hit a pair of 3-point shots in UNT’s 53-50 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 5. "Mian is playing well defensively," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "She had six hustle plays against New Mexico State. She deserves to start." Starting Williams gives UNT a quick three-guard backcourt that also includes junior guard Jill Medlock and sophomore point guard Erika Bobo. The emergence of Mireles gives UNT another option at point guard. The Lady Eagles have struggled to adjust their lineup when Bobo is out of the game. UNT has moved Medlock to the point for short spells. That switch takes away one of the Lady Eagles top outside scoring threats. Medlock has hit 46 shots from beyond the 3-point arc and is UNT’s second-leading scorer with an average of 11.3 points a game. "I am very impressed with Natalie," Slinker said. "We went to her because of what she has done in practice. She can shoot and is a good defensive player." UNT is hoping a new look in its backcourt will pay dividends during a critical stretch at the end of the season. The Lady Eagles will play their final road game of the season when they take on Middle Tennessee on Thursday. UNT will then return home for its final five games of the season. Men’s basketball Watson a hit as a freshman Calvin Watson got a late start to the season, but he is finishing with a bang. The freshman has started seven games for the Mean Green and is averaging 8.1 points a game. Watson ranks fifth on the team in scoring and is hitting 39 percent of his shots from 3-point range. Watson is the first UNT player to start seven or more games as a true freshman since senior Jerome Rogers started 11 games in his first year with the Mean Green in the 2000-01 season. Watson appeared as if he might take a prominent role early on in his freshman season by shining in preseason practices. UNT’s plans changed when Watson broke his foot before its season opener. Watson missed the first 11 games of the season and considered taking a redshirt year before returning to the lineup. Watson has scored in double figures four times, including a 14-point outing against Arkansas State on Jan. 24.

Golf: Gibson leads UNT to fourth place finish 08:24 AM CST on Wednesday, February 11, 2004 CYPRESS -- Senior Brad Gibson fired a final round 73 to finish tied for second place and lead the North Texas men’s golf team a fourth place finish at the Rice Intercollegiate at Blackhorse Country Club. Gibson ended the tournament at 216, even par for his three rounds. Thomas Kulcak shot a final round 78 to finish at 223 for the tournament. Senior Zach Atkinson fired a third round score of 77 and ended at 230. Weston Bingham shot a three-day total of 235 while Reid McPherson was at 238 for the tournament. As a team North Texas shot a final round score of 309 and ended the tournament in fourth place with a three round total of 902.

I may be there with my 18 month old. He has been fighting a respiratory problem, so unless he is better we are at home.