OldTimer

UNT's Hopkins leads by example 08:08 PM CST on Thursday, March 3, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle Paula Hopkins thought her nightly routine was complete a few years ago when she heard a muffled sound down the hall in her Oak Cliff home. Paula had chased her three sons off the basketball court just outside their backdoor and sent them to bed – only the game they were playing was far from over. "They would cut the bottom out of a shoebox, tape it to the wall and shoot at that," Paula said. "I would think that they were asleep, and they would be up there in their room, shooting with rolled up socks to keep the noise down." North Texas senior Leonard Hopkins, whose college career may draw to a close this weekend, was the ringleader in those games and has served as the inspiration for his twin brothers, Bryan and Ryan, in what has developed into one of the first families of Dallas basketball. [Click image for a larger version] NATHAN HUNSINGER/DMN NATHAN HUNSINGER/DMN Having three sons in college is more than enough to fill Paula Hopkins' cup. As for younger brothers Bryan (center) and Ryan (right), teammates at SMU, they have long taken pride in Leonard (left), who is on track to graduate from North Texas in May. Leonard cleared the 1,000-point mark at UNT in a game against Chattanooga on Dec. 29 and is in eighth place on the Mean Green's scoring list heading into the Sun Belt Conference tournament this week at the Super Pit in Denton. Bryan cleared the 1,000-point mark a little more than a week earlier at SMU, where Ryan is also a member of the team. The success Leonard and Bryan have enjoyed in college has only added to the accomplishments all three piled up at Lincoln High School, where Bryan and Ryan were members of the Tigers' 2001-02 team that finished 40-0 and earned a mythical national title. Leonard, 23, who is a year and a half older than his twin brothers, played for Lincoln before a broken leg forced him to sit out his junior and senior seasons and also his freshman season at UNT. "I don't think we would be as good as we are today without Leonard," Bryan said. "We grew up watching him and his friends play. That got me involved in basketball." Lincoln assistant coach John Carter said he doesn't think the area will see another trio like the Hopkins brothers any time soon. "You can go into any part of the city and ask about the Hopkins brothers and people will know them," Carter said. "Lincoln is known in part because of the contributions all three of them made to the school." A family affair The Hopkins brothers travel across the Dallas area to watch each other play and can often be found on their cellphones after games, talking with each other about the latest ups and downs of their careers. What those calls can't replace is a trip home. Not much has changed over the years around the wooden table that sits in the middle of the family kitchen, where they often gather for Sunday dinners. Paula still serves up home cooking while the conversation drifts from the brothers' days playing basketball as youngsters to their hopes of playing professionally. The brothers trace their basketball background to Oak Cliff and the blacktop court with metal chains for nets that sat outside their backdoor, in Moore Park. Leonard hit the court from the morning until the park's lights flickered off late at night. Bryan and Ryan soon followed, creating a heated sibling rivalry. Just who got the better of those games is still up for debate when the brothers get together to review accusations of misdeeds from long ago with a snicker and a smile. "They used to double-team me and make it tough for me to score," Leonard said. "As the years went by, they were able to beat me. "We hated to lose because we would hear it all day." Bryan and Ryan still remember how Leonard avoided that fate no matter if he was playing well on a particular day. Said Ryan: "We used to play one-on-one, and Leonard would cheat. He taught us the game ... both the dirty version and the clean version." Setting the tone What might have been more important than the lessons Leonard taught his brothers on the court was the example he set off it. Leonard was one of the top players in the area his sophomore year at Lincoln before his leg injury. Watching him bounce back had a profound impact on Bryan and Ryan, who quickly put aside their lighthearted ways when the talk turns to the injuries that have hounded their brother over the years. "Leonard was really strong," Bryan said. "He was out for almost three years. It was a tough position, but he persevered through it to get back to the level he is at." Leonard has remained healthy the last two years. As UNT's starting shooting guard, he averaged 14.0 points as a junior and has pushed that to 17.9 this season. Paula is just as proud of what Leonard has accomplished off the court by remaining on track to graduate in May. UNT has appealed to the NCAA for a sixth season of eligibility because of the injuries that have cost Hopkins significant time during his career. Watching Bryan and Ryan follow his lead has been satisfying for Leonard, who laid the foundation for the family's rise from bedroom sock ball to Division I basketball. "I wanted to set an example for my brothers," Leonard said. "I wanted to go to college and make something of myself. Bryan and Ryan felt like they needed to do the same. I take pride in the fact that they have done well at SMU." E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

Men's basketball: Sturns to the rescue Guard hits two free throws with no time left for victory 09:40 AM CST on Friday, February 25, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Michael Sturns must have learned a thing or two about how to handle late-game pressure situations while watching a series of close games from the North Texas bench over the last few weeks. The freshman certainly performed that way with the game on the line in front of a hushed crowd at the Super Pit Thursday night in a Sun Belt Conference game against New Orleans. North Texas guard Michael Sturns, second from right, is mobbed by his teammates after hitting the game-winning free throw with no time left in the Mean Green’s game against New Orleans at the Super Pit Thursday. The Mean Green won, 74-73. Sturns had hardly seen the court all night, but came up with a veteran-like play when he drove the length of the floor and drew a foul at the buzzer to earn three free throws with UNT trailing by a point. UNT’s backup point guard missed the first shot, but hit the second two to give UNT a 74-73 win. "I was nervous after the first shot, being a rookie in that situation. Leonard and Calvin told me to clear my head, not worry about the first one and keep shooting," Sturns said of UNT veterans Leonard Hopkins and Calvin Watson. The close win was just the latest in a series of tight games the Mean Green (14-12, 6-8) have played over the last few weeks when some of the Sun Belt’s top players have come up with game-changing plays in clutch situations. Western Kentucky guard Anthony Winchester hit a 35-foot shot at the buzzer to give the Hilltoppers a win 93-92 over UNT on Feb. 12. UNT came back to win a tight game five days later when Leonard Hopkins hit an 18-foot shot in with 0.3 seconds left to give the Mean Green a win over Denver. "It helped us to have played in a lot of close games," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "If you can win some of them, guys start to look forward to playing in them." UNT appeared as if it would avoid playing in one of those tight games when Hopkins led the Mean Green on an 11-0 run late in the second half. UNT trailed by two before Hopkins scored eight straight points during the rally that concluded when junior forward Jeffrey Simpson picked up a ball that had bounced off junior point guard Isaac Hines’ foot and scored on a hook shot. Simpson’s shot gave UNT a seemingly insurmountable lead at 71-62 with just 1:09 left in the game. The run was part of a solid night for UNT offensively. The Mean Green shot 52 percent from the floor for the game. Hopkins led UNT with 24 points, while Simpson added 13 points and Watson had 12. UNT hit only a few lulls in the game, including a critical dry spell that allowed UNO (13-15, 7-7) to go on an 11-1 run to get back into the game in the final minute. UTN still led 72-70 with 12 seconds left despite that lull, but turned the ball over when James Parlow jumped in front of a pass intended for Hopkins at halfcourt. UNO worked the ball to Jacob Manning, who hit a 3-point shot with 4.8 seconds left to give the Privateers the lead. Manning had missed both of his shots from 3-point range on the season before giving UNO the lead. "We had the game where we wanted it, but anything can happen," Hopkins said. "We have to be smarter late in games." Fortunately for UNT, there was just enough time left on the clock for the Mean Green to get off one final shot. UNT coach Johnny Jones turned to what seemed like an unlikely player to take that clutch shot in Sturns. The freshman had played just five minutes in the game and had not taken a shot, but was the best option because of his speed, and cramps that limited UNT point guard Isaac Hines. The junior went to the locker room in the second half and couldn’t come back with the game on the line. "Sturns is the only other guy we have besides Isaac who has played a lot of points for us," Jones said. "Isaac was cramping and we couldn’t keep him in." With Hines out, UNT threw the ball to Sturns, who drove from deep in the Mean Green’s end of the floor and pulled up at the 3-point arc. UNO guard Bo McCalebb swiped at the ball, knocked the ball out of Sturns’ hands and drew a whistle. McCalebb led UNO with 24 points The officials huddled before clearing the floor and awarding Sturns three free throws. The situation seemed less than ideal for UNT, which had hit only 14 of 26 free throws at that point. Despite an off night at the line, UNT had confidence in Sturns to come through in a key game for the Mean Green, which needed a win to keep its hopes of finishing third in the Sun Belt’s West Division alive. "I thought Michael would get a layup or find Calvin or Leonard spotting up" Jones said. "When he was fouled, I wanted to stay positive. I thought he would hit them." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Basketball: Opportunity to move up awaits both UNT squads 08:59 AM CST on Thursday, February 24, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The biggest games of the season for the North Texas basketball teams are still a few days away, but that does not mean the Mean Green still does not have a lot to play for this weekend when they close out the regular season. The UNT men will take on New Orleans tonight at the Super Pit, while the Mean Green women will head out on the road to face South Alabama. Those games and the team’s regular season finales on Saturday will determine just how tough of a road both squads will face in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on March 4-8 at the Super Pit, when a berth in the NCAA Tournament will be on the line. "These games are huge for us," UNT men’s coach Johnny Jones said. "You always want to be playing at your best and go into the tournament on a roll." What could be even more important for both teams is the opportunity to improve their seeding in the event. The UNT women (12-13, 7-6) enter the weekend just one game behind Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt’s West Division and hold just about every tiebreaker with the Ragin’ Cajuns. A pair of wins and a ULL loss could give the Mean Green the division title. Even if UNT loses its last two games, it can fall no father than third in the division and earn a No. 3 seed. UNT coach Tina Slinker said she was excited about the opportunity the weekend presents. The Mean Green have much more to gain than they stand to lose in their final two games of the season. The Mean Green will have to improve their performance on the road to take advantage of their chance to move up in the Sun Belt standings. UNT has struggled away from the Super Pit throughout the season and has lost seven of its last eight games away from home. UNT has tried to remain confident despite what has been a dismal series of road games, including a lopsided 74-56 loss to Denver on the road last week. "We can bounce back," junior guard Natalie Mireles said. "This will be a great opportunity to fight through and win on the road. We have to remain confident in what has gotten us this far." A win over USA tonight would also help UNT fend off the Jaguars, who are just a game behind the Mean Green in the conference standings at 6-7. UNT will look to Erika Bobo to help turn back USA. The junior guard leads UNT with an average of 12.7 points a game. USA is the top defensive team in the Sun Belt and is allowing just 55.8 points a game to lead the league. JoAnna Williams is averaging 10.7 points for the Jaguars. The UNT men could have even more to play for than their counterparts on the women’s team over the last week of the season — including a first-round bye in the Sun Belt Tournament. UNT (13-12, 5-8) is in a tie for fourth place in the Sun Belt’s West Division with South Alabama. UNT still has a chance to move past New Orleans into third place in the league standings and earn a bye in the first round of the league tournament with wins in its last two regular season games. "It’s very important for us to finish strong," junior forward Ty Thomas said. "We want to move up and earn a higher seed." To reach that goal the Mean Green will need to find a way to shut down Bo McCalebb. The sophomore was named the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and has lived up to his billing by leading the league with an average of 23.0 points a game. McCalebb scored 25 points and handed out six assists in the teams’ first meeting, when the Mean Green pulled out a 66-60 win on the road. UNT will turn to its backcourt combo of Leonard Hopkins and Calvin Watson to lead the Mean Green to a sweep of the Privateers. Hopkins leads the team with an average of 17.4 points a game, while Watson is averaging 11.8. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Freshmen anchoring UNT women 07:31 AM CST on Thursday, February 17, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle Erica Howard thought she had a pretty good idea of what to expect when the North Texas women faced Louisiana-Lafayette and Anna Petrakova less than two weeks ago. The freshman post heard about Petrakova's skill and her ability to score baskets in bunches. What she saw in person was even more impressive. Petrakova sliced past Howard, fellow freshman Talicia Sanders and just everyone else the Mean Green used to defend her while posting a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 73-66 ULL win. Howard and Sanders will get a second chance to face Petrakova in a 5 p.m. game tonight at the Super Pit. The UNT men will face Denver in the second half of the doubleheader at 7:30 p.m. "We feel like we have something to prove after how well Petrakova played against us last time," Howard said. "We didn't know how to play her the first time. Now that we have some experience, we will do a lot better." The duo's showdown with the 6-3 senior center will be the key matchup in perhaps the Mean Green's most important game of the season. UNT (11-12, 6-5) enters the contest just one game behind the Ragin' Cajuns (17-7, 7-4) in the Sun Belt Conference's West Division standings with four games left in the regular season. "This is the most important stretch of our season," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "These next few games will determine how successful our season will be." The Mean Green will have an excellent chance to at least share the SBC West title if Sanders and Howard can keep Petrakova in check and help UNT win tonight. Petrakova was named the Sun Belt's Player of the Year last season and is averaging 17.5 points and 9.8 rebounds a game to rank fourth and third in the Sun Belt, respectively, in each category this year. The Mean Green might have been in better position to face Petrakova earlier this season before two of their top frontcourt players suffered major injuries. Mia Ajkewu, a 6-3 sophomore forward, started the first 15 games of the season and ranked second on the team with an average of 11.3 points a game before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Sophomore forward Kelsie Edwards missed nine games with a stress fracture in her leg before returning to play limited minutes in UNT's last two games. Howard and Sanders were forced into more prominent roles to fill in for their injured teammates. Neither player was happy about seeing Ajekwu and Edwards sitting on the sideline, but they tried to take advantage of an opportunity to play. "Getting the chance to play has been the best part of my freshman season," Sanders said. "To come to college and get a chance to show what I can do has been great. Not a lot of people get that opportunity, so I want to make the most of it." That is just what both players have done. Howard scored in double figures in four straight games during conference play, while Sanders is inching closer to setting a new freshman rebounding record. Sanders is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game, just short of the 7.1 rebounds per game former UNT standout LaFreda Deckard posted in the 1994-95 season. "Erica and Talicia complement each other," Slinker said. "Talicia is a little more physical, while Erica is more of a finesse player." The UNT men's game against Denver might not be a battle for first place like the women's game, but it will be no less important for the Mean Green. UNT comes into the night tied for fourth place in the SBC West and is looking to take advantage of a favorable schedule to make a late run up the league standings. The Mean Green will play three of their final four regular season games at the Super Pit. UNT tuned up for the stretch run on Monday with a 103-44 pounding of Texas-Permian Basin, an NAIA team. The win came just two days after Western Kentucky beat UNT on a half-court buzzer beater. "We got a lot of things done and improved from Saturday's game to Monday's game. That's what is important to get ready for the stretch run," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. The first game of the Mean Green's season-ending series of games could be one of the most challenging. The Pioneers hammered UNT 79-52 in the teams' first meeting of the season. "You could argue that Denver is the best team in our league right now," Jones said. "They are very talented at each position and are playing very well." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com .

UNT junior becomes a factor on offense Simpson providing more than rebounding, blocked shots 06:48 PM CST on Saturday, February 12, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle When North Texas men's basketball coach Johnny Jones signed Jeffrey Simpson to a scholarship last year, he thought he was getting a shot-swatting center who could help the Mean Green on the defensive end of the floor. It turns out Jones got much more than he bargained for. Simpson has developed into a solid offensive player in addition to a defensive presence under the basket. The change became evident when the 6-8 junior scored in double figures in four of UNT's last seven games, including a career-high 18 points in the Mean Green's win over New Mexico State last Saturday . Simpson's late-season surge has helped keep UNT (11-10, 4-6) in the hunt for a solid seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. "I was not sure if Jeffrey would be the impact player he has been," Jones said. "We knew he would be solid defensively. The surprise has been the outburst he has had offensively. ... He is really coming into his own." When Simpson first arrived at UNT, he was expected to fill in as a defensive player behind starter Justin Barnett and help soften the blow the Mean Green felt after Shawnson Johnson completed his career last season. Johnson played just one semester at UNT after transferring from LSU, but still finished with 69 blocked shots to go along with an average of 11.2 points a game. Simpson's role expanded dramatically when Barnett injured his hand before Christmas and was forced to miss nine games. Simpson moved into the starting lineup for a game against Arkansas State on Jan. 22 and scored 16 points to go with nine rebounds, a performance that reminded some of the shot-blocking Johnson. That debut sparked Simpson's rapid rise that has seen him average 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds a game in conference play. Simpson has also blocked 37 shots on the season, a total that ranks third in the Sun Belt. "My confidence has grown a lot," Simpson said. "The coaches and my teammates keep me motivated. I try to come with my best effort every night. I feel a lot more comfortable on the offensive and defensive ends." Simpson first made an impact on the defensive end of the floor by racking up blocked shots. The former Eastern Oklahoma State College standout blocked six shots in a win at New Mexico State on Jan. 8 and then matched that number in a win over New Orleans a few weeks later. Simpson's six blocks in a game rank fourth in school history. "Jeffrey picked right up where Shawnson left off," senior guard Leonard Hopkins said. "Players can't come into the lane for uncontested shots with Jeffrey in there." As the season has progressed, Simpson has gradually added to his offensive repertoire. He has consistently hit short jump shots and hook shots in the lane in addition to scoring on offensive rebounds. "It has helped me a lot to work with the post players here," Simpson said. "When I came to North Texas, I was just a run-and-gun player. I am starting to tap into my potential. I feel like I have a lot of room to grow." Jones said Simpson's development is a product of the comfort zone he has found at UNT. "Any time you make the transition from high school or junior college to Division I you have to get acclimated to a new system," Jones said. "The offense he ran in junior college is completely different than what we use here. He has adapted and continued to get better." Added Simpson: "I am a team player Starting does not matter as long as I get a chance to play. It's about winning games." E-mail: bvito@dentonrc.com

Men's basketball: Mean Green take on Denver UNT posts face huge test in Pioneers’ Nicholson 09:09 AM CST on Thursday, January 13, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer For the past few weeks, North Texas men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones has been able to count on at least one of his post players to come up with a solid performance each and every time the Mean Green have played. Freshman Quincy Williams, junior newcomer Jeffrey Simpson and junior veteran Ron Harris have all had their moments while helping the Mean Green pick up five wins in their last six games. The group’s continued success could be critical for UNT heading into a Sun Belt Conference game tonight against Denver and Yemi Nicholson, one of the top post players in the league. "Yemi will present some problems for us just like he has every other team in the league," Jones said. "He is the one they try to go to quite often. He played well against us last year." Nicholson is averaging 16.1 points and 7.3 rebounds a game to lead Denver in both categories. The junior scored 18 points in a win over the Mean Green last year, despite the presence of 6-9 center Shawnson Johnson. Johnson was a third-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and one of the top defensive players in the league as a senior. None of UNT’s post players has developed into the dominant defensive player Johnson was last season, but they have shown signs of progress over the last few weeks. Simpson posted one of his best defensive games of the season in a win over New Mexico State last week when he blocked six shots and grabbed four rebounds to go along with six points. The six blocks Simpson posted rank fourth in school history for a single game. Williams posted the only double-double by a UNT player this season when he had 15 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 30,while Harris grabbed 10 rebounds and scored six points in the same game. The trio helped UNT dominate inside during its game against NMSU. "It gives us confidence," Williams said of UNT’s performance against NMSU. "We forced their post players out of the paint and made them catch the ball where they were not comfortable. We will have to try to do the same thing this game." Williams will have the first chance among UNT’s players to fulfill that role now that he has moved into the Mean Green’s starting lineup in place of Justin Barnett. The junior center was lost before the holiday break with a hand injury. Williams has shown signs of becoming a dominant player but has not been consistent. He has scored at least 14 points in two of UNT’s last four games and posted two points in the other two. A consistent performance from inside from Williams, Simpson and Harris could be the key to the Mean Green’s game against Denver and their chances to complete for the Sun Belt title. UNT starting guards Leonard Hopkins and Calvin Watson are averaging 18.3 and 13.8 points a game, respectively, to lead the Mean Green. Simpson’s historical six-block performance against NMSU was an encouraging sign that UNT is starting to find a solid presence inside to complement its guard play. "Jeffrey did a good job and stepped up," junior guard Isaac Hines said. "The coaches talked to him about what he needed to do and he came prepared. It makes other teams work harder to score when Jeffrey is blocking shots inside. It’s definitely a sign of what is to come from him." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

UNT notebook: UNT women look to build on key victory Mean Green see win as a chance to turn corner 09:00 AM CST on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 The North Texas women’s basketball team is hoping a win over New Mexico State last week will prove to be a turning point in its season. The Mean Green struggled through a tough non-conference campaign and lost their last three games before breaking through for a 63-55 win over the Aggies in their Sun Belt Conference opener. "It was a really critical win because we were at home, we broke the losing streak and we tried to convince ourselves that our pre-conference schedule was preparing us for conference play," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "The win showed that we did the right thing." The Mean Green will look to build on their win over NMSU when they face Denver at 7 p.m. on Thursday at The Super Pit. The Pioneers are just 2-11 on the season and lost their first game in Sun Belt play to Louisiana-Lafayette. A game against the cellar-dwelling Pioneers will provide the Mean Green a chance to jump out to a 2-0 start in league play. UNT has not won its first two games in Sun Belt play since joining the league in 2000. The MeanGreen were picked to finish in third place in the Sun Belt’s West Division this season. Briefs Women’s basketball UNT on record pace defensively this season The Mean Green are on pace to have one of the best seasons in school history defensively. UNT is allowing 62 points a game and is holding its opponents to 37.1 percent shooting from the field. The school record for average number of points allowed is 62.6 while the record for field goal percentage defense is 37.4 percent. The Mean Green could have a chance to improve their totals when they take on Denver on Thursday. The Pioneers rank ninth in the Sun Belt in both scoring (53.6 points a game) and field goal percentage (34 percent). Men’s basketball Schedule just fine with UNT UNT will complete perhaps its toughest road trip of the season in the next few days when the team travels to Denver for a game Thursday before heading to Miami for a game against Florida International on Monday. The games will come on the heels of a win over New Mexico State in the Mean Green’s Sun Belt Conference opener in Las Cruces, N.M. While the situation is not ideal, it is better than road swings UNT has endured in previous seasons when the Mean Green played road games on Thursday and Saturday in the same week. "It’s a better schedule for us," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "At least we will get a chance to come home on Friday, sleep in our own beds, get ready on Saturday and then fly out on Monday. It will give us an additional day to prepare and another day of rest. I would rather do that than play on Thursday and Saturday." Thomas comes through after switch to new spot UNT coach Johnny Jones was pleased with the performance of small forward Ty Thomas in the Mean Green’s win over New Mexico State last week. Thomas came into the game in the waning moments of the game and made a series of key plays from the power forward position. Jones inserted Thomas into the lineup after Ron Harris was struck in the head. Thomas responded by scoring eight points and pulling down three rebounds in just 13 minutes of action. The junior hit all four of his free throws in the game. Harris was not seriously injured and will return in UNT’s game against Denver on Thursday. Simpson throws block party Center Jeffrey Simpson showed signs of becoming a solid defensive player for UNT during the Mean Green’s win over New Mexico State last week. The junior finished with six blocks against the Aggies, the fourth most for a single game in UNT history. Simpson added six points and four rebounds in 26 minutes. Simpson enters UNT’s game against Denver this week leading the Mean Green in blocks with 13. Simpson’s performance could be key this week against the Pioneers, who feature 6-10 center Yemi Nicholson. The junior averages 16.1 points and 7.3 rebounds a game to lead the Pioneers in both categories. "He is one of those guys that they are trying to go to constantly now," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "He delivers well." Athlete Profile Full name: Amber Jackson Nickname: Indiana High school: Brebeuf, Indianapolis Born (and where): May 30, 1986 (Indianapolis) Family (with ages): Cynthia Jackson (44), Rana Barker (27) Position: Forward Major: Undeclared When I graduate, I plan to: Coach My favorite athlete is: Tracy McGrady I am sick of athletes who are: Lazy If I could get four tickets to any sporting event in the world, it would be: The NBA Finals Three famous people I would take to the event would be: Chris Tucker, Michael Jordan, Queen Latifah My favorite sports movie is: Remember the Titians My favorite pro sports team is: Colts My favorite restaurant is: TGI Fridays The person who had the most influence on my life is: My sister The best summer I ever spent was: Playing AAU basketball all summer all over the Midwest My dream for this year is to: See UNT go to the NCAA Tournament Player of the week Calvin Watson continued to provide the North Texas men’s basketball team with a second scoring option during a game against New Mexico State last week. The sophomore guard scored 23 points despite taking just nine shots from the field in a 79-69 win over the Aggies. Watson went 6-of-9 from the field, made all nine of his free throws and finished tied for second on the team with six rebounds. Watson’s performance against NMSU marked the second straight game he has scored 20 points. He scored 20 points in a win over Tennessee-Martin in the consolation game of the Dr Pepper Classic. Watson’s 23-point outing against NMSU provided a perfect complement to the game-high 24 points senior guard Leonard Hopkins scored for the Mean Green in a historic win for UNT. The Mean Green had not won at NMSU in 31 years. Watson enters UNT’s game against Denver ranked second in the team in scoring with an average of 13.8 points a game. For his performance against NMSU, Watson is the Denton-Record Chronicle’s UNT Player of the Week. 7-day schedule Thursday Women’s basketball: Denver, 7 p.m.; Men’s basketball: at Denver, 7:30 p.m. Friday Swimming: UNT vs. Houston, SMU Saturday Women’s basketball: Florida International, 7 p.m. Monday Men’s basketball: At Florida International, 7 p.m.

UNT women beat New Mexico State, 63-55 12:53 AM CST on Sunday, January 9, 2005 By JAKE FLOYD / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON -- UNT got a career-high 18 points from junior Mian Williams and held to win its Sun Belt Conference opener, 63-55, over New Mexico State. UNT led by as many as 19 points, but NMSU went on a 9-1 run to get within five with 1:42 remaining. However, UNT went 10 of 10 from the free throw line in the final minute to clinch its eighth straight home victory over NMSU. "This is a huge win because they came in with a lot of confidence after beating Houston," said UNT coach Tina Slinker. UNT jumped out to a 33-19 halftime lead behind 50 percent shooting from 3-point range and by forcing 17 turnovers. UNT finished 8 of 17 on 3-pointers. NORTH TEXAS 63, NEW MEXICO STATE 55 NEW MEXICO STATE (5-8, 0-1)–Ford 0-0 0-0 0, Neal 6-11 4-6 16, Kennedy 3-7 0-0 6, Bribiescas 4-14 2-5 12, Baker 0-4 0-0 0, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Russell-Nava 6-11 0-0 16, Wald 0-0 0-0 0, Crainer 0-0 0-0 0, Clift 2-5 1-2 5, Beard 0-1 0-0 0, Denning 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-55 7-13 55. NORTH TEXAS (6-7, 1-0)–Sanders 1-4 1-4 3, Ajekwu 7-11 0-1 17, Bobo 5-12 0-2 11, Mireles 0-3 2-3 2, Williams 6-11 2-2 18, Howard 1-6 2-3 4, Quattrocchi 0-2 2-2 2, Wali 0-2 3-4 3, Wilson 0-1 0-0 0, Klat 1-1 1-1 3. Totals 21-53 13-22 63. Halftime–North Texas 33-19. Three-point goals–NMSU 6-16 (Kennedy 0-2 Bribiescas 2-4, Baker 0-1, Russell-Nava 4-8, Crainer 0-1), UNT 8-17 (Ajekwu 3-3, Bobo 1-4, Mireles 0-3, Williams 4-6, Quattrocchi 0-1). Fouled out–NMSU: Ford, Baker. UNT: Ajekwu, Bobo. Rebounds–NMSU 42 (Neal 15), UNT 32 (Sanders 8). Assists–NMSU 9 (Bribiescas 4), UNT 14 (Mireles 7). Total fouls–NMSU 24, UNT 22. Technical fouls–none. A– 405.

UNT men beat New Mexico State, 79-69 01:04 AM CST on Sunday, January 9, 2005 From Wire Reports LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Leonard Hopkins scored 24 points and Calvin Watson added 23 to lead North Texas past New Mexico State, 79-69, on Saturday in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams. UNT ended a 10-game losing streak at New Mexico State, a skid that dated to Feb. 14, 1974. New Mexico State coach Lou Henson missed the game after coming down with pneumonia Thursday. He was released from the hospital Saturday morning. Also Online Other scores University spokesman Tyler Dunkel said he did not know when Henson, who will be 73 Monday, would return to coaching. School officials said the coach is expected to make a full recovery. "I feel much better, and I'm looking forward to going home and resting," Henson said in a statement Saturday. He thanked his doctors for catching the pneumonia quickly. Henson fell ill shortly before practice Thursday and was hospitalized. He was stricken in September with viral encephalitis and had been scheduled to coach for the first time this season Saturday night. The viral encephalitis, an acute inflammatory disease of the brain, caused paralysis in his right leg. He's unable to walk on his own because he has only slight movement in that leg, but he has been undergoing vigorous rehab in recent weeks. Henson said he and his wife, Mary, would honor their promise to buy tickets for all fans in a wheelchair who attended Saturday's game. Henson is 21 wins short of becoming the fifth Division I coach with 800 career victories. UNT led, 69-66, with 3:02 to play before pulling away behind four straight points from Hopkins. The Mean Green (8-4, 1-0) is off to its best start through 12 games since the 1994-95 season. NMSU fell to 4-9, 0-1. NORTH TEXAS 79, NEW MEXICO STATE 69 NORTH TEXAS (8-4, 1-0)–Williams 1-3 0-0 2, Jones 1-2 2-2 4, Hopkins 9-17 5-6 24, Hines 2-5 0-1 5, Watson 6-9 9-9 23, Harris 2-4 0-1 4, Mitchell 0-1 0-0 0, Sturns 1-4 1-2 3, Thomas 2-5 4-4 8, Simpson 3-7 0-1 6. NEW MEXICO ST. (4-9, 0-1)–Jones 1-6 2-2 4, Lawrence 2-11 3-6 7, Mitchell 6-13 0-0 14, Davis 0-2 3-4 3, Jenkins 6-10 4-4 21, John 5-13 2-5 13, Haynes 1-1 0-0 3, Alexander 2-7 0-0 4, Funston 0-1 0-0 0. Halftime–N. Texas 35, New Mexico St. 31. Three-point goals–N. Texas 4-10 (Watson 2-3, Hines 1-3, Hopkins 1-3, Jones 0-1), New Mexico St. 9-19 (Jenkins 5-7, Mitchell 2-7, John 1-2, Haynes 1-1, Funston 0-1, Davis 0-1). Fouled out–Alexander. Rebounds–N. Texas 40 (Hopkins 7), New Mexico St. 39 (Jones 9, Lawrence 9). Assists–N. Texas 7 (Hines 4), New Mexico St. 14 (Jenkins 4). Total fouls–N. Texas 19, New Mexico St. 17. A–04,252.

Men's basketball: 4-mal change Dickey revived Mean Green in fourth year; could Jones, UNT men be next? 08:58 AM CST on Friday, January 7, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas athletic director Rick Villarreal couldn’t help but feel a hint of déjà vu while watching the UNT men’s basketball team over the first few weeks of the season. DRC Johnny Jones has led the UNT men to their best start through 11 games since the 1994-95 season in his fourth year, making some wonder if history could be repeating itself. Villarreal saw the Mean Green roll to a series of solid wins in head coach Johnny Jones’ fourth season at UNT and was reminded in some ways of the fourth year in football coach Darrell Dickey’s tenure. The UNT football team underwent a dramatic transformation in 2001 and broke through to win the first of four straight Sun Belt Conference titles. Jones’ team still has a long way to go to reach those heights, but has taken what appears to be a key step toward a breakthrough season heading into its Sun Belt Conference opener at 8:05 p.m. on Saturday at New Mexico State. UNT (7-4) will enter conference play this weekend with its best record through 11 games since the 1994-95 season, not to mention more wins heading into league play than any team since the 1960-70 squad. "There are a lot of parallels," Villarreal said of the two teams’ seasons. "The major reason Johnny is doing well this season is he has been here for a period of time where he feels comfortable and his kids feel comfortable. ... What excites me is that I know we can get better." When Jones arrived before the beginning of the 2001-02 season, there was nowhere to go but up following a 4-24 finish in Vic Trilli’s final campaign. UNT immediately improved, winning 15 games. That initial jump never resulted in a division or conference title in the Sun Belt or a run past the second round of the league’s postseason tournament. UNT is hoping its early surge is an indication that this could be the year the team can follow the path its counterparts on the football team blazed a few years ago. "We have a lot of games to go and hopefully we can continue to get better as the season progresses and stay healthy," Jones said. "Some great things could be ahead for this team." Jones’ feeling is based in part on finally having his players healthy and in place for the beginning of the season. Senior guard Leonard Hopkins, UNT’s leading scorer, entered the season at full strength after overcoming a series of injuries earlier in his career. Hopkins is just one of several experienced players in UNT’s lineup that also includes guard Calvin Watson, another returning starter, and veteran forward Mike Jones. The addition of highly touted junior college point guard Isaac Hines and freshman Quincy Williams also has been key. Williams replaced junior Justin Barnett in UNT’s lineup when the Mean Green’s starting center was lost for 6-8 weeks with a hand injury just before Christmas. "We are experienced and know what it takes to get to the next level," Hopkins said. "When you have experience on the floor, you have the ability to get it done." UNT not only has the experience it lacked in the past, but it also has a more talented team. The Sun Belt’s coaches named Hopkins to the first team of their preseason all-conference squad. Mike Jones and Hines are former JUCO All-Americans who have seen their talent translate to the Division I level. Williams and fellow freshman Michael Sturns also have made an immediate impact. UNT’s players are not only more talented; they also fit Jones’ system. The Mean Green’s current coaching staff brought in each player on the roster except Hopkins and Barnett, a pair of holdovers from the Trilli era. "We have been fortunate to recruit some talented players who we have been able to plug in, and there were also some good players here when I arrived who have contributed," Jones said. "Leonard and Justin may not have been my guys when I got here, but they are my guys now." The UNT football team underwent a similar transformation in 2001, although the Mean Green faced a more dire set of circumstances and an even tougher road. DRC North Texas football coach Darrell Dickey led the Mean Green to a dramatic turnaround in the 2001 season, his fourth with the Mean Green. UNT started Dickey’s fourth season with five straight losses and did not have the high percentage of veterans Jones is leaning on this season. "That first year we had a young team," Dickey said. "The way the guys handled it after starting 0-5 was unlike anything I have ever seen in my coaching career." UNT rallied behind current Tennessee Titans linebacker Brad Kassell and a handful of other veterans to finish in a tie for the Sun Belt title, earning a berth in the New Orleans Bowl. UNT went on to post its first winning campaign in seven seasons in 2002 and has been on a roll ever since. Jones is hoping his team can take the first step toward a similar finish at New Mexico State. The Mean Green have not won a game in Las Cruces since knocking off the Aggies, 83-74, on Feb. 14, 1974, long before the players on UNT’s current roster were born. Breaking a 10-game losing streak on NMSU’s home court does not appear to be an easy task. The Aggies are 4-8 on the season, but will be boosted by the return of legendary coach Lou Henson. Henson’s right leg is paralyzed as the result of viral encephalitis, an acute inflammatory disease of the brain. He is expected to coach NMSU from a wheelchair and continue his pursuit of becoming only the fifth Division I basketball coach with 800 wins. Henson needs just 21 more wins to reach the milestone. "They will definitely be ready to play with coach Henson coming back," Mike Jones said of NMSU. The challenge of facing a fired up NMSU team is one UNT appears ready to face after reaching a series of milestones in non-conference play. "There is something different about this team," said Hank Dickenson, UNT’s senior associate athletic director and longtime radio announcer. "It feels like they are making a breakthrough." Jones watched from a distance while the UNT football team turned the corner and would love the comparison between the teams to become even stronger after a solid run through Sun Belt play by his squad. "I have not taken a close look at what Darrell has done, but I would love to have the same kind of success," Jones said. "He has been sized for a championship ring every year since his fourth year." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

UNT notebook: Mean Green lose 2004 hoops recruit White was expected to join team during semester break 08:35 AM CST on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 Chris White, a member of the North Texas men’s basketball team’s 2004 recruiting class, is no longer in the Mean Green’s plans, coach Johnny Jones said Tuesday. White signed with UNT in April after playing for Moberly, Mo., Area Community College, but did not join the team in the fall because of academic issues. UNT left the door open for White to join the team at the semester break and work toward continuing his career. Those plans never worked out. White, a 6-6, 280-pound forward, was expected to add size and toughness to the Mean Green’s front line that lost several key players after last season. UNT’s coaches were hoping White could also regain the form he showed during his high school career when he was named the Alabama High School Player of the Year by USA Today and was also selected the state’s Mr. Basketball. White averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds as a senior in high school. He went on to average 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds while leading Moberly to the Region XVI championship and a No. 13 ranking in the final NJCAA Division I poll in 2004. Losing White has left UNT’s coaching staff with at least one open scholarship for its 2005 recruiting class that already includes 6-8 forward Harold Stewart of Crowley and 6-10 center Justin Howerton of Howe. UNT might have a second open scholarship, depending on the outcome of its appeal to the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility for senior guard Leonard Hopkins. Losing White was the first in a series of blows that have left the Mean Green short on depth in their frontcourt this season. UNT also lost 6-10 junior center Justin Barnett to a hand injury just before its holiday break. The Mean Green have been forced to turn to a series of newcomers to fill the void, including freshman forward Quincy Williams. The former Carl Albert standout from Midwest City, Okla., has been a pleasant surprise since moving into the starting lineup and is averaging 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds a game. Briefs Football Awasom to play in Hula Bowl Senior defensive end Adrian Awasom has been selected to play in the Hula Bowl, a postseason all-star game that will feature some of the top players in the country. Awasom will be a member of the East squad for the Jan. 22 game in Maui and will have a chance to improve his stock for the upcoming NFL Draft. He was a first team All-Sun Belt Conference selection last season after finishing with six sacks and 13 tackles for losses. Thomas named to freshman All-American team Running back Jamario Thomas was named a freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and Scripps on Tuesday. Thomas rushed for 1,801 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 10 games. The honor is just that latest in a series for the former Longview Spring Hill standout who broke the UNT and Sun Belt Conference single season rushing record held by teammate Patrick Cobbs. Women’s basketball Turnovers still costing UNT A familiar problem haunted UNT throughout its non-conference campaign that came to a close with a loss to Texas A&M on Sunday. UNT turned the ball over a season-high 31 times against the Aggies. The Mean Green have now turned the ball over at least 20 times in 11 straight games. UNT is turning the ball over an average of 2.25 more times a game than its opponents, a total that ranks 10th out of 11 teams in the Sun Belt Conference. The problem is a familiar one for UNT, which ranked ninth in the Sun Belt last season in turnover margin when the Mean Green turned the ball over an average of 1.11 more times than their opponents Junior guard Natalie Mireles is starting at point guard for UNT after playing sparingly her first two years in the program. "We are trying to fix our problems with turnovers," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "When you play teams that are athletic like we did in non-conference play, they show you where weaknesses are." UNT hopes to capitalize on series of home games UNT has enjoyed a distinct home-court advantage during conference play since joining the Sun Belt in 2000. UNT has posted a record of 21-9 at home in Sun Belt games, a record it hopes to improve when it opens conference play with a game against rival New Mexico State on Saturday. The Mean Green will play their first three games in Sun Belt play at The Super Pit, where they have posted a 3-2 record this season. UNT’s total includes a loss to Texas, which was ranked fourth nationally at the time. UNT ranks among best on boards in Sun Belt The Mean Green have struggled through an up-and-down non-conference campaign, but they have been consistent when it comes to pulling down offensive rebounds. UNT ranks first in the Sun Belt with an average of 14.8 offensive rebounds a game. The Mean Green’s success when it comes to grabbing rebounds can be attributed in part to a deep front court and two players who are averaging at least five rebounds a game. Sophomore post Mia Ajekwu leads the team with an average of 6.4 rebounds a game, while junior guard Erika Bobo is averaging 5.3. Freshman post Talicia Sanders (4.9) and sophomore forward Kelsie Edwards (4.4) are also averaging at least four rebounds a game. Men’s basketball UNT solid in conference openers under Jones UNT will look to extend its history of success in Sun Belt Conference openers in the Johnny Jones era on Saturday when the Mean Green take on New Mexico State in an 8:05 p.m. road game. The Mean have won two of their three conference openers since Jones took over as coach for the 2001-02 season. UNT beat New Mexico State in its first conference opener under Jones and also picked up an overtime win over Florida International in the 2002-03 season. UNT’s lone loss in a conference opener under Jones came last season when the Mean Green dropped a game against NMSU 70-67. UNT led 36-34 at halftime before NMSU rallied for the win. Hines among elite in Sun Belt Junior Isaac Hines will enter Sun Belt Conference play against New Mexico State on Saturday among an elite group of players. Hines is one of just four players in the Sun Belt who are averaging at least three assists and two steals per game. The Mean Green’s starting point guard is averaging 3.0 assists and 2.36 steals per game. Hines ranks fourth in the league in steals and is tied for 13th in assists in his first season with the Mean Green. The former Collin County Community College standout has started for UNT throughout the season and is one key reason the Mean Green (7-4) are off to their best start through 11 games since the 1994-95 season. UNT to face complete NMSU team in Sun Belt opener UNT head coach Johnny Jones and the Mean Green expect to face a highly motivated New Mexico State team on Saturday, when the Aggies’ legendary head coach Lou Henson will return to the bench. Henson was stricken with viral encephalitis, an acute inflammatory disease of the brain that caused paralysis in his right leg, three months ago. Henson, who will turn 73 on Jan. 10, is just 22 wins short of becoming the fifth coach to post 800 career wins in Division I. "They will definitely be ready to play with coach Henson coming back," UNT senior forward Mike Jones said. Coaches show to begin UNT men’s head coach Johnny Jones and women’s head coach Tina Slinker will be on the air again this season for their coach’s shows on Monday on KNTU-FM 88.1 Slinker’s show will air from 6:30-7 p.m. with Jones show to follow from 7-7:30 p.m. The first show of the season will air this Monday. Player of the week Leonard Hopkins kept right on rolling after reaching an impressive career milestone last week. The senior guard scored the 1,000th point of his UNT career in a loss to Chattanooga in the first round of the Dr Pepper Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. Hopkins scored 21 points in the Mean Green’s loss before coming back to score 20 in a win over Tennessee-Martin in the consolation game. Hopkins is just the 16th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark in his career. His performance against Tennessee-Martin helped the Mean Green improve to 7-4 on the season, UNT’s best start through 11 games since the 1994-95 season. Hopkins leads UNT with an average of 17.8 points a game, a total that also ranks fourth in the Sun Belt Conference. Hopkins is also shooting 80 percent from the line and is tied for fifth in the Sun Belt in that category. For his efforts, Hopkins is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s UNT Player of the Week.

I hope NT NEVER, EVER, plays UTA in Arlington until they have a proper basketball court. I have seen many games at UTA (I lived in Arlington, even taught at UTA 3 yrs) and saw NT play UTA). Their excuse for a BB court is the worst I have ever seen. 5 to 6 steps past either end of the court you run into the wall. 5 to 6 steps off one side you fall into the orchestra pit. The visitors bench is immediately in front of the stage seating. I have heard fan racial baiting of our black coach and players there from fans immediately behing our bench with nothing done. I have seen a dead chicken hung over our players head on the bench with blood dripping on them with nothing done. I have seen a UTA fan with garbage can led held over our players head and a car jack handle beating the can led with nothing done. That excuse for a BB court is reason enough not playing in Arlington, don't talk about a moral right to grip.

UNT notebook 12:32 AM CST on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer UNT women work overtime after break The North Texas women’s basketball team worked overtime after returning from its holiday break. UNT held two practices Tuesday in an effort to return to form and prepare for Thursday’s game against Dallas-Fort Worth rival Texas-Arlington. The game will be the Mean Green’s first since falling to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 22. “It’s important because we have the time to practice,” UNT coach Tina Slinker said. “The players are not used to having nothing to do all day, so if you practice just once a lot of times you don’t get a lot out of it.” UNT is hoping the extra work will pay off in its final two games before the beginning of Sun Belt Conference play. The Mean Green will face Texas A&M on Jan. 2 in their final game before opening conference play with a home game against New Mexico State on Jan. 8. UNT won three of its last four games and was on track to enter conference play on a high note before falling to TAMCC. The Mean Green have spent the last few days trying to regain the form they showed before falling to the Islanders on the road. “It’s definitely important to be playing well heading into conference,” UNT junior point guard Natalie Mireles said. “It would help everyone’s attitude.” UNT’s players felt they were closer to reaching that goal after spending a little extra time on the court in preparation for their game against UTA. “Practicing twice a day is something new for the middle of the season,” UNT junior guard Erika Bobo said. “The first session we mainly shot the ball. We felt like we didn’t shoot the ball well against Corpus and are trying to get back into the swing of things.” Men’s basketball: UNT looks to maintain success in tourneys The North Texas men’s basketball team will look to remain perfect in tournament action under head coach Johnny Jones this week when the Mean Green play in the Dr Pepper Classic Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Mean Green will open play in the tournament at 7 p.m. today with a game against Chattanooga. UNT won the only regular season tournament it has participated in during Jones’ four-year tenure with the Mean Green. UNT captured the Brothers Air and Heat Shootout in the 2002-03 season to earn its first regular season tournament title since 1981. UNT avenging losses early The UNT men’s basketball team has displayed several signs of improvement this season, including a solid record against teams that beat the Mean Green last season. UNT has posted a 3-1 record against teams it lost to last season with wins over Lamar, Southern and Southeast Missouri State. The Mean Green beat all three teams on their home floor this season after losing to all three on the road last year. UNT solid on home floor UNT established a solid home court advantage during its first few games of the 2004-05 season. The Mean Green have posted a 5-1 record at The Super Pit this year for their best mark at home through six games since the 1994-95 season. UNT is 14-4 at home the last two seasons. Women’s basketball: Texas game attracts top crowd of Slinker era UNT set a new attendance high during its game against Texas on Dec. 16. A total of 2,914 fans watched the fourth-ranked Longhorns beat UNT 79-54 at The Super Pit — the largest crowd for a Mean Green women’s basketball game in coach Tina Slinker’s 16-year tenure with the team. Player of the week Freshman Quincy Williams answered the call when the North Texas men’s basketball team needed him the last few weeks. The Mean Green lost starting center Justin Barnett to a hand injury before their game against Southern on Dec. 16 and were forced to look to their bench for a replacement. Williams proved to be the perfect player to step in. The 6-8 forward scored a career-high 14 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the Mean Green’s win over Southeast Missouri State. Williams’ performance against Southeast came on the heels of an eight-point outing against Southern in his first start at UNT. UNT coach Johnny Jones said he has been impressed with Williams’ performance since he has moved into the starting lineup. For his production in UNT’s last two games, Williams is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s UNT Player of the Week.

Mean Green recover to post best start in 20 years 05:49 AM CST on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle There were times during the North Texas men's basketball team's game Dec. 22 against Southeast Missouri State that the Mean Green felt like they would never heat up offensively. Fortunately for UNT, Calvin Watson found his range just in time to hit a key 3-point shot that gave the Mean Green the momentum they needed to pull away for a 69-62 win at The Super Pit. UNT was locked in a tie game with Southeast when Watson hit a 3-point shot from the wing that proved to be the key play in the game. "I was thrilled to see that shot go through," Watson said. "I thought that would be a turning point in the game." Watson turned out to be right after the Mean Green hit seven of eight free throws in the final minute to pull away for a milestone win. UNT improved to 6-3, its best start since the 1980-81 season when the Mean Green also started 6-3. "To start 6-3 is a sign of improvement for our basketball program," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "Our guys have played well early in the season." UNT's start was based in large part on its solid play offensively in its last two games, when the Mean Green had scored 90 points in back-to-back contests. UNT was unable to match its offensive production against Southeast but still managed to pull out the win thanks to solid play on defense and standout shooting from the line. UNT held Southeast (3-6) to 33 percent shooting and hit 18 of 20 free throws in the second half. "Free throws were the game," Watson said. "If we had not hit those shots from the line, we wouldn't have won." Those free throws were particularly important after UNT got off to a slow start in the first half. The Mean Green shot just 36 percent from the field and tied their season low for points in the first half . "We were not focused early in the game," UNT forward Quincy Williams said. "Coach got onto us at halftime." Jones might have been more upset with his team had it not been for Williams' play in the first half – he scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds. Williams and senior guard Leonard Hopkins each scored 14 points to lead UNT. Hopkins finished the game 13 points short of becoming the 16th player in UNT history to score 1,000 points. Williams solid start kept UNT in the game early despite a flurry of miscues, including a pair of missed layups in the opening moments. Southeast and its top player, Dainmon Gonner, also struggled early. Gonner had six points in the first half after going 2-for-12 from the field. That allowed the Mean Green to stay close, and now they can claim the program's best start in more than 20 years. "Coach mentioned that we had a chance to get off to the best start in a long time, so it would be in the back of our minds," Watson said. "If we stay focused we could have a big year." E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

Jones pleased with Williams, Simpson 11:46 PM CST on Monday, December 27, 2004 From Staff Reports DENTON – Men's basketball coach Johnny Jones said Monday that he has been pleased with the progress of freshman forward Quincy Williams and junior center Jeffrey Simpson over the last two weeks. Williams, who has started the last two games, scored a career-high 14 points and Simpson added a career-high 10 points in the Mean Green's win over Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday. Both players have taken on a larger role in UNT's last two games while filling in for junior center Justin Barnett, who suffered a hand injury on Dec. 16 and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Brett Vito Men's basketball team looks to build on start DENTON – The men's basketball team (6-3) is off to its best start since the 1980-81 season and will play against host Chattanooga on Wednesday in the Dr Pepper Classic. UNT last started 7-3 in the 1977-78 season. Brett Vito Briefly ... Senior guard Leonard Hopkins enters Wednesday's game against Chattanooga needing 13 points to become the 16th player in UNT history to score 1,000 points.

Women's basketball: Poor shooting does in North Texas Mean Green falls to SMU, 60-46 08:57 AM CST on Monday, December 6, 2004 By Chuck Cox / Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK — After racing out to a lightning-fast start and leading SMU by one point at halftime, North Texas forgot to bring something back onto the floor for the second half. Its offense. UNT shot an abysmal 14.3 percent (5-of-35) from the field in the final 20 minutes, helping the Mustangs claim a 60-46 victory at Moody Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. The Mean Green (2-3) scored just 16 points in the second half, including only three in the final 7:24. Meanwhile, SMU (5-1) scored 16 points in that stretch alone to bust the game wide open. The Ponies were 11-of-12 from the free-throw line down the stretch. The loss gave UNT a 1-3 record on its four-game road trip that included games against the University of Houston, Sam Houston State and No. 1 LSU. Despite the loss, Mean Green sophomore forward Mia Ajekwu had career highs in both points (20) and rebounds (12), while recording her first career double-double. "I thought they did a good job of taking us out of our offense," UNT head coach Tina Slinker said. "I don’t think they really did anything post defensive-wise. It was just putting a lot of pressure on [guard] Natalie Mireles and keeping us from getting into our offense." After the teams traded buckets to start the game, UNT raced out to an 11-2 lead with a 9-0 run that started with a pair of buckets by Erika Bobo, who finished with 14 points. As a result of continuing to clog up the paint and force SMU to shoot from outside, the Mean Green increased the lead to 12 points. But SMU turned the tables on UNT by starting to bury shots from the perimeter, as Sarah Davis hit three 3-pointers in the span of a little more than one minute to whittle the Mean Green lead down to one with 7:28 left in the first half. "On the defensive end, we let them hit three 3s," Slinker said. "Sarah Davis is very capable of spotting up and hitting the 3. I think that really broke our back, as far as what we had accomplished defensively. Then, I think we had a letdown on the offensive end." UNT countered with an Ajekwu putback and a DiDi Wali trey to get the lead back up to six, but SMU scored 10 of the next 11 points to take a three-point lead with 1:32 left in the first half. Ajekwu then hit a pair of free throws, and Bobo connected on a jumper with two seconds left to give UNT its lead back, 30-29, at the half. "I think we came out too lax and not up and ready to play in the second half," Bobo said. "That’s usually a fault we always have. We’ve been trying to get better at that this year but we didn’t. They weren’t doing anything really different on defense. They went to some zone, but I think we should have capitalized on that with some of our shooters but we didn’t do that either." Despite UNT’s shooting woes in the second half, SMU never led by more than five points until the 3:24 mark. In fact, after losing the lead on a pair of free throws by SMU’s Janielle Dodds early in the second half, the Mean Green reclaimed the lead at the 16:31 mark on a turn-around jumper by Kelsie Edwards. But SMU took the lead for good moments later, as Shonte Roberts hit the first of two straight jumpers. From that point, UNT managed just 10 more points. The Mustangs didn’t shoot particularly well in the second half either, going 8-of-30 (26.7 percent) from the field. "We just kind of broke down," Ajekwu said. "Our offense wasn’t there and we didn’t follow. We’re not going to dwell on the loss. We know we’re better than this game. I was focused, but nothing matters if we don’t win." Davis also had a double-double, leading the Mustangs in scoring with 11 points and rebounding with 12 boards. Katy Cobb added 11 points for SMU, which now owns a 22-13 lead in the all-time series with UNT. "It’s really frustrating in a two-point game, three-point game, five-point game," Slinker said. "Just making one or two of those [shots] would have made all of the difference in the world. I felt like if we could get back to where we were tied or ahead, we could have taken a deep breath and gotten after it again, but we never could quite make that move." The Mean Green returns home for just its second home game of the season on Wednesday — a 7 p.m. contest against Hampton. CHUCK COX can be reached at 940-566-6872.

Men's basketball: ’Horns present tough challenge for UNT Mean Green try to bounce back from loss to TCU 07:28 AM CST on Tuesday, December 7, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones has watched his fare share of college basketball games on television over the last few weeks. He is still waiting to see a team that impresses him quite like Texas, a squad that has displayed its depth, skill on the perimeter and versatility up front. The combination makes Texas one of the toughest challenges the Mean Green will face this season. UNT (3-2) will take on the Longhorns (5-1) in a 7 p.m. game today at the Frank Erwin Center. "Texas is one of the better teams that I have had an opportunity to watch on TV this year," Jones said. "They have all it takes to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. They have great shooters, great ball-handlers and their post guys can play inside or outside, which makes them a very difficult team to defend." Texas’ prowess on the offensive end has helped the Longhorns jump out to a 5-1 start. The Longhorns are ranked 14th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and have won their last three games, including a 70-62 win over Seton Hall on Saturday. Jones and UNT’s players believe they are more prepared to face one of the top teams in the country after playing a tough series of games early on this season. UNT was competitive throughout a loss to Alabama, which is ranked No. 18 this week, and has posted a win over a UNC Wilmington team that has played in two of the last three NCAA Tournaments. UNT lost to TCU in its last game. "We have had a couple of games to get our team worked out and get used to playing with each other," UNT junior center Justin Barnett said. "We have found out that we can win games running in the open floor or playing a half-court game." Senior guard Leonard Hopkins enters UNT’s game against Texas averaging 18.2 points a game to lead the Mean Green. Senior forward Michael Jones (11.8) and sophomore guard Calvin Watson (11.4) are also averaging double figures for UNT. Scoring has not been a problem for the Mean Green this season. UNT is tied with Arkansas State for the lead in the Sun Belt in scoring offense with an average of 79 points a game. The Mean Green have struggled to match its success offensively with a solid performance on defense. UNT ranks last in the Sun Belt with an average of 74.8 points allowed a game. "We have to play well on the defensive end," UNT junior point guard Isaac Hines said. "We can score, so the way we play on the defensive end will be the key." Slowing down the Longhorns could be a challenge. Freshman guard Daniel Gibson is averaging 13.5 points a game to lead eight Texas players who are averaging at least eight points a game. Johnny Jones said the Mean Green will have to identify and slow down Texas’ guards on the perimeter. Texas is shooting 48.5 percent from 3-point range. Defending the 3-point shot is a task UNT struggled with in a loss to TCU on Saturday. The Horned Frogs made eight shots from beyond the arch and rallied from an early deficit for an 88-78 win. UNT will look to bounce back from the loss in a game that could be a learning experience for the Mean Green against one of the nation’s elite teams. "Game like this show us what we can do," Barnett said. "We can go out and match up against a team like this and see what we need to improve on for conference play." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Win over UNT lleaves TCU coach with a foul taste 11:44 PM CST on Saturday, December 4, 2004 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – TCU coach Neil Dougherty decided it was time to speak out after the Horned Frogs' 88-78 win over North Texas at The Super Pit on Saturday night. TCU recovered from a slow start and posted its third straight win over the Mean Green but was forced to fight its way through a choppy game that featured 67 fouls. "These two teams were at each other pretty hard tonight," Dougherty said. "I think the officials need to adjust to how the kids were playing. The kids today have got more talent and they're quicker, so they [officials] need to adjust to that to be able to enjoy these kids and how athletic they are." TCU (5-2) shot 55 percent from the field but didn't find its rhythm until putting together a decisive run at the beginning of the second half. UNT led, 38-37, at intermission before the Horned Frogs turned the tide with a 14-4 spurt. The Horned Frogs struggled early and fell behind, 21-9, with 10:29 left in the first half. "We knew they would come out fired up for this game," TCU guard Corey Santee said. "We just wanted to be able to withstand that opening punch." Santee helped TCU rally by scoring 18 points to lead five Horned Frogs in double figures. UNT (3-2), led by Leonard Hopkins' 21 points, saw its lead dwindle after starting point guard Isaac Hines was forced to miss the final 10 minutes of the first half after being poked in the eye. Hines returned in the second half but was unable to rally the Mean Green. After the Horned Frogs' run, UNT was never closer than five points the rest of the way. "It was a hard-fought game, but with 67 foul calls, neither team was able to get into a rhythm," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "Neither team was able to get into a flow." E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com TCU 88, North Texas 78 TCU (5-2)–Sloan 0-1 1-4 1, Ibikunle 5-5 1-4 11, Santee 5-12 6-11 18, Murry 5-8 0-0 14, Shropshire 1-5 5-5 8, Reese-Hackett 2-3 2-5 7, Owens 1-3 0-0 2, Stubbs 0-2 1-4 1, Curtis 3-5 4-6 10, Chinweze 5-8 3-7 13, Adams 1-1 0-0 3, Pierce 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-53 23-46 88. NORTH TEXAS (3-2)–Jones 2-3 0-0 5, Barnett 0-1 0-0 0, Hopkins 7-21 6-9 21, Hines 5-6 0-3 12, Watson 3-9 6-9 14, Harris 4-8 2-4 10, Mitchell 1-1 0-0 2, Sturns 2-7 0-4 5, Thomas 1-6 1-2 4, Williams 1-5 2-2 4, Simpson 0-0 1-4 1. Totals 26-67 18-37 78. Halftime–North Texas 38, TCU 37. 3-point goals– TCU 9-17 (Murry 4-5, Santee 2-6, Adams 1-1, Reese-Hackett 1-1, Shropshire 1-3, Stubbs 0-1), North Texas 8-23 (Hines 2-2, Watson 2-6, Thomas 1-2, Sturns 1-2, Jones 1-2, Hopkins 1-7, Williams 0-1, Harris 0-1). Fouled out–Sloan, Murry, Curtis, Chinweze, Jones, Watson. Rebounds–TCU 41 (Ibikunle 10), North Texas 49 (Williams 13). Assists–TCU 12 (Santee 5), North Texas 10 (Hopkins 3). Total fouls–TCU 35, North Texas 32. Technicals–TCU, team; North Texas, none. A–3,633.

There were 67 fouls called in this game. Free throws did not lose the game for us. When Issac Hines was injured and left the game late in the 1st half to go to the training room we fell behind 10 pts which was about the final game difference...the free throws kept us from recovering. Four TCU players fouled out and another had 4 fouls. One NT player fouled out and two others had 4 fouls. Hines was hit in the eye in a scramble under the basket...and went down......it was several minutes before he could get up. NO FOUL WAS CALLED. There were some mean fouls.....TCU pushed a Nt player into the chairs and so many it looked like hard glance was called a foul. Another time a NT player was running down the sideline, a TCU player had his arm around our players waist as he went by and our player hit the floor....no foul was called. It certaintly wasn't a full house, put a good energetic, loud crowd. I don't believe my wife and I have every seen such a game with such fouls and we graduated way back in 1957.

College basketball: UNT coach pleased with effort against LSU 01:17 AM CST on Friday, December 3, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas women’s basketball coach Tina Slinker was hoping for a much better result, but she couldn’t have been happier with the Mean Green’s effort in a loss to LSU on Tuesday. LSU cruised to an easy 77-51 win over the Mean Green after rising to the top spot in the Associated Press poll. The game marked the first time the UNT women’s basketball team has taken on the top-ranked team in the country. “Actually I was pleased with the way we played against LSU,” Slinker said. “We competed and were never really out of it. We showed composure, handled the opportunity and were fearless.” The performance is one UNT hopes to build on Sunday in a game at regional rival SMU. The Mean Green has lost to SMU by four points in each of the last two seasons. A solid performance against LSU has convinced UNT’s players that they have a chance to break through against their rival. “I was very encouraged,” sophomore forward Kelsie Edwards said of UNT’s outing against LSU. “We never laid down and died. We kept fighting.” Talicia Sanders posted 12 points and six rebounds and was one of the bright spots in the game for UNT. The freshman doubled her previous career high of six points in a game against Binghamton earlier this year. Sanders’ size and physical style were assets for UNT in its game against LSU, Slinker said. “We needed another post player to step up and she has been playing well the last couple of games,” Edwards said. “She is a physical presence inside.” Hines pulling down rebounds Junior point guard Isaac Hines has played a key role in helping the UNT men’s basketball team move toward the top of the Sun Belt Conference’s list of the top rebounding teams in the league. Hines, 6-0, 175, is averaging 6.0 rebounds a game to rank second on the team and is tied for 17th in the Sun Belt. UNT entered Thursday’s games ranked third in the 11-team Sun Belt with a rebounding margin of plus three. Only Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee ranked ahead of the Mean Green. UNT receiving votes in poll The UNT men’s basketball team is receiving votes in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The Mean Green garnered four votes in the poll that rates teams that play in 22 conferences. Coaches in several mid-major leagues around the country vote in the poll. UNT playing solid defense The UNT women’s basketball team showed signs of improving defensively in its first three games of the season. The Mean Green held two of its first three opponents to less than 20 points in the first half and ranked sixth in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring defense with an average of 67.0 points allowed a game heading into Thursday’s games. The Mean Green also ranks third in the league in steals with an average of 9.5 a game. UNT struggled defensively at times last season and finished the year ranked 10th out of 11 teams in the Sun Belt with an average of 66.5 points allowed a game. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

Women's college basketball: UNT ready for Sam Houston 07:25 AM CST on Saturday, November 27, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas women's basketball coach Tina Slinker wants to see her team playing its best before taking on one of the biggest challenges of its season in the form of a game against LSU. The last step toward that goal will come today when the Mean Green face Sam Houston State in a 7 p.m. road game. The contest will come just three days before UNT takes on the Tigers, who are ranked second in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. "It would absolutely help us get more out of the LSU game if we can beat Sam Houston," Slinker said. "We want to win and go in there [LSU] with a plan of what we want to accomplish." Both UNT and Sam Houston have started off their seasons with games against solid teams. The Mean Green opened the season with a win over Binghamton before falling to Houston. Sam Houston (0-2) has lost to TCU and SMU in its first two games and played Baylor late Friday night. UNT saw some of the momentum it built in its win over Binghamton zapped in its loss to Houston, but the Mean Green was encouraged by what it accomplished early on against the Lady Cougars. The Mean Green took a 40-39 lead over Houston at halftime and saw its frontline players perform well while matched up with Sancho Lyttle, a 6-4 center who is a candidate for the Naismith Trophy that goes to the nation's top player. Sophomore forward Kelsie Edwards scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while fellow sophomore forward Mia Ajekwu added 11 points and nine rebounds. The duo helped UNT hold on early before Houston pulled away for an 88-65 win. "We played well in the first half against Houston," said junior guard Natalie Mireles, who scored 10 points in the game. "We showed what we are capable to doing if we play together and play hard." UNT is hoping to use a balanced offensive attack to build on its performance against Houston when it takes on Sam Houston. Edwards is averaging 14 points a game to lead four UNT players who are averaging at least nine points a game. Junior guard Erika Bobo is posting 10.5 points a game to rank second on the team. Junior center Shauna Singleton is averaging 10.5 points a game to pace Sam Houston, while freshman forward Sarah Hilton is adding 10.0 points a contest. "Sam Houston is a scrappy team that plays really hard," Slinker said. "They have played a tough schedule." Sam Houston played one of its toughest games late Friday night at Baylor. The Lady Bears entered their game against Sam Houston ranked ninth in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. UNT is hoping a game against a worn out Sam Houston team will give the Mean Green a chance to build on a solid half against Houston and head into a game against LSU playing its best basketball of the season. "We have to make sure that they are not too emotional about the Houston game," Slinker said. "I am glad we played well against Houston. We just don't want to look back or forward to LSU." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

Men's basketball: UNT men prepared for Lamar 07:26 AM CST on Saturday, November 27, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas men's basketball coach Johnny Jones has faced old friend Billy Tubbs and his teams at TCU and Lamar enough times to know just what the Mean Green is up against today. The run-and-gun style is one Jones believes UNT is better prepared to face than ever before in a 7 p.m. game against Lamar at The Super Pit. The Mean Green is deeper and quicker than in previous seasons and has already shown an ability to play in the open floor in its first three games of the season. UNT is hoping that ability will help the Mean Green build on a solid 2-1 start and avenge a lopsided 88-72 loss to the Cardinals last year. "We are deeper at every position," Jones said. "Our depth will help us against Lamar. We will be able to play at a higher speed and continue to apply pressure at a comfortable pace because we have guys who can come in and play at the same level." UNT has taken advantage of its depth while getting off to a solid start. UNT opened with a win over Angelo State before knocking off perennial NCAA tournament participant UNC Wilmington in one of its most impressive non-conference victories in recent seasons. The Mean Green's only loss of the year came against Alabama, which was ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press top 25 poll at the time. Seven different players have scored in double figures for the Mean Green during its first three games. Senior guard Leonard Hopkins is averaging 16 points a game to pace UNT, while senior forward Michael Jones (14) and sophomore guard Calvin Watson (13) are also averaging double figures. "We are deeper with our bench and are a running team just like they were last year," Michael Jones said. "We are definitely more capable of running with them this year." UNT was more comfortable in the halfcourt last season when the team featured third-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection Shawnson Johnson and fellow forward Michael DeGrate. UNT's guards have sparked the team during the early stages of this season. The way those guards handle Lamar's full court pressure defense could be the key to the game for UNT. The Cardinals forced 33 turnovers in its season-opening win over Jarvis Christian. "We have to make smart decisions with the basketball on the press because that is what cost us against Lamar last time," Michael Jones said. "Their press is how they get fast baskets and open 3-pointers." Junior forward Alan Daniels took advantage of the opportunities Lamar's press produced against Jarvis Christian to score 34 points. Senior guard Raymond Anthony added 21 points. UNT struggled to slow down Lamar's high-powered attack last season when the Mean Green fell behind 53-35 at halftime. The Mean Green is hoping its deeper and quicker roster will help turn the tide against the Cardinals. A win over Lamar would give the Mean Green a 3-1 record to open the year for the first time since the 1994-95 season. "Getting to 3-1 would be a big accomplishment," Michael Jones said. "It would definitely give us a lot of momentum." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

Men's basketball: North Texas wins preseason finale 08:39 AM CST on Saturday, November 13, 2004 The North Texas men’s basketball team closed out the preseason with a 74-63 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State at the Super Pit. The Mean Green, led by senior Leonard Hopkins, rode a 24-4 run in the first half in route to their second preseason win of the year. Hopkins netted a game high 16 points and three assists as the Mean Green entered half time with a 48-24 lead and never looked back. North Texas extended its lead to 31 points in the second half before the Savages charged back. Eric Babers was the leading scorer for the Savages with 14 points and five rebounds. Mean Green guard Calvin Watson also got into double digits, scoring 15 points and hauling in 5 rebounds. The Mean Green forced 23 turnovers on the night and held the Savages to 37 percent shooting from the floor. The Mean Green won the battle of the boards, out rebounding the Savages by a 42-36 margin. Michael Jones led the Mean Green with nine rebounds. North Texas will return to the court for the season opener against Angelo State at 7 p.m. Friday.

Women's Basketball: UNT women win exhibition 09:07 AM CST on Thursday, November 11, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer A second chance turned out to be just what the North Texas women’s basketball team needed in its exhibition schedule. Mia Ajekwu scored 18 points to lead three UNT players who scored in double figures and the Mean Green cruised to a 95-79 win over the Oklahoma Flyers on Wednesday in an exhibition game at The Super Pit. The win was UNT’s first of the exhibition season and came just days after the Mean Green struggled to find a flow offensively in an 83-62 loss to the Houston Jaguars in their first exhibition game. "We worked some on offense and found a few solutions after our last game," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "Natalie [Mireles] came out and hit the first shot. That helped and we took advantage of our inside game." Six UNT players scored at least eight points against the Flyers. Sophomore forward Kelsie Edwards scored 17 points while junior guard Erika Bobo added 15. That balance helped send the Mean Green into their regular season opener Nov. 19 at home against Binghamton on a roll. Finding its rhythm was a priority for UNT after the Mean Green struggled offensively in their first exhibition game of the season. UNT shot 32 percent from the field against the Jaguars. The Mean Green came back to shoot 46 percent from the field against the Flyers. UNT equaled its point total from its first game of the season when junior forward Kennethia Wilson hit a pair of free throws with 12:24 left to give the Mean Green a 62-45 lead. The Mean Green went on to reach the 90-point mark for the first time since scoring 92 points in a game against New Orleans during the 2002 season. "We had a lot better offensive flow," Edwards said. "In practice this week we concentrated on executing plays, running them through and getting the ball inside. When we start scoring inside, it opens up the outside." UNT started to become more comfortable with a lineup filled with new starters against the Flyers. The Mean Green lost several key players after last season and have moved Bobo from the point guard spot to shooting guard. "The first game everyone was kind of nervous," Ajekwu said. Slinker was particularly pleased with Mireles who finished with eight points and five assists. "We played more like we have been practicing," Slinker said. "We played so much better than we did last week." FLYERS (79) – Villarroel 2-4 1-3 5, Williston 2-8 0-0 4, Korge 10-15 1-3 23, Silva 2-6 2-3 6, Grismanauskaite 2-7 2-2 6, Hardeman 0-1 0-0 0, Bays 1-2 2-2 5, Arant 0-6 5-6 5, Springer 3-4 2-4 9, Banks 5-9 5-6 16. Totals 27-62 20-29 79. UNT (95) – Edwards 8-13 1-1 17, Ajekwu 8-14 2-2 18, Wali 4-9 1-4 9, Mireles 3-7 0-0 8, Williams 1-4 5-6 7, Howard 0-1 3-5 3, Bobo 6-10 3-5 15, Quattrocchi 1-5 0-0 3, Wilson 2-6 4-6 8, Sanders 3-7 0-0 6, Klat 0-2 1-2 1. Totals 36-78 20-31 95. Halftime – UNT 44, Flyers 30. 3-point goals – Flyers 5-11 (Villarroel 0-2, Williston 0-1, Korfe 2-2, Bays 1-1, Arant 0-2, Springer 1-1, Banks 1-2), UNT 3-14 (Wali 0-3, Mireles 2-4, Williams 0-2, Quattrocchi 1-4, Wilson 0-1). Fouled out – none. Rebounds – Flyers 43 (Arant 6), UNT 45 (Bobo 8). Assists – Flyers 6 (Hardeman, Arant 2), UNT 18 (Wali 6). Total fouls – Flyers 25, UNT 24.

TON (11/10/04) - The North Texas women’s basketball team signed four players to national letters of intent Wednesday on the first day of early signing period. North Texas added Jo Hall, a 5-8 guard from Cedar Park, Sanetra Jackson, a 5-8 guard from San Antonio, Tricia Lee, a 5-8 guard from Fort Wayne, Ind., along with Ashley Vation a 6-0 forward from Mansfield. All four players are ranked in the top 35 in the state of Texas by TexasHoops.com. Lee was ranked as the 17th best senior in the state of Texas by TexasHoops.com while at Haltom High School prior to moving to Indiana for her senior season. “This is a great signing class for the future of our program. My assistants have done a tremendous job in locating and recruiting, not only great players, but great people to our program. I am extremely excited about what this freshmen class brings to the table. They are very versatile and compliment each other extremely well,” said head coach Tina Slinker. Jackson, considered one of the best scoring guards in the state of Texas, averaged 20.9 points a games last season and was named to the second team-all state by the TABC. “Sanetra Jackson is one of the best scoring guards in the Region. She is a combo guard that can do it all. She has the ability to shoot the 3-point shot and can score off of the dribble. One of the most remarkable attributes is that Sanetra can create her own scoring opportunity. She is extremely athletic and can defend and get to the boards. We are very pleased to have Sanetra on board,” said Slinker. Hall is a two-time all-region selection and averaged a double-double last season with 17.6 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. “Jo Hall is a solid guard and forward that can score. She has great court sense and knows the game extremely well. She is powerful and explosive and has the ability to get to the boards as well. Jo will be a great addition for our outside scoring and I know she has the ability to contribute right away” Slinker said. Vation is ranked as the 35th best senior in the state of Texas and is a two-time all-district selection. Last season she averaged 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. “Ashley Vation is a strong, athletic forward who knows how to score. She has the ability to get up and down the floor and is a solid rebounding guard. I believe that Ashley is a great steal for our program. I know she will be a very versatility Division 1 player and I am excited to have her as a part of our program” said Slinker. Lee was named to the second team all-region team last season after averaging 20 points a game and seven rebounds at Haltom High School. “Tricia Lee is a tremendous shooter. She has the ability to really knock down the 3 point shot. She is a solid all-around player and can play both the shooting guard and the point position. We are very fortunate to have Tricia on-board. Her outside scoring ability will definitely prove to be a weapon for us in the future” Slinker said. North Texas begins the 2004-05 season on November 19 at home against the Binghamton Bearcats. Jo Hall, 5-8, Guard/Forward, Cedar Park, Texas (Cedar Park H.S.) Hall is ranked as the 23rd best senior in the state of Texas by TexasHoops.com. As a junior Hall averaged 17.6 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. She was named to the first-team all-region, first-team all-centex, and first team all-district last season. Hall shot 48 percent from the floor last season and averaged 4.3 steals a game. As a sophomore Hall was named to the first-team all-district and second-team all-centex. She averaged 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds a game along with 4.2 steals her sophomore season. Hall chose North Texas over Miami, Boston University, Texas State, and Stephen F. Austin. Sanetra Jackson, 5-8, Guard, San Antonio, Texas (Clark H.S.) Jackson is ranked as the 16th best senior in the state of Texas by TexasHoops.com. She was named the MVP of the BCI National Tournament held in Dallas this past summer. Jackson was named to the second team all-state her junior season after averaging 20.9 points per game. Jackson also earned first team all-region and first team all-district honors her junior season. She averaged 6.7 rebounds per game and 2.9 steals last season. As a sophomore Jackson was named to the first-team all-district and was named to the all-tournament team in three different tournaments throughout the season. Jackson chose North Texas over Texas, Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Colorado. Tricia Lee, 5-8, Guard, Ft. Wayne, Indiana (Northrop H.S.) Lee was ranked as the 17th best senior in the state of Texas by TexasHoops.com while at Haltom High School prior to moving to Indiana for her senior season. Lee was named to the Class 5A Region I second team by the TABC her junior season at Haltom after averaging 20.0 points and 7.0 rebounds a game. Lee was also named to the Academic All-State team last season and she was the Co-MVP of District 5-5A. As a sophomore at Northrop H.S. she averaged 16.5 points and five rebounds a game and was named to the all-area and all-conference teams. Ashley Vation, 6-0, Forward, Mansfield, Texas (Summitt H.S.) Vation is ranked as the 35th best senior in the state of Texas by TexasHoops.com. Vation was named to the Dallas Morning News list of Players to Watch for 2004. She was named to the first-team all-district last season and the MVP of the Arlington Classic. She averaged 10 points and 4.5 rebounds a game her junior season. As a sophomore she was named to the all-district team and averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds a game. As a freshman Vation was a member of Mansfield’s 2001-02 State Championship team. Vation chose North Texas over SMU, Stephen F. Austin, and Texas State.