NT80

I heard we would not play on "the stage" again because it was considered dangerous for the players ( the 5 foot drop off the stage). Now, I started school at UTA before I transferred to NT and probably saw nearly every UTA/NT basketball game. There were some good crowds but I don't recall Texas Hall ever being close to sold out, especially the balcony seats. But I agree we should play UTA more often in basketball. We need every rival we can find!

Wow, smack talk with UTA fans. Have we sunk to a new low? UTA does have a decent women's program, which shows where we need some work.

From another thread: "Several identities have been used in the past. With the old nickname “Moccasins,” a snake was used in the 1920’s and an Indian was used until the year of major change in 1996. A moccasin shoe was even used in the 1980’s. Adopting the State Bird of Tennessee (the Mockingbird) as the core of the new identity, while incorporating the strong regional imagery of the “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” and Chattanooga’s vast railroad history, SME Design created a strong and very unique athletics identity for UTC. The committee also recognized the need for the word “Chattanooga” to have a great emphasis in the logo. Thus, “The University of Tennessee at” is much smaller than the prominent place of “Chattanooga.” The nickname “Moccasins” was shortened to simply “Mocs.” Thus established, UTC could rebuild its athletics programs and initiatives around this new identity. The primary logo is our mascot, Scrappy, riding a train. The secondary logo features the front of a train with the word Mocs built into the logo. This logo is affectionately called the “Cowcatcher logo,” referring to the front lower grill of the train that helped push objects from the train tracks."

I personally liked Sloan. He started the ball rolling on our Stadium expansion to 30,000 and bringing us back to 1-A football after 13 years in 1-AA. But he liked golf more than NT and left us for a job in Florida to be closer to year-round golf.

For now UTC still plays football. This article mentions their current situation as well as former NT AD Steve Sloan, now UTC's AD, and former NT coach Jerry Moore.... Attendance dips, but program safe (T-FP) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Brad Shepard Staff Writer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dropping football is not an option now for the University of Chattanooga, school officials said. Attendance was down this year at Finley Stadium and a committee in the Faculty Senate is looking into the cost of the football program that has not had a winning record since 1997. But university interim chancellor Fred Obear said football is on solid ground. "Football is totally safe," he said. "There’s no ambiguity about that at all. This is a university policy issue that falls under the responsibility of the athletic board, and when they met, the issue was not even on the agenda. "It’s not on the radar screen at all." In the state’s budget-conscious climate where fellow Division I-AA program East Tennessee State made the decision to drop football after last season, UTC has to deal with rumors that it might be next. It doesn’t help that this season’s attendance — a 5,648 average in the five games — was the worst since 1996, when UTC was still at Chamberlain Field. UTC athletic director Steve Sloan believes the attendance will rise with the number of victories. "We haven’t been able to compete with Georgia Southern, Furman, Wofford and Appalachian State for years," Sloan said, "and when you can’t compete with teams in your conference, you lose fans. "Those (attendance) numbers are not staggering. They’re actually fairly consistent for a program that hasn’t been winning." This season, however, Southern Conference coaches noticed the discrepancy between UTC’s attendance and that of other league universities. "The crowds when we go over there have never been very good," said Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore, whose team lost 59-56 to UTC on Oct. 30 in front of an announced crowd of 4,486. "It’s a little disappointing, partly when they came off a win in Cullowhee, you’d think there’d be a little more support than that. It’s a shame." One SoCon coach with a unique perspective is Elon’s Paul Hamilton, who headed the now-defunct ETSU program. He said the Bucs’ crowds and interest level were comparable to UTC’s before the school dropped football. "I think from my perspective having been at ETSU and what went on down there is I hope people get behind Rodney Allison and what they’re doing," Hamilton said. "Finley is a great venue to watch college football. Even before we dropped football (at ETSU), we’d have 5-6,000 when we played. "Chattanooga obviously needs to pick it up some." Comparisons can be made between UTC and ETSU in their recent lack of success. But UTC isn’t facing the same Title IX issues, or stadium renovations that were going to cost more than $1 million at ETSU. "The only thing we don’t have at UTC is a winning program, and I think that can be fixed," UT trustee John Thornton said. "You don’t quit something just because you’re losing. "To me, there are a lot of good reasons to remain in football, and there’s one bad reason to quit, and that’s we’re not winning." The committee is examining other reasons, such as the hidden costs of football. Dr. Joe @#%$, a computer science professor, is on the committee and is opposed to football at the university. He insisted he spoke only for himself and not the committee, calling UTC’s football program a "money sink." He compared the school’s situation to ETSU’s, predicting that dropping the sport might save the university in excess of $1 million. He wonders where the football program will find necessary funding to stay afloat when the Tennessee Higher Education Commission outlaws public colleges spending state money on athletics beginning in 2008. "My guess is, personally, we could realize the same savings or maybe even more than ETSU," @#%$ said. "I don’t want to anticipate what the committee’s findings will be. "But my personal opinion is I think having a I-AA football team is not really with keeping with what UTC is about. It’s spending a lot of money in a division doomed to failure. The only teams that make money off football by rule are Division I teams." Dr. Richard Rice, president of UTC’s Faculty Senate, said he hopes to study the committee’s findings and make a recommendation to UTC’s chancellor concerning football by spring of 2005. Even if the committee finds there will be funding problems, Rice said he isn’t sure it will matter because of the boosters and community leaders on football’s side. "There’s such a strong support in the community that if the report comes out showing the program is indeed costly, I really wonder given the community support if the university administration would drop it," he said. A student athletic fee, which would have helped cover the costs of the athletic department, was voted down by the students earlier this year. Many feel the next chancellor of the university will be the one who makes the ultimate decision. "(Former UTC chancellor) Bill Stacy would not touch football," @#%$ said. "As long as he was here, football stayed. Now, he’s gone." Stacy wanted to distance himself from the situation but left a message after being contacted. He left UTC in August to take the headmaster position at Baylor School. "I take great confidence in Coach Sloan rebuilding the football program and great confidence in Rodney Allison," Stacy said. "The other part is I’m gone. I’m across the river and don’t know much about it." The biggest consequence of ETSU dropping football was having to leave the SoCon. The league’s bylaws state a member institution must have football to compete in the conference (current members UNCGreensboro, Davidson and College of Charleston were granted waivers to the rule). "We think we’re on the right track with (our) program," Obear said. "We like our Southern Conference membership, which is contingent on us having football." Like most other SoCon institutions, UTC budgets money to assist the athletic department each year. According to Debbie Parker, UTC associate vice chancellor for business and finance, the college has spent $187,943 more than it budgeted on the athletic department during the past four years. No separate numbers were available for football specifically. In only his second year at the helm of UTC’s football program, Allison has made efforts to put his name and face in the community along with a voice trying to sell his program. Ultimately, he knows the biggest selling point would be winning. "I know it costs money, but once you get to a point where you’re successful, you draw fans," Allison said. "It’s only human nature — especially here — for people to be skeptical. They’ve been told this before. They’re going to wait and see before they go spend their entertainment dollars. "I think eventually, this town and this university wants a successful football program, and I don’t think at this point, they’re willing to give up on it."

Air crash wiped out Evansville's team in '77 By Dick Heller Rick Notter, a Metro Beechcraft employee at Dress Regional Airport in Evansville, Ind., was one of the few witnesses who saw it happen. "I watched the plane taxi off runway 1-8 in the rain and fog," Notter told the Evansville Courier. "When the pilot got into the air, he made a sharp turn left. The plane went up into the fog and then came down to the ground. I heard a thud and saw the flames — it burst into flames immediately." Gene Hollencamp was among those who rushed to the wreckage of the twin-engine DC-3. "As we got closer, my first impression was it looked like there were a lot of tombstones scattered around," he said. "Then I realized they were seats with many of the passengers still strapped in them." Another reality struck Hollencamp when he spotted a University of Evansville flight bag. "Oh my God!" he thought. "These are the Aces ..." On the fateful day of Dec. 13, 1977, the entire 14-man Evansville basketball team was wiped out. Also among the 29 victims were coach Bobby Watson, his assistants, other athletic department personnel, sportscaster Marv Bates, two fans and three crew members. No one survived. The fatal flight had lasted five minutes after taking off about 7:15 p.m. following two delays caused by weather conditions. The plane went down at the eastern edge of the airport overlooking railroad tracks, and two small explosions followed. Bodies were strewn on and around the tracks. Three players survived the impact, but two died minutes later and freshman Greg Smith at a hospital early the next morning. "You couldn't see much except for the bodies near the track," recalled Patrick Wathen, a Courier reporter. "It was eerie. I remember seeing the glow of a flare and hearing a train whistle — the most forlorn sound I ever heard in my life." Another Courier reporter, sportswriter Tom Collins, must have felt like the luckiest person on earth. He had been scheduled to take the flight before his sports editor asked him to remain in the office that night to help with high school basketball coverage. The flight was scheduled to Nashville, Tenn., where Evansville's Purple Aces were to spend the night before busing to Murfreesboro for a game against Middle Tennessee State. In earlier years, the team probably would have made the whole trip by bus. But this was the school's first season of Division I competition, and chartering a plane seemed more in keeping with its upgraded status. More than a quarter-century later, the school observes the tragedy each December with a moment of silence before a game. Basketball coach Steve Merfeld discusses it openly if a prospective recruit brings up the subject. "A lot of times, they aren't aware of what happened, but their families are," Merfeld said. "And with the popularity of sports, many people are aware of those kinds of tragedies. They are not forgotten." Professional sports teams did not fly regularly until most leagues expanded to the West Coast in the 1950s and '60s. Many college teams still bus to closer road games. Yet the list of athletes and officials who have died in air crashes grows alarmingly: Oklahoma State basketball players Nate Fleming and Dan Lawson, plus assorted university staffers, in 2001. ... Golfer Payne Stewart. ... San Diego Chargers running back Rodney Culver. ... Nebraska quarterback Brook Berringer. ... NASCAR drivers Davey Allison and Alan Kulwicki. ... Eighteen members of the Zambian men's national soccer team and 17 from the Alianza Peruvian team. ... Baseball stars Thurman Munson, Roberto Clemente and Ken Hubbs. ... The Marshall University football team in 1970. ... And further back: Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne and former middleweight champion Marcel Cerdan, among others. All professional leagues have contingency plans to restock teams decimated by disaster. Perhaps such a tragedy will never happen ... but you have to dread the possibility. "Travel is a fact of athletic life," sports editor Justin Sokeland wrote in the Bloomington (Ind.) Times-Mail. "My colleagues and I can tell our own stories of precarious flights through snowstorms and tornadoes, and our relief upon landing." Evansville reacted to the plane crash admirably, putting it behind — though not out of mind — and moving forward. What else can anyone do? Now a city of 296,000 in southern Indiana along the banks of the Ohio River, Evansville long has taken pride in the university's basketball team. Under legendary coach Arad McCutchan, who retired after the 1976-77 season and was succeeded by Watson, the Purple Aces won five NCAA Division II championships before moving up to Division I for the 1977-78 campaign — a season ultimately reduced to four games. In the days following the plane crash, hundreds of students visited the university chapel and 4,000 people attended a memorial service. But life must go on, and so Evansville set about it by hiring Dick Walters, a highly successful junior college coach. To help the rebuilding job, the NCAA waived its rule that transferring athletes must sit out a year. "I think the university felt the situation called for a junior college coach who could get JUCO players that could help immediately," Walters recalled. "There was still a strong session of depression [on campus], but people did a good job of getting over it. And everybody was willing to help." Evansville's media guide for the 1978-79 season did not mention the tragedy, only that the program was "starting from scratch." In two months, Walters brought in 16 players, a mixture of JUCO recruits, transfers and freshmen. Startlingly, Evansville finished 13-16 his first season and 18-10 his second. Two years after that, the Purple Aces went 23-6 and earned a bid to the NCAA tournament. "The national media kept wanting to talk about the tragedy, and I wanted to talk about the future," Walters said. "My job was to get people thinking about what was ahead." To some extent, he succeeded. But today, on the 27th anniversary of the plane crash, a lot of folks in Evansville will be remembering an evening when the unthinkable happened.

The site below showed Southern lost by 15 to UALR, but they also lost by 19 to Cal. The 22 point loss tonight to NT was their largest of the season! Fri, Nov 19 Kentucky St. W 72-60 -- -- Sat, Nov 20 Stillman W 78-64 -- -- Tue, Nov 23 at California L 63-82 -- -- Tue, Nov 30 at AR Little Rock L 60-75 -- -- Sat, Dec 11 SE Louisiana W 67-65 -- -- Mon, Dec 13 Florida A&M L 81-85 -- -- Thu, Dec 16 at North Texas L 73-95

Why? Did South Miss (ha!) ever look into a name change to Mississippi A&M, Miss Tech, Miss Lucy, etc.?

"Southern Miss" is a girl's school.

I always thought "Southern Miss" sounded like a girl's school for wayward debutantes. Oh ya, football....the Missys think they are hot stuff now staying within 10 of Cal and having UT fans cheering at their game....not! NT - 33 S&M - 17

I agree the mid-week timing of the bowl is bad for many; but for the ones who "could" go and don't because they are protesting New Orleans or DD is just pitiful.

NORTH TEXAS BASKETBALL NOTES By Jeff Wilson, Star-Telegram Staff Writer DENTON - North Texas' men's team got a taste of life in the NBA over the past week. Just not the life of mansions, Bentleys and million-dollar contracts. The Mean Green played its first three games in a five-day span, jumping from court to court and airport to airport. UNT survived the rigorous start to the season with two victories at home and a road loss against nationally ranked Alabama. "That was a concern for us when we did our schedule, this quick turnaround," coach Johnny Jones said. "Coming back in here [with a win Tuesday], that was big. That says a lot about the guys and their focus right now." UNT opened with a 100-66 victory over Angelo State last Friday, hopped on a plane to Alabama on Saturday, lost 85-71 to the Crimson Tide on Sunday, flew back and practiced Monday, then defeated UNC-Wilmington 76-69 on Tuesday. Whew. "I feel like we're a great conditioned team," senior guard Leonard Hopkins said. "Anytime you play three games in five days, it takes a toll on your body, but if you prepare for it with conditioning, you're able to get through stretches." The rest since Tuesday's game has been welcome, especially with run-and-gun Lamar and coach Billy Tubbs headed to the Super Pit on Saturday night. "His teams always play fast," Jones said. "They like to fast break, take quick shots." Women posts tested The UNT women's team faced perhaps the best post game on its schedule during an 88-65 loss at Houston on Sunday, and coach Tina Slinker said the Mean Green's inside players fared well. Mia Ajekwu was most impressive, with 11 points and nine rebounds against a Cougars front court that ranged from 6-foot-2 to 6-5. "We got the ball inside and she [Ajekwu] scored six of the first 10 points and was fairly fearless against them when she was trying to score," Slinker said of the 6-3 sophomore forward. "It was a great test for our post players." Freshman center Talicia Sanders gave UNT (1-1) a spark off the bench, something Slinker hopes to continue to see. "I just don't think Talicia's getting enough touches, and that's what we're going to work on," she said. Three for all Junior Mian Williams appears to have the early advantage as the UNT women attempt to find a starter at small forward. Williams, though, would be a really small forward, at 5-8. But after two games, Tina Slinker said Williams stands out. She's averaging 9.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds, including a start against Houston. "She's not really a 3 player, but I felt like what she's doing and her potential to score were more consistent than anyone else," Slinker said. IN THE KNOW Calendar SATURDAY Men's basketball vs. Lamar, 7 p.m. Women's basketball at Sam Houston State, 7 p.m. TUESDAY Women's basketball at LSU, 7 p.m.

Yes, not enough good fans support it by going to the Bowl when they could.

Seahawks Visit Mean Green Tonight At 8 p.m. EST Nov. 23, 2004 UNC Wilmington visits Sun Belt foe North Texas this evening at 8 p.m. Eastern. The Seahawks won their opener, 58-57, over Marshall last Friday. North Texas is 1-1 following an 85-71 loss at No. 18 Alabama Sunday. Tonight's game is the first of a brief two-game road swing that sees the Seahawks visit UNC Asheville Saturday for a 4:30 p.m. tip-off. Join Mike Vacarro and Tom Peterson at 7:30 p.m. EST for the pregame show live on WAAV 980 or log into the internet feed by clicking on the "UNCW Hoops Live" button to the right.

Were we really that bad in 2000? "They were one of the worst basketball teams I have ever seen in Division I," Gottfried said of the 2000-01 Mean Green. That was Trilli's last season which finished 4-24. ..................................................................................................................... Late run helps No. 18 Alabama top UNT men 02:49 AM CST on Monday, November 22, 2004 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama controlled the game against North Texas throughout, but the 18th-ranked Crimson Tide needed an 11-2 run in the second half to pull away for an 85-71 win Sunday at Coleman Coliseum. The contest was dramatically different from the teams' last meeting, which Alabama won 94-55 in 2000-01. Johnny Jones took over UNT's program a year later after serving as an assistant at Alabama (2-0) under Mark Gottfried. "They were one of the worst basketball teams I have ever seen in Division I," Gottfried said of the 2000-01 Mean Green. "From where they were then to where they are now is light years ahead." UNT (1-1) trailed by as many as 22 in the first half before pulling within 52-43 with 13:25 left on three free throws by Leonard Hopkins. The former Lincoln standout led three UNT players in double figures with 19 points. Michael Jones added 18 points, and Calvin Watson had 15. Alabama forward Chuck Davis scored four of his game-high 25 points during the Crimson Tide's key second-half run. "Alabama had some great open looks and every time we slipped up on defense they knocked their shots down," Hopkins said. NO. 18 ALABAMA 85, NORTH TEXAS 71 NORTH TEXAS (1-1) – Jones 7-13 0-0 18, Barnett 4-5 1-1 9, Hopkins 6-16 4-7 19, Hines 0-3 0-0 0, Watson 5-9 1-1 15, Harris 0-0 0-0 0, Mitchell 0-0 0-0 0, Sturns 1-5 0-0 2, Thomas 1-4 0-0 2, Williams 1-2 0-0 2, Simpson 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 27-59 6-9 71. ALABAMA (2-0) – Davis 8-10 9-11 25, Winston 4-12 4-6 13, Davidson 2-4 1-2 5, Shelton 5-7 4-4 17, Steele 4-4 4-6 14, Weber 0-0 0-0 0, Daniels 0-0 0-0 0, Brock 1-3 2-5 4, Felix 3-7 0-0 7, Jonus 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-49 24-34 85. Halftime–Alabama 44-28. 3-Point goals–North Texas 11-28 (Watson 4-5, Jones 4-8, Hopkins 3-10, Sturns 0-1, Hines 0-2, Mitchell 0-2), Alabama 7-15 (Shelton 3-4, Steele 2-2, Winston 1-4, Felix 1-4, Jonus 0-1). Fouled out–None. Rebounds– North Texas 24 (Hines 7), Alabama 36 (Davis 7). Assists– North Texas 14 (Hines 3), Alabama 12 (Winston, Davidson, Steele 3). Total fouls–North Texas 25, Alabama 11. A–8,975.

They were to have turned dirt in November but I don't know if they did yet. The location will be on the west side of Bonnie Brae across the street from the entrance to the new Athletic Center. As for the team, there will probably not be a varsity team for at least a couple years (funding and Title IX issues) but the NT club baseball team will use the facility.

Not leaving this week is what he meant! Utah pays him $500,000 per year. Florida can offer him $2.5 Million per year. You do the math and see if he still says he's not leaving. As for him coming to UNT, not even as a visiting coach until we get a new stadium, and then it's doubtful.

Sturns is like the Jamario of the basketball team...he is going to be a good one!

It's now been corrected in today's DRC online article in a post below.

UNT running game stymies Angelo St. By Jeff Wilson, Star-Telegram Staff Writer DENTON - North Texas' football team isn't the only bunch on campus that can run. The Mean Green's men's basketball team scored at will in the second half of its season opener Friday night at the Super Pit, running and dunking to a 100-66 victory over Angelo State. UNT forced 15 second-half turnovers -- 27 in the game -- and extended a 43-34 halftime lead to as many as 41 points late in the game. But the first five minutes after halftime, when the Mean Green used its full-court press to take a 57-40 lead, were the key. "We came out, loosened up, got in our rhythm, and it exploded from there," said forward Michael Jones, who scored a career-high 16 points. "We know if we bring the pressure, they'll make the mistakes." The lead grew to 99-58 with 2:02 remaining after the Mean Green scored 16 consecutive points on three layups and four dunks. UNT had 22 fast-break points to the Rams' four, 62 points in the paint to the Rams' 26, and 23 points off turnovers. "Our guys can go from one end of the floor pretty quick," said UNT coach Johnny Jones, who improved to 4-0 in season openers. "There's nothing like getting an easy fast-break basket." Michael Jones fueled UNT in the first half with 12 points, six of his career-high nine rebounds, and four steals. Freshman Michael Sturns fed Jones for four easy points and scored two of his own on a layup during a 13-4 run to close the half. Women North Texas 62, Binghamton 44: Kelsie Edwards scored 14 points, and the Mean Green's defense forced 22 first-half turnovers in a season-opening rout over the Bearcats. The Mean Green led 30-10 at halftime and 51-30 with 7:39 remaining. Junior guard Mian Williams scored six of her career-high 11 points in the second half. "I was really pleased, especially with the way we started the game defensively," said UNT coach Tina Slinker, who improved to 9-7 in season openers. "Anytime you hold anybody in Division I to 10 points in a half, you're doing something right." IN THE KNOW MEN'S BREAKDOWN Why UNT won: Angelo State could not break the Mean Green's full-court press in the second half, committing 15 turnovers. Why Angelo State lost: The Rams were outrebounded 59-35 and outscored 62-26 in the paint. Angelo State was outscored 70-36 after forging a 30-30 tie with 4:24 left in the first half. Notable • UNT freshman forward Quincy Williams had 10 points and seven rebounds in only 11 minutes. But his three blocked shots, all on drives to the basket, were most impressive. • UNT senior guard Leonard Hopkins matched Michael Jones with a game-high 16 points. Up next: North Texas at Alabama, 3:30 p.m. Sunday NORTH TEXAS 100, ANGELO STATE 66 WOMEN'S BREAKDOWN Why UNT won: The Mean Green forced 22 first-half turnovers and held Binghamton to 10 points on 21 percent shooting (3-of-14). Why Binghamton lost: Forward Jen Haubrich was in early foul trouble, allowing UNT to control the paint. Notable • UNT junior guard Mian Williams scored a career-high 11 points off the bench. • UNT shot only 31.8 percent (21-for-66) and 28.6 percent (6-21) on 3-pointers. Up next: North Texas at Houston, 2 p.m. Sunday

Some very nice home games, and many tough road games. Are they playing at Denia Park again next season since Liberty Christian hasn't moved yet?

I was here before DD and I'll be here after DD. I come to see the team play, not DD.

Troy Basketball Season Ticket Blitz (Main Board) posted by Tums , Bama, 11-12-2004, 14:53, from 65.82.123.2 The 2004-05 Troy University Basketball Season Ticket Blitz wrapped up Tuesday night with almost 1,200 tickets having been sold. The Troy Athletic staff members organized 5 teams of loyal trojan supporters to compete selling season tickets. Overall, the five teams combined to sell 1,193 season tickets for the 2004-05 Troy basketball season. Sammy Carr took the individual top prize in the blitz by selling 192 season tickets. Mike Amos and Ken Vaughn tied for second each with 100 season tickets sold. The ticket blitz teams had less than a week to sell as many 2004-05 season tickets as possible.

7:00 pm Mean Green vs. Southeast Oklahoma St. (exhibition) in the Fabulous SuperPit!

UNT INSIDER By Jeff Wilson, Star-Telegram Staff Writer DENTON - Locked-out hockey players might have flashed their toothless smiles when hearing the news of Alyssa Carrier's shining moment. The North Texas midfielder kept her smile intact during the Mean Green's landmark 1-0 victory Saturday in Miami, but the soccer player did borrow a page from the NHL Players Handbook. The senior suffered a gash over her left eye in the first half against Florida International, but, in hockey parlance, barely missed a shift. She ran to the sidelines, took a few butterfly stitches and returned moments later. She capped the game with the winning goal -- off a header, no less -- with eight seconds remaining. The six stitches she needed could wait until after the Mean Green realized and celebrated its No. 1 moment: its first Sun Belt Conference tournament title and the program's first berth in the NCAA Tournament. "I don't know how many kids could have done that," said coach John Hedlund, whose team plays a first-round game against Texas at 7 tonight in Austin. "Those are the kids I like to recruit. Those are the kids I want on the field. Those are the kids who are going to win games for you." Carrier was selected as the tournament MVP with two goals in three victories, giving her a measure of vindication after being left off the all-conference teams. "I was very proud of her because after the banquet, she didn't win an award," Hedlund said. "I told her, 'You deserve an award. You need to show these coaches what they missed during the regular season.' " The coach was left stunned after the title-clinching goal, which Carrier said almost didn't find the net. "I actually debated not making the run-in," said Carrier, who scored off a direct kick by Andrea Marak. "There were 30 seconds left in the game. We were thinking there's no way we're going to score, and I was dead tired. Then, I was like, 'Oh, what the heck. I'll make a run-in.' " Good decision, but one she and UNT's seven other seniors have been making since they arrived in Denton. Each year, though, the Mean Green fell one gut-wrenching win short as the runner-up the previous four conference tournaments. "It's been really frustrating, and it would have been even more heartbreaking this year," said Carrier, an Arlington High School graduate. "I felt like, you look at all the teams, and we were the most talented. Last year when we lost the conference tournament final, I thought we should have won that game, too." The Mean Green was felled in 2003 by its nemesis, Denver, but got the best of the Pioneers last week in the semifinals. The 3-0 victory was UNT's best game of the season, gave the Mean Green (16-5-1) a single-season record for wins, and gives the team confidence against the nationally ranked Longhorns (13-6-2). "We didn't just beat them; we killed Denver," Carrier said. "I think Texas will take us lightly; they're not expecting anything from us. If we play like we did, we'll definitely come out the winner." IN THE KNOW Calendar TODAY Men's basketball vs. SE Oklahoma St., 7 p.m. (exhibition) Soccer NCAA Tournament: at Texas, 7 p.m. Volleyball at Louisiana-Lafayette, 7 p.m. SATURDAY Cross country NCAA South Central Regional, Waco Football vs. Idaho, 6 p.m. Tennis at Houston Cougar Classic SUNDAY Volleyball vs. Western Kentucky, 1 p.m. THURSDAY Football at Arkansas State, 6 p.m. Volleyball Sun Belt tournament, New Orleans, TBA ONLINE:www.meangreensports.com Jeff Wilson, (817) 685-3873 jwilson@star-telegram.com