OldTimer

UNT women roll to season's biggest victory 02:16 AM CST on Friday, January 23, 2004 By CHUCK COX / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – Former Duncanville standout Jamie Armstrong scored 16 points to lead North Texas to a 63-41 Sun Belt Conference victory over Arkansas-Little Rock on Thursday at the Super Pit. It was the most lopsided win of the season for the Lady Eagles, who also won their third straight game to improve to 7-9 overall and 3-1 in the Sun Belt. UNT is 8-0 against UALR. "I was glad to see Jamie have a good second half," UNT head coach Tina Slinker said. "She's very capable of being one of the better one-on-one players." UNT built an 11-point lead at halftime thanks in part to UALR (8-9, 1-3) shooting an abysmal 15.4 percent (4-of-26) from the field in the first half. UNT shot only 25 percent (9-of-36). Kim Blanton added 10 points for UNT, while Jill Medlock and Kelsie Edwards chipped in nine each. The Lady Eagles also forced 21 turnovers in the game, with Blanton and Erika Bobo recording three steals each. UALR's 14 first-half points were the fewest given up by UNT since it surrendered 12 against Air Force on Dec. 2, 2000. North Texas 63, Arkansas-Little Rock 41 ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK (8-9, 1-3)–Cash 4-12 2-4 10, Love 5-13 3-4 13, Humphrey 5-10 1-1 11, Morris 1-10 3-5 5, Anglin 0-0 0-0 0, Stone 0-1 0-0 0, Taylor 0-2 0-0 0, Davis 0-1 0-0 0, Motley 1-5 0-0 2, Crawford 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 16-54 9-14 41. NORTH TEXAS (7-9, 3-1)–Blanton 5-10 0-0 10, Armstrong 5-11 5-6 16, Ajekwu 1-7 2-4 4, Bob 3-9 2-4 8, Medlock 2-11 4-4 9, Wali 0-1 0-0 0, Mireles 0-1 1-2 1, Williams 0-1 2-2 2, Carter 0-1 0-0 0, Edwards 4-9 0-2 9, Klat 1-2 0-0 2, Haskin 1-1 0-2 2, Totals 22-64 16-26 63. Halftime–North Texas 25-14. 3-point goals– Arkansas-Little Rock 0-13 (Cash 0-2, Love 0-4, Morris 0-6, Stone 0-1), North Texas 3-11 (Armstrong 1-1, Bob 0-1, Medlock 1-5, Williams 0-1, Edwards 1-3). Fouled out–none. Rebounds– Arkansas-Little Rock 38 (Cash 10), North Texas 47 (Ajekwu, Edwards 8). Assists–Arkansas-Little Rock 9 (Love 3), North Texas 12 (Bobo 4). Total fouls–Arkansas-Little Rock 20, North Texas 16. A– 345. BB

Late three propels UNT past Ark.-Little Rock 02:16 AM CST on Friday, January 23, 2004 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Jerome Rogers hit a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left to break a tie and lift North Texas over Arkansas-Little Rock, 82-77, on Thursday night at Alltel Arena. The win pushed UNT (8-8) to 3-1 in Sun Belt play. The Mean Green has not started 3-1 in conference play since 1994-95. UNT and No. 19 Mississippi State are the only visiting teams to beat UALR (9-8, 3-2). Colleges UNT 82, Ark.-Little Rock 77 Box score More North Texas The Mean Green has won three in a row, a feat it last accomplished in January of the 2001-02 season. Rogers made sure UNT reached that mark by scoring the Mean Green's last seven points. The senior finished with 18 points and was one of five UNT players to score in double figures. "I am very comfortable taking the last shot in a game," Rogers said. "I just wanted to get the win. I was feeling it." Brandon Freeman led UALR with 25 points. This text is invisible on the page, but this text is affected by the invisible item's flow. This text is invisible on the page, but this text is affected by the invisible item's flow. More headlines... Late three propels UNT past Ark.-Little Rock

Men's basketball: Mean Green in seventh heaven UNT equals last season’s win total 07:27 AM CST on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer For much of the season, senior forward Shawnson Johnson has been like a security blanket for the North Texas men’s basketball team. Whenever the Mean Green needed a big basket or an important rebound, it could always depend on the senior forward. UNT didn’t have that luxury for long Monday night, but still managed to pick up a 55-48 win over Florida International at the Super Pit. Jerome Rogers Sophomore forward Ron Harris and senior guard Jerome Rogers combined to hit three key free throws to spark a 5-0 run by UNT in the final 3:35 that secured the win. Johnson, who entered the game averaging 16.2 points and 9.3 rebounds a game, spent most of the night in foul trouble and managed just three points and six rebounds in 14 minutes in the Sun Belt Conference game. "It was good to see us play without Shawnson," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "Other guys stepped up and executed. We didn’t get rattled at all when Shawnson was not in there." The win allowed UNT (7-8, 2-1) to match its season and Sun Belt win totals from last season when the Mean Green went 7-21 and 2-13 in Sun Belt play. UNT still has 12 games left in the regular season to continue to improve on its performance last season, not to mention make a run at the Sun Belt’s West Division crown. The Mean Green will enter a two-game road trip to Arkansas State and Arkansas-Little Rock in the thick of the race in the SBC West. Each team in the division has lost at least one conference game so far this season. UNT moved toward the top of the conference standings by posting a 3-1 record during a four-game home stand that concluded with its win over FIU (3-13, 0-4). UNT won two conference games during the series and dropped just one – a 70-67 loss to New Mexico State in the first game of the home stand. "It means a lot to us to reach last season’s win total early," Rogers said. "We have a lot of big goals we want to accomplish this year." UNT took a step toward reaching those goals after making a series of key plays after FIU cut its deficit to 50-48 with 3:35 left on a basket by FIU forward Harry Lum. Harris hit one of two free throws to with 3:13 left to extend UNT’s lead to 51-48. Rogers drew a foul on a 3-point shot a short time later and hit two more free throws to give the Mean Green a 53-48 lead it would not relinquish thanks to its defense. "Our defense was the key," UNT senior forward Michael DeGrate said. "We were not creating on offense. Our defense kept us in the game." Rogers finished with 16 points to lead UNT. Junior guard Leonard Hopkins added 13 points while DeGrate scored 11. Lum scored a game-high 21 points to pace Florida International. The performance Rogers turned in was critical when Johnson struggled with foul problems. Johnson picked up two quick fouls and scored just one point in seven minutes during the first half. He returned to the game in the second half, but picked up another foul in just a minute on the floor. Johnson went back to the bench quickly and played just seven minutes in the second half. Limited time on the floor stifled Johnson, who saw his eight-game streak of scoring in double figures come to an end. Fortunately for UNT, a few other players picked up the slack. "I thought both guys [Harris and sophomore center Justin Barnett] did a good job in the post tonight," Jones said. UNT struggled in the second half offensively despite those contributions, shooting 25 percent from the field. The Mean Green still found a way to win without its offensive touch or Johnson for most of the game and finish its home stand in style. "This win will help motivate us to do well on the road," DeGrate said. We just have to keep it rolling." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Women's basketball: Lady Eagles fired up after road win at Denver UNT looking for another victory in Miami 07:59 AM CST on Monday, January 19, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas women’s basketball coach Tina Slinker can sense a difference in her team this week. The Lady Eagles seem more intense in practice and focused on their goals. Winning, it turns out, is just what UNT needed. The Lady Eagles have won two of their last three games, including a 70-68 victory over Denver on Thursday. UNT is hoping the momentum from those wins will carry over tonight when the Lady Eagles finish off a three-game road trip with a game against Florida International. UNT (5-9, 1-1) enters the game in Miami playing some of its best basketball of the season and could push its record in Sun Belt Conference play over the .500 mark. "Beating Denver helped us for a lot of reasons," Slinker said. "Now we have won on the road, which should give us confidence going into our next road game." The Lady Eagles are hoping that added confidence will help them win consecutive games, a milestone they have not reached since late November. UNT beat Sam Houston State and Canisius in back-to-back games before losing seven straight. UNT broke that skid with a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Jan. 2 and has steadily improved its play since. All five UNT starters scored in double figures against Denver, marking the third straight game the Lady Eagles have had at least four players reach the 10-point mark. "The Denver game was our best offensively this year in terms of doing what our coaches wanted us to," UNT senior forward Kim Blanton said. "Having so many players in double figures is what we want. That’s what it takes to win." Blanton scored 18 points in UNT’s game against Denver. Junior guard Jill Medlock and Blanton are both averaging 12.1 points a game, while sophomore forward Jamie Armstrong is adding 10.4 points a game. Freshman forward Mia Aje-kwu is not among UNT’s players averaging double figures, but she played a key role in the Lady Eagles’ recent surge. Ajekwu converted a 3-point play with 36 seconds left against Denver to give the Lady Eagles the win. UNT found Ajekwu in the post, where she scored, despite being fouled. She then nailed the free throw for what turned out to be the game-winning point. "Coach Slinker told me in practice that she wanted me to score when I got the ball down low," Ajekwu said. "When I got it, that was what I was looking to do." UNT may need another solid game from its starting 6-3 forward against Florida Inter-national and its top player, Milena Tomova. The junior 6-3 forward from Bulgaria is averaging 17.2 points and 9.0 rebounds a game. Ajekwu could play an important role in trying to slow down Tomova, a challenge she seems ready to face after her clutch play against Denver. "Mia is either calm or she didn’t know how important that play was," Slinker said. "She is emotionally level. "We have a lot of confidence in her." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Men's basketball: One season makes big difference for UNT Mean Green can equal last year’s win total today 08:07 AM CST on Monday, January 19, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The North Texas men’s basketball team has nearly completed a journey back to where it ended the 2002-03 season. The Mean Green has won six games entering a 7 p.m. contest tonight against Florida International at the Super Pit. UNT (6-8, 1-1) needs just one more win to match its season and Sun Belt Conference win totals from last season. Shawnson Johnson The Mean Green finished with a 7-21 record in its 2002-03 campaign, including a 2-13 record in Sun Belt Conference play. A win over the Golden Panthers would not only allow UNT to reach a milestone, it would cap a successful four-game home stand. The Mean Green picked up its first win in Sun Belt Conference play Thursday when it topped Denver and is 2-1 in the home series. "We wanted to go 4-0 and take care of our home floor," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "It’s important to win at home because it’s tough to win on the road." UNT won’t reach its goal of a sweep, but it still can build momentum for a two-game road trip to Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State. A win would also keep the Mean Green in the thick of the race for the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division title. UNT is among four teams in the division that have lost just one game in Sun Belt play in the early stages of the league’s season. "It would set the tone for going on the road to go 2-1 at home," UNT junior forward Michael Jones said. "I hate that we lost to New Mexico State, but we are playing well right now." UNT jumped out to a 20-point halftime lead in its game against Denver and held off the Pioneers’ rally for a 72-67 win. Shawnson Johnson scored 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead UNT in its game against Denver. The senior forward is averaging 16.2 points and 9.3 rebounds a game. No other UNT player is averaging double figures in scoring, but 10 players besides Johnson are posting at least four points a game. Maintaining a balanced scoring attack could be critical against Florida International, a team UNT has played a highly competitive series with the last two years. Both of UNT’s last two games against the Golden Panthers have gone to overtime with each team winning one game. UNT beat Florida International, 94-91, on the road last year for one of its two wins in Sun Belt play in a rare high-scoring game for the Golden Panthers. Florida International led the Sun Belt last season in scoring defense with an average of 64.4 points allowed a game. "They are an excellent defensive team," Jones said. "They like to control the tempo of the game." Florida International has not been quite as effective defensively this year and ranks ninth in the Sun Belt with an average of 70.6 points allowed a game. Junior guard Carlos Morban leads the Golden Panthers with an average of 14.9 points a game. UNT is hoping to limit Morban and continue its surge heading into the two-game road trip. "It’s real important for us to get going heading into the road trip," UNT sophomore forward Ty Thomas said. "Building momentum at home can help a team bond and play better on the road." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. Florida International (3-12, 0-3) at North Texas (6-8, 1-1), 7 p.m., Super Pit, Denton (KWRD-FM 100.7)

Men's basketball: Dealing with Denver Mean Green have to guard outside to be successful 07:43 AM CST on Thursday, January 15, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The North Texas men’s basketball team has encountered a few teams that posed problems because of their prowess shooting the ball from long distance this season. None present the dilemma the Mean Green will face tonight in a 7 p.m. game against the University of Denver at the Super Pit. The Pioneers have multiple players who excel at piling up points from beyond the 3-point arc. DRC/Hiroyuki Komae North Texas forward Shawnson Johnson dunks during the Mean Green’s loss to New Mexico State on Saturday at the Super Pit. "We know this team coming in will shoot it from the outside," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "To defend it well, we will have to get out there and play aggressively. ... The main thing we have to do is keep their point guard from penetrating. That will help a lot." Reaching those goals and posting a win over Denver will be key for UNT, which is trying to take advantage of a four-game homestand. UNT lost to New Mexico State in its Sun Belt Conference opener Saturday and has just two games left at the Super Pit before a two-game road trip. The Mean Green would like to enter that road trip with a winning record in league play, a goal that will require UNT to sweep Denver and Florida Inter-national in its next two games. "This is an important game for us," junior guard Marqus Mitchell said. "We need to get rolling again." UNT won three of four games during one stretch early in the season, but has lost five of its last six games heading into its tilt with Denver. The Mean Green appeared as if it was getting back on track when it ended a four-game losing streak with a convincing 71-53 win over Texas-Pan American on Jan. 8. The momentum UNT generated in that game quickly disappeared in its loss to New Mexico State. The Mean Green led early on in its game against the Aggies, but went through an offensive drought in the second half when NMSU pulled away. UNT didn’t hit a shot from the field for more than six minutes after the break. The Mean Green will have a tough time overcoming a similar drought against Denver. The Pioneers rank fifth in the Sun Belt in scoring offense with an average of 71.8 points a game and also lead the league in 3-point shooting. Denver has hit 40.3 percent of its 3-point shots. Junior guard Erik Benzel has hit 52 3-point shots this season while making 48.6 percent of his attempts. Senior forward Zeljko Zupic has made 18 shots from beyond the arc this season and gives Denver a second threat to shoot the ball from deep in its starting lineup. "We are going to have to put pressure on them on the perimeter," UNT senior forward Michael DeGrate said. "We have seen a lot of good 3-point shooters this season and have gone over what we have to do to stop them. We have to fight through screens and stay with them." Denver showed what it is capable of when a team fails to keep track of its 3-point threats in a game against Southern Utah earlier this year. The Pioneers made 18 shots from behind the arc in an 88-82 win. UNT will try to counter Denver’s outside attack with a balanced offense led by Shawnson Johnson. The senior forward averages 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. Junior guard Leonard Hopkins is averaging 10.0 points a game and is one of four UNT players scoring at least eight points a game. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

UNT notebook: Slinker sees team progress in loss 08:30 AM CST on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 The result was not what Tina Slinker wanted, but North Texas’ women’s basketball coach saw some positive signs in a loss to New Mexico State last week. Four players scored in double figures for the Lady Eagles, who hung with NMSU before the Aggies pulled away for an 83-72 win at the Pan American Center. "Overall, it was disappointing that we lost, but it was one of the better games we have played there," Slinker said. NMSU was picked to win the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division in the league’s preseason poll. The Lady Eagles will try to use the loss as a springboard to a better performance when they take on Denver in another Sun Belt Conference game on the road Thursday. The Pioneers and Lady Eagles are both 0-1 in Sun Belt play and need a win to get back on track. The task is one Slinker feels her team can accomplish after a solid offensive game against NMSU. Junior guard Jill Medlock scored 18 points and hit 5-of-8 three-point shots in the game. Senior forward Kim Blanton added 16 points, while sophomore forward Jamie Armstrong had 13. Erika Bobo rounded out UNT’s list of double-figure scorers with 10 points. UNT has had four players score in double figures the last two games, including its 59-43 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Jan. 2. "It is really encouraging to have four players in double figures," Slinker said. "We are getting more people scoring than just Jill." Medlock continues to lead UNT in scoring with an average of 12.2 points a game, but is getting plenty of help from Blanton and Armstrong, who are averaging 11.7 and 10.3 points a game, respectively. Women’s basketball Wilson out for the year The North Texas women’s basketball team received some bad news this week when doctors discovered that sophomore Kennethia Wilson has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her knee. Wilson will miss the rest of the season, leaving UNT without a valuable contributor who improved as the season progressed. The 5-10 forward had started five games for the Lady Eagles, averaging 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds a game. Wilson scored 15 points in a loss to Texas on Dec. 14. She also had nine points against Houston and 10 against SMU before landing awkwardly on her knee in a game against TCU on Dec. 31. UNT coach Tina Slinker said the Lady Eagles will need more production from their post players to make up for the loss to Wilson. Men’s basketball Freshman Watson makes impact early on Calvin Watson has quickly made an impact for the Mean Green since returning from a broken foot in a game against Texas-Pan American on Jan. 8. The freshman guard scored nine points in 17 minutes during a 71-53 win over the Broncs. He added five points in a loss to New Mexico State on Saturday. Watson broke his left foot before the beginning of the season and missed UNT’s first 11 games. The injury not only kept Watson from playing in games, it prevented him from participating in practice. The Houston Madison graduate has shown signs of regaining his form quickly and becoming a key part of UNT’s rotation. "Calvin has done extremely well," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "We are looking to get him more minutes. He will get better with practice." Hopkins continues to progress after injury Leonard Hopkins continued to make progress toward playing at full speed last week. The junior guard scored 19 points in a game against New Mexico State last week, pushing his season average to 10 points a game. Hopkins missed all but the first nine games of last season with a foot injury. "We have to continue to work on getting Leonard into playing shape," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "He is getting closer to being 100 percent. Player of the week Jerome Rogers shined while carrying a heavy load for the North Texas men’s basketball team last week. The senior guard played 38 minutes in a 70-67 loss to New Mexico State and 36 minutes in a 71-53 win over Texas-Pan American. Rogers is one of UNT’s only options at point guard since the departure of Scott Roniger for personal reasons. Rogers has stepped into the starting role and been highly productive for the Mean Green. Rogers posted identical lines that included 13 points, three assists and one turnover against New Mexico State and Texas-Pan American. For his efforts, Rogers is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s UNT Player of the Week. 7-day schedule The following events are on tap for the next week in UNT athletics. THURSDAY — Denver at men’s basketball, 7 p.m.; women’s basketball at Denver, 8 p.m. FRIDAY— New Mexico State at swimming, TBA SATURDAY— Houston at swimming, noon Athlete Profile Full name: Ty Thomas II Nickname: TT High school: Arlington Sam Houston Born (and where): Dec. 2, 1983 (Fort Worth) Family (with ages): mother Marilyn, brother Taylor (16), brother Travis (14), sister Tarah (21) Position, statistics: forward 5.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, .5 assists a game When I graduate college, I want to: Play professionally or coach high school basketball I am sick of athletes who: Commit crimes If I could get four tickets to any sporting event, it would be: The NBA Finals The four people I would take to the event, living or dead, would be: My brothers, sisters and mom My favorite sports movie is: Love and Basketball My favorite pro sports teams is: The LA Lakers My favorite restaurant is: Popeye’s The people who most influenced my life are: My mother and grandmother The best summer I ever spent was: In California If I had $100, I would: Put it in the bank My goal for this year is to: Go as deep as possible in the NCAA Tournament and be the best player I can be. My dream for this year is to: Go to a Lakers game.

I read somewhere that the Neb head coach that got fired will stay as Asst head coach...a sop?

UNT notebook: Rogers to carry load at point guard for UNT 07:56 AM CST on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 Jerome Rogers will face a monumental task as the North Texas men’s basketball team’s point guard the rest of the season. The senior spent the first few games of UNT’s campaign splitting time at the point with sophomore guard Scott Roniger, who has since left the team. The Mean Green has been scrambling to find a solution for its lack of depth at the point guard spot ever since. For now the best solution appears to be to play Rogers early and often. The senior played 35 minutes in UNT’s loss to Indiana on Dec. 29 and then played 36 minutes in a loss to Arkansas on Saturday. Rogers will likely continue to carry a heavy burden when UNT (4-7) hosts Texas-Pan American (4-9) on Thursday. The game is UNT’s final contest before conference play and its second against the Broncs this season. The Mean Green beat Pan American 87-81 in overtime on Dec. 17, its last win before entering its current four-game slide. UNT will open Sun Belt Conference play Saturday at home against New Mexico State. "Jerome is going to have to get into condition," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "He played 36 minutes against Arkansas, but when you start looking at the timeouts that are called, media timeouts and dead-ball situations, guys have a chance to get a breather. We have no solution right now. He is going to have to learn to play a lot of minutes." UNT looked at other solutions when Roniger left the team, including starting junior guards Marqus Mitchell and Leonard Hopkins together in the backcourt. The duo started UNT’s game against Indiana. Jones said Mitchell is more comfortable at the shooting guard spot and moved back to that position after UNT’s loss to Indiana. Rogers moved into the starting lineup for the first time and responded with a solid game when the Mean Green faced Arkansas. Rogers scored 12 points, handed out two assists and committed just one turnover. Rogers said he is ready to face the challenge of playing added minutes. He may not have much of a choice. John Franklin, a senior walk-on who played at Garland Lakeview Centennial, is the team’s only other option when it comes to a true point guard. Franklin has played in just two games this season, but could see more time as the season progresses, Jones said. The prospect of playing Rogers more is not an entirely uninviting proposition for UNT. He is UNT’s third-leading scorer with an average of 8.9 points a game and has 24 assists on the season, a total that is second only to the 32 Roniger posted before leaving the team. Women’s basketball UNT faces key series The North Texas women’s basketball team will begin Sun Belt Conference play with a tough stretch of games on the road. The Lady Eagles play at New Mexico State in their league opener Saturday before traveling to face Denver and Florida International. The series presents a challenge for UNT, not to mention an opportunity. A solid performance early in the season could put the Lady Eagles in position to make a run at the league title at the end of the season. UNT (4-8) plays its last five conference games at the Super Pit. UNT appears to be in position to do just that after the Lady Eagles broke free of a midseason funk by beating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday. Men’s basketball Mean Green faces key series to open SBC play The North Texas men’s basketball team will open a key stretch of its season when the Mean Green (4-7) takes on Texas-Pan American on Thursday. The game marks the beginning of a four-game home stand for the Mean Green that will include its Sun Belt Conference opener against New Mexico State on Saturday. UNT will also play Denver and Florida International during the home stand. UNT has lost its last four games, three of them on the road. "We are excited about the opportunity to be at home," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "The road has been very difficult for us and our record has been indicative of that. At the same time we have had a chance to grow as a team by playing some very competitive teams in some tough environments. That will be beneficial to us when we get into conference play." Player of the week Kim Blanton has been a model of consistency for the North Texas women’s basketball team over the past few weeks. The senior forward has scored in double figures in five straight games and helped the Lady Eagles end a seven-game losing streak this past week with a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday Blanton scored 10 points against the Islanders and added six rebounds. Blanton made 5-of-9 shots from the field, helping UNT break free from an extended shooting slump. Blanton’s consistent play has helped her improve her scoring average to 11.3 points a game, a total that ranks second on the team. She is also averaging a team-high 6.5 rebounds per contest. For her efforts, Blanton is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s UNT Player of the Week. Athlete profile Full name: Will Smith Nickname: Will High school (city): Lincoln (Dallas) Family: Mother Theresa Smith, sister Tenesha Keeton Sport, statistics: Basketball, 5.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and .7 assists per game Major: Applied Arts and Sciences (Criminal Justice) When I graduate, I plan to: Become a probation officer I am sick of athletes who: Are only concerned with their individual stats rather than team improvement If I could get four tickets to any sporting event in the world, it would be: The NBA All-Star game My favorite sports movie is: Above the Rim My favorite pro sports team is: The Orlando Magic The people who had the most influence on my life is: My mother and sister The best summer I ever spent was: Playing with an AAU traveling team after my junior year in high school My goal for this year is to: Graduate, make my mother proud and get a job in the criminal justice department My dream for this year is to: Win the conference title If I could say one thing in the newspaper, it would be: I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. 7-day slate The following events are on tap in the next week at UNT THURSDAY – Texas Pan American at Men’s basketball, 7 p.m. SATURDAY – Women’s basketball at New Mexico State, 8:05 p.m.; New Mexico State at men’s basketball, 7 p.m.

UNT women's team counts on turnaround 12:08 AM CST on Monday, January 5, 2004 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – North Texas women's basketball coach Tina Slinker didn't make life easy for her team in the opening stages of the season. Slinker took the Lady Eagles to Indiana and Texas A&M. She scheduled games against nationally ranked Texas and TCU. The idea was to prepare the Lady Eagles for the rigors of Sun Belt Conference play. Now Slinker will get a chance to find out how the plan pans out. UNT will travel to New Mexico State for its first conference game Saturday. The Lady Eagles prepared with a tough nonconference campaign that included a seven-game losing streak. "We feel like we have a chance to do well in conference play," Slinker said. "Our schedule could end up paying off for us." The Lady Eagles will need to be at their best to compete in a well-balanced league. UNT was one of six teams that received first-place votes in the Sun Belt Conference's Preseason Coaches Poll. New Mexico State was picked to win the Sun Belt's West Division, while Western Kentucky was picked to win the East Division. UNT received one first-place vote in the West Division poll and was picked third. "I feel like all the teams in the league are getting a lot stronger," Middle Tennessee coach Stephany Smith said. "A lot of teams that were not expected to do well have done well. I think it is absolutely a wide-open race." South Alabama (11-1) is in first place in the West Division, which features two other teams with six wins in New Mexico State and Denver. Middle Tennessee leads the East Division with a 9-2 record. UNT appeared as if it would rank among the league's leaders before slipping into an extended slump. The Lady Eagles won three of their first four games, including a victory over defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Indiana State, before their losing streak began. UNT lost to Texas and TCU during the skid. The Lady Eagles pulled out of their tailspin just in time for Sun Belt play by beating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 59-43, Friday night. Four UNT players scored in double-figures, including three who will enter Sun Belt play averaging at least 10 points. Junior guard Jill Medlock is averaging 11.7 points a game. Senior forward Kim Blanton is posting 11.3, while sophomore forward Jamie Armstrong is averaging 10.1. "We are all looking to conference," Armstrong said. "We played a tough schedule early on. We feel like we can turn our season around." E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com SUN BELT PREVIEW The North Texas women's basketball team will open Sun Belt Conference play at New Mexico State on Jan. 10. The following is a look at each of the league's teams: West Division Rec. Comment South Alabama 11-1 Defense allows a league-low avg. 56.2 points Denver 6-4 Win over Kansas an early lift New Mexico State 6-5 Lost three straight games early La.-Lafayette 4-5 Anna Petrakova averages 11.2 rebounds, 17.8 points New Orleans 4-5 Lost five of last six games North Texas 4-8 Three players averaging double figures East Division Rec. Comment Middle Tennessee 9-2 Patrice Holmes averages 18.5 poimts, 5.18 assists Arkansas State 8-2 Opened season with seven straight wins Ark.-Little Rock 6-6 Last in league in rebounding margin Florida International 6-7 Milena Tomova is averaging 17.8 points Western Kentucky 5-6 Defending tourney champs off to rough start

North Texas hopes to make impact in conference action 01:27 AM CST on Saturday, January 3, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas men's basketball coach Johnny Jones has seen signs of potential from the Mean Green in the last few weeks. A series of solid games by senior forward Shawnson Johnson and a win over Baylor have convinced Jones that his team has the potential to make an impact in the Sun Belt Conference. The question UNT faces entering its league opener against New Mexico State on Jan. 10 is whether it can turn those bright spots into a consistently high level of play. The Mean Green has posted several disappointing performances to go along with its solid games, leaving the team with a 4-6 non-conference record. The Mean Green is in last place in the Sun Belt's West Division. "I am very confident in this team," Jones said. "We lost a lot of guys from last year's team, but we have a chance to do better once we start to click." Johnson's abilities are one of the reasons Jones believes his team can finish toward the top of the Sun Belt standings. The senior transferred to UNT from LSU and became eligible at the semester break. Johnson has quickly become one of the top players in the Sun Belt. The 6-9 center is averaging 16.0 points and 9.2 rebounds in the five games he has played for the Mean Green. Johnson is the only player on UNT's roster averaging double figures in scoring. UNT will likely need Johnson to continue to shine if the Mean Green is to compete for the Sun Belt's West Division title. All six teams in the division have at least four wins. Denver, New Orleans and New Mexico State have all won six games. Louisiana-Lafayette was picked to win the division, but is 4-4 after dropping a pair of contests to teams ranked among the top 25 in the country. "There is a lot of parity in the league," Jones said. "The race is as open as it has been in a while." Western Kentucky was expected to dominate the league after winning the last three conference tournament titles. The Hilltop-pers (4-6) have gotten off to a slow start under new head coach Darrin Horn and are in fourth place in the Sun Belt's East Division. Arkansas State, which was picked to finish fourth in the East Division, is in first place with a 9-2 record. UNT is hoping it can follow the Indians' path and exceed early expectations in a league that appears as if it will be highly competitive. "I like being picked toward the bottom of the league," UNT senior guard Jerome Rogers said. "It gives us motivation." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Lady Eagles look to snap losing skid Friday 12:50 AM CST on Friday, January 2, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The North Texas women's basketball team has talked about gaining momentum for the beginning of the Sun Belt Conference season for weeks. Tonight the Lady Eagles will have their last chance to reach that goal. UNT has lost its last seven games, a skid the Lady Eagles (3-8) hope to end when they face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a 7 p.m. game at the Super Pit. UNT's game against the Islanders is the Lady Eagles' final non-conference contest before they travel to New Mexico State for their league opener Jan. 10. "It would be huge for us to get a win going into conference play," North Texas coach Tina Slinker said. The task is one that could be a challenge for UNT, which struggled in a 91-53 loss to 19th-ranked TCU on Wednesday and lost one of its starters. Kennethia Wilson, a 5-10 sophomore forward, landed awkwardly early in the second half of UNT's game against TCU and twisted her left knee. Wilson left the game after scoring seven points and pulling down four rebounds. She entered the game averaging 7.2 points a game. Slinker said Wilson at least sprained ligaments in her knee and might have sustained more serious damage. Team doctors plan to evaluate the knee further once the swelling in the joint has subsided. Even if Wilson receives the best possible diagnosis of strained ligaments, she is likely to miss several games. UNT will be forced to adjust its lineup to make up for losing Wilson. Slinker said sophomore guards Erika Bobo, Jamie Armstrong and Mian Williams will all see more playing time against TAMCC. "Kennethia is a strong player," Williams said. "It will take the whole team to make up for losing her." Wilson was not only one of UNT's starters, but she is also shooting 43 percent from the field. Freshman forward Mia Ajekwu is the only other player on UNT's roster who is making more than 40 percent of her shots. The Lady Eagles have struggled to find their form offensively throughout the season. UNT is averaging 64.1 points a game, a total that ranks eighth in the 11-team Sun Belt Conference. Junior guard Jill Medlock is averaging 11.8 points a game to lead UNT, while senior forward Kim Blanton is averaging 11.5 points a game. UNT may have to break out offensively to beat TAMCC (9-5). The Islanders have won three of their last four games. Terra Andrews, a sophomore forward, averages 12.4 points a game to lead the Islanders. The Lady Eagles are hoping to slow Andrews down and finally break through to end their losing streak. "We are going to do everything we can to get a win," Armstrong said. "We have the talent. We just need that one win to get us going." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Roniger decides to leave Mean Green "Personal reasons" prompt exit for sophomore guard 02:19 AM CST on Sunday, December 28, 2003 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Scott Roniger, a sophomore who is leading the North Texas men's basketball team in assists and steals, has left the team for what he characterized as personal reasons. Roniger has started all nine games for the Mean Green and is averaging 2.4 points and 2.7 rebounds a game to go along with 32 assists and 13 steals. “It was a decision that I had to make for myself and my family,” Roniger said. “I love coach [Johnny] Jones, the staff, my teammates and the school. The reason I made it as long as I did was coach Jones. He cares for me and the rest of the players on the team.” Roniger was a steady influence in the backcourt for UNT, which will return to action following the holiday break with a game against Indiana on Monday at the Super Pit. UNT (4-5) will begin to adjust to a new lineup that will lack one of its top ball-handlers when the Mean Green faces the Hoosiers. “Scott took care of the ball and scored a little for us,” Jones said. “We will grow stronger and get better. Sometimes adversity leads to that.” UNT has lost a pair of guards this fall. Junior guard Mark Wilson left the team before the beginning of the regular season for personal reasons. Jones said senior guard Jerome Rogers and junior guard Marqus Mitchell will help fill the void left by Roniger. Rogers has split time at the point guard spot with Roniger and is UNTÕs third-leading scorer with an average of 8.6 points a game. Rogers ranks second on the team with 20 assists and is also averaging 2.1 rebounds a game. Mitchell is averaging 5.7 points a game. Roniger was an all-district and All-East Bank selection in his final three seasons at Rum-mel High School in Metarie, La. He averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 assists a game as a senior. Roniger said he would try to continue his career at a school closer to his home. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

Weatherford College sanctioned for dealings with foreign players 10:12 PM CST on Saturday, December 27, 2003 By JEFF MILLER / The Dallas Morning News International players have been a staple of Weatherford College's standout women's basketball program for more than a decade. Of the six All-Americans the Lady Coyotes can boast during the last six seasons, five came from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. But in the last 13 months, Weatherford has run afoul of the NJCAA in some of its dealings with foreign players. On the eve of the 2002-03 season, two freshmen from the Ukraine were ruled ineligible. And last month, the program was sanctioned for exceeding the limit for international athletes on scholarship and for a $200 loan longtime coach Bob McKinley gave to all-conference forward Laura Kizyte of Lithuania. McKinley is in his 27th season as Weatherford's coach and is also the school's athletic director. He has led the Lady Coyotes to seven conference titles, two regional championships, two appearances in the NJCAA Division I national tournament and one trip to the junior college final four. School president Don Huff said he's confident McKinley wasn't aware he was violating any rules. He noted that Weatherford's Board of Regents didn't discipline McKinley after it was informed of the violations. "He didn't do anything intentionally to avoid complying with the rules," Huff said. "I think everybody is very comfortable that he had no intent in doing anything like that." The NJCAA limits basketball programs to four international scholarship athletes and learned six of the Lady Coyotes on the roster at the beginning of the 2002-03 season were foreign students on scholarship. The women's team will be limited to two foreign scholarship players next season and three in 2005-06. Kizyte was forced to sit out the team's first four games this season. The Lady Coyotes are 6-6. McKinley has declined to talk with The News since the NJCAA informed the school of the sanctions. Before the ruling, McKinley acknowledged to The News that he made the loan and identified the amount. He didn't specify its purpose and added that he didn't think lending money to a player was a violation of NJCAA rules. "If it was, I wouldn't have done it," McKinley said. Huff said the loan, which school officials learned about from the NJCAA in August, was for emergency dental work and has been repaid. "I don't know how you deal with that when you've got a kid over here that doesn't have parents, doesn't have the money," Huff said. "The board agreed it's the humane thing to do, but it's not the legal thing to do." In November 2002, the NJCAA informed Weatherford that freshmen Olena Krasyvoron and Kateryna Polishchyk from the Ukraine could not play for the Lady Coyotes. Each player had signed a contract with Dynamo Kiev, a European team. McKinley said he believed he had documentation showing the women were eligible to play. He said Krasyvoron didn't inform Dynamo Kiev that she was leaving the team, which prompted the club to challenge the players' college eligibility. "Her team sent a letter to our national office," McKinley said. "They got mad at her because she didn't come say, 'Hey, please, please, please let me go over there, make my life better, where I can come back and maybe help things be better over here.' "One of 'em didn't get any money. The other one was supposed to get $50 a month. That's not even enough money to live on. We make kids just as professional over here when we sign them to a scholarship. I don't understand how our national office and the NCAA can sit in judgment on those kids that are signing contracts [for scholarships] over here and then signing contracts over there. I don't understand the difference." Without Krasyvoron and Polishchyk, Weatherford last season went 22-8 overall and 13-3 to finish second in the NJCAA's Region V. Kizyte was joined on the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference's first team by fellow Lithuanian Sandra Viksryte, who was named the conference Freshman of the Year.

NORTH TEXAS Roniger leaves men's basketball team Sophomore point guard Scott Roniger has left the UNT men's basketball team for what he characterized as personal reasons. Roniger started all nine of the Mean Green's games this season and leads the team in assists (32) and steals (13). He also averaged 2.4 points and 2.7 rebounds a game. UNT coach Johnny Jones said senior Jerome Rogers and junior Marqus Mitchell will help fill the void Roniger left. Rogers ranks third on the team with an average of 8.6 points a game. Mitchell is averaging 5.7 points a game. Brett Vito

SMU women hold off North Texas, 70-66 10:02 PM CST on Sunday, December 21, 2003 By MIKE McCLENDON / Denton Record-Chronicle Senior Shanta Ramdhanny scored 17 points and tied her career high with three steals to help SMU overcome an uninspired performance on the offensive glass, as the Mustangs defeated North Texas, 70-66, in front of 312 at the Super Pit on Sunday afternoon. Two other players joined Ramdhanny in double figures, as SMU (3-4) shot 46 percent for the game. That helped the Mustangs overcome the Lady Eagles (3-7), who got 30 offensive rebounds and a 16-board performance out of senior forward Kim Blanton. Not even a career-high 22 points from Jill Medlock could save North Texas from its longest losing streak since 1997, as UNT lost its sixth straight game. North Texas trailed, 38-35, at the intermission and opened the second half strong offensively. Medlock hit a 3-pointer to tie the score at 40, then made a driving layup on the Lady Eagles' next possession to give North Texas the lead. The lead would not last long as Shonte Roberts, who finished with 14 points, hit back-to-back buckets to return the advantage to SMU. The Mustangs never relented and led by nine or more points until the final two minutes of the game. North Texas trailed by six points in the final minute, but missed a pair of 3-point attempts before Medlock sank a putback as time expired. "Obviously we're frustrated," said Medlock. "But this game was actually one of our better games. We didn't play bad and our effort is there." Sarah Davis, who finished with 12 points, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for SMU. Blanton notched her sixth career double-double, as she also scored 10 points on just 5-of-18 shooting. "How do you have 30 offensive rebounds and not win?," a frustrated North Texas coach Tina Slinker asked after the game. SMU responded to a 14-2 deficit in the first half with a 21-6 surge, negating the Lady Eagles' early advantage. E-mail mmcclendon@dentonrc.com SMU 70, North Texas 66 SMU (3-4) – Davis 5-11 0-0 12, Walter 1-6 2-2 4, Shead 4-7 0-2 8, Ramdhanny 7-15 2-3 17, Cossey 2-5 0-0 4, White 1-3 0-0 3, Gross 3-7 0-0 8, Roberts 6-8 2-2 14, Leet 0-1 0-1 0, Swinney 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 29-63 6-9 70. North Texas (3-7) – Blanton 5-18 0-0 10, Wilson 4-9 0-0 10, Ajekwu 4-12 0-0 9, Bobo 1-9 0-0 2, Medlock 7-13 4-4 22, Armstrong 3-13 1-2 8, Williams 0-3 0-1 0, Edwards 2-9 1-2 5, Totals 26-86 6-9 66. Halftime – SMU 38, North Texas 35. 3-point goals – SMU 6-17 (Davis 2-4, Shead 0-1, Ramdhanny 1-4, Roberts 2-2, Cossey 0-2, White 1-2, Gross 2-3, Leet 0-1), North Texas 8-22 (Wilson 2-4, Ajekwu 1-2, Bobo 0-2, Medlock 4-9, Armstrong 1-1, Williams 0-1, Edwards 0-3). Rebounds – North Texas 59 (Blanton 16), SMU 40 (Davis 7). Assists – North Texas 14 (Bobo, Blanton 4), SMU 18 (Shead 8). Technical fouls – none. Total fouls – North Texas 13, SMU 14. A – 312.

UNT can't keep up with St. Bonaventure 12:48 AM CST on Sunday, December 21, 2003 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle OLEAN, N.Y. – St. Bonaventure needed some time to get rolling Saturday, but once the Bonnies found their rhythm they had no trouble running past North Texas, 81-62, at the Reilly Center. St. Bonaventure (4-4) trailed 36-25 with 1:59 left in the first half before coming back to beat the Mean Green (4-4). The Bonnies whittled the deficit to a point at halftime, and used a 16-5 run early in the second half to take control. Colleges St. Bonaventure 81, North Texas 62 Box score More North Texas Maurice Young capped the run for St. Bonaventure by making two 3-pointers. Young had 22 points. UNT senior forward Shawnson Johnson had 20 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in his third game with the Mean Green. Sophomore forward Ty Thomas finished with 11 points and was the only other UNT player to score in double figures. The Mean Green struggled from 3-point range, missing 16 of 18 attempts.

Basketball: Green is key for UNT on Saturday Boeheim gives Jones solid scouting report 08:48 AM CST on Saturday, December 20, 2003 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas basketball coach Johnny Jones found out all he needed to know about Marques Green from one of the grand old masters of coaching this week. Jones was looking for information about St. Bonaventure, the Mean Green’s opponent in a 3 p.m. game Saturday in New York, so he called Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. Syracuse edged St. Bonaventure, 87-78, earlier this year. "Green is one of the most exciting players in the country," Jones said. "Coach Boeheim told me he is comparable to Allen Iverson." The evaluation from a coach who is in his 27th season and led his team to the national title last year only confirmed what Jones already knew: UNT (4-3) will face a monumental challenge against the Bonnies (3-4). Green, a 5-7 guard, scored a career-high 43 points in a 107-98 loss to Niagara on Wednesday. The standout game pushed Green’s season scoring average to 24.6 points a game, a total that ranks among the national leaders. "We going to have to try to slow him down and contain him," Jones said. "We will throw a combination of defenses at him and hope he doesn’t have a career night." Containing Green would give UNT a chance to build on a win over Texas-Pan American on Wednesday. Senior forward Shawnson Johnson had a career night against the Broncs, scoring 20 points to go along with 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. Johnson and sophomore Ty Thomas started at the forward spots for the Mean Green for the first time this season. Johnson was playing in his second game for UNT after becoming eligible at the end of the first semester. Johnson sat out the first semester after transferring from LSU. Junior guard Leonard Hopkins is averaging 10.6 points a game after playing in all seven of UNT’s games. Johnson is averaging 11.5 points in two games. "I thought the new lineup worked out well for us," Jones said. "I like the way we started and the guys who came off the bench played well." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Houston overtakes UNT in second half Lady Eagles blow nine-point lead, then lose home game by 12 12:08 AM CST on Saturday, December 20, 2003 By BRETT VITO / The Denton Record Chronicle DENTON – Sancho Lyttle scored a game-high 26 points and led Houston to a 74-62 win over North Texas on Friday night. UNT led by nine points early in the second half before the Lady Cougars came back to take control and pull away. Houston was playing its first game since Dec. 7. The Lady Eagles (3-5) dropped their fifth straight game, the team's longest losing streak since the 2000 season. Lyttle's performance helped the Lady Cougars (6-2) overcome an off night by guard Chandi Jones. The senior entered the game averaging 22.3 points but managed just 13. Jones led the nation in scoring last season and ranks fifth this season. Senior forward Kim Blanton scored 13 points to pace UNT. Freshman forward Kelsie Edwards added 12 points, and junior guard Jill Medlock added 11. UNT went on an 11-2 run early in the second half to take a 44-35 lead on a layup by Blanton. The lead quickly slipped away. Houston went ahead 54-53 on a basket by Lyttle with 6:56 left and coasted the rest of the way. UH led by as many as 15. Turnovers proved costly for UNT. The Lady Eagles turned the ball over 31 times, tying a season high set in a loss to Texas A&M. Houston 74, North Texas 62 HOUSTON (6-2)–Lyttle 12-16 2-8 26, Barksdale 1-2 0-0 2, Jones 4-9 4-5 13, Overstreet 5-13 2-2 12, Oliver 2-5 0-0 5, Steele 0-2 0-0 0, Fryters 1-2 0-1 2, Andre 4-11 1-2 10, Cotton 0-0 0-0 0, Simpson 0-1 0-0 0, Taylor 0-1 1-2 1, Harris 1-1 1-3 3. Totals 30-63 11-23 74. NORTH TEXAS (3-5)–Blanton 4-8 5-6 13, Wilson 4-9 0-0 9, Ajekwu 1-3 3-4 5, Bobo 1-3 0-0 2, Medlock 4-10 0-0 11, Wali 0-2 0-0 0, Armstrong 3-8 0-1 6, Williams 2-2 0-0 4, Edwards 2-4 6-7 12, Klat 0-1 0-0 0, Haskin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-50 14-18 62. Halftime–Houston 31, UNT 31. Three-point goals– Houston 3-12 (Jones 1-1, Overstreet 0-3, Oliver 1-4, Steele 0-2, Andre 1-2), UNT 6-16 (Wilson 1-2 Ajekwu 0-1, Bobo 0-1, Medlock 3-8, Wali 0-1, Edwards 2-3). Fouled out–Andre. Rebounds– Houston 35 (Lyttle 6), UNT 38 (Wilson, Ajekwu 8). Assists– Houston 16 (Overstreet 7), UNT 12 (Medlock 4). Total fouls– Houston 74, UNT 22. A–289.

Basketball: Medlock catches on fast Lady Eagles guard has already broken one record 07:44 AM CST on Friday, December 19, 2003 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The first few weeks of the season have been filled with surprises for North Texas guard Jill Medlock. The transfer from Arkansas-Fort Smith Junior College didn’t expect to start in her first season at UNT or rank among the team’s leading scorers. And she certainly didn’t expect the outcome of a team meeting before the season. The AP North Texas guard Jill Medlock, second from right, tries to take the ball away from Texas forward Stacy Stephens, left, during their game on Sunday in Austin. Medlock, a junior college transfer, is already a team captain in her first season with the Lady Eagles. The Lady Eagles gathered to discuss their goals and select team captains. Medlock, who had been a member of the team just a few months, was one of two players picked to represent UNT. "That said a lot about how well things have gone since I got here," Medlock said. "It gave me chills when I found out." Medlock has shown signs of becoming one of the Lady Eagles’ top players since receiving the vote of confidence. The junior enters UNT’s game against Houston on Friday at the Super Pit as the Lady Eagles’ second leading scorer with an average of 11.1 points a game. The 5-7 guard has already broken UNT’s record for consecutive free throws made by sinking her first 23 attempts of the season. She is also on pace to break the school’s single-season record for 3-point shots. Medlock has hit 20 shots from behind the arc, where she is shooting 43 percent in UNT’s first eight games. If she maintains her pace, Medlock will exceed the school record of 60 set by Ashley Norris in the 1995-96 season. UNT coach Tina Slinker recruited Medlock because of her ability to shoot the ball from deep. What she didn’t expect were the other assets Medlock has provided the team. Medlock leads the team with 24 assists and is also averaging 4.4 rebounds a game. "The whole package that she brings has helped us this year," Slinker said. "She is a great shooter, but she also has great court sense." Medlock had no idea that she would fit in right away. "It’s surprising how well we work together," Medlock said. "We have good chemistry. So far everything has gone well and everyone has accepted me." Senior co-captain Karolyn Haskin said Medlock’s work ethic in the preseason and her natural leadership skills have eased her transition into a leading role with the Lady Eagles. Medlock’s teammates often encourage her to be assertive offensively. "When we get frustrated is when she doesn’t shoot," Haskin said. "When she is making shots, it loosens up a defense inside." Slinker credited Medlock’s ability to fit in so well early in part to the ready-made role that was there for her to assume. UNT lost guard Heather Trout to a series of foot injuries that forced her to give up basketball when she still had one year of eligibility remaining. Slinker turned to the junior college ranks for a replacement and found Medlock, who was being recruited by several other schools in the Sun Belt Conference. "The team needed a shooter and I like to stand outside and shoot from the perimeter," Medlock said. "One of the reasons I came to North Texas was because it seemed like a good fit." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Mean Green opens road trip with OT win UNT defeats UTPA behind four clutch free throws by Rogers 01:10 AM CST on Thursday, December 18, 2003 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle EDINBURG, Texas – Jerome Rogers made sure North Texas started a tough road trip on a high note Wednesday night. Rogers hit two free throws to send the Mean Green's game against UT-Pan American into overtime and then made two more in the extra session to lift the Mean Green to an 87-81 win at the UTPA Field House. Senior forward Shawnson Johnson led UNT with a double-double – 20 points and 13 rebounds – in his second appearance with the Mean Green (4-3). Pan American fell to 3-6. Colleges North Texas 87, UT-Pan American 81 (OT) Box score More North Texas UNT trailed 77-75 when Rogers drove to the basket and drew a foul with 2.5 seconds left. The senior made both shots to send the game into overtime. Rogers then made another two free throws with 34.2 seconds left in overtime to give UNT an 83-80 lead it would not relinquish. Junior guard Leonard Hopkins added 16 points for the Mean Green. Rogers scored all four of his points on free throws. Sergio Sanchez scored 23 points to lead UTPA. The Broncs hit 36 of 44 free throws. The game marked the beginning of a three-game road trip that will continue Saturday at St. Bonaventure in Olean, N.Y. UNT will then play at Southeast Missouri State on Monday in Cape Girardeau, Mo., before taking a week off for the holidays.

Second Half Surge Powers No. 5 Longhorns Over The Mean Green Austin, Tex. (12/14/03)- The North Texas (3-4) women's basketball team couldn't overcome the Texas Longhorns second half shooting as they fell 91-50 at the Frank Erwin Center. After a tight first half the Longhorns (8-1) pulled away from the Mean Green in the second half as they shot 78 percent and poured in 58 points. "I was very proud of the way that we played in the first half," said North Texas head coach Tina Slinker. "Texas is a very dangerous team and they are so dominate inside that they are tough to stop". The Mean Green stayed with the fifth ranked team in the country for the first 20 minutes as they trailed by only nine points at the half, 33-24. Sophomore forward Kennethia Wilson, making her first career start, tallied a career-high 15 points on the day with 11 of those coming in the first half. The second half began with the Longhorns making a 17-6 run over the first four minutes to extend their lead to 50-30. Sophomore forward Jamie Armstrong, who tied a career-high with 18 points, kept North Texas within striking distance with four straight points to cut the Longhorn lead to 53-36 until midway through the second half when Texas responded with another 17-6 run. "I am very excited about the way that Jamie and Kennethia played today," Slinker said. "I thought that they played well and really responded together". North Texas continues completes their three-game road trip with a visit to Weber State on December 16.

Basketball: UNT loses chance late Late mistakes cost Mean Green shot at first road win 09:01 AM CST on Sunday, December 14, 2003 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer FORT WORTH — North Texas was right where it wanted to be in the waning moments of its game against TCU on Saturday night. UNT was in the game with a chance to win on the road. The situation was an unusual one for the Mean Green, which entered the game having lost both of its games away from the Super Pit this season by double figures. Unfortunately for the Mean Green, the result was the same in a 62-58 loss at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. DRC/Hiroyuki Komae Texas Christian forward Chudi Chinweze, left, defends North Texas forward Ron Harris in the first half at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in Fort Worth on Saturday. The Mean Green fell to the Horned Frogs, 62-58, in non-conference action. TCU (3-5) went on a 5-0 run in the final minutes of the game and made just enough plays to pull out the win. "They made some shots late in the game and we missed some open looks," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "It was almost like the last team with the basketball was going to win." TCU made the key plays it needed after UNT (3-3) tied the scored at 52 on a put-back by sophomore forward Ty Thomas with 5:01 left. The Horned Frogs responded with their run and took a 57-52 lead. The Mean Green missed three 3-point shots during TCU’s spurt. "We were right with them in the end," UNT junior guard Leonard Hopkins said. "They came down and made some big shots. We had some open looks, but couldn’t get anything to fall." UNT regained its offensive rhythm in time to cut TCU’s lead to one point twice in the final minutes, but couldn’t pull ahead. Senior guard Jerome Rogers led UNT with 15 points, while Hopkins added 11, despite hitting just 3-of-16 shots from the field. Chudi Chinweze scored 18 points and hit three critical free throws in the final minute to ice the game for TCU. Corey Santee added 12 points for Horned Frogs, while Marcus Shropshire added 11. The game was tight throughout with the lead changing hands 20 times before TCU made its key run late in the game to pull away for the win. "We controlled the game in the final minutes," Chinweze said. "We made a few free throws and pulled down some big rebounds." Chinweze hit a pair of free throws with 24 seconds left to five TCU a 61-58 lead. Senior forward Michael DeGrate missed a 3-point shot that would have tied the game for UNT with 15 seconds left and Chinweze made one final free throw to ice the game. Both teams started off cold in the first half. TCU shot 28 percent from the field in the first half, but grabbed a 28-27 lead at intermission thanks to a solid contribution from its bench. The Horned Frogs’ starters scored just four points in the first half. Chinweze scored 11 points off the bench to help TCU take its early lead. Even with a solid contribution from its bench, TCU failed to pull away from UNT in a back-and-forth game. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6970.

Lady Eagles need help inside Slinker seeks complement to Medlock 08:18 AM CST on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 The North Texas women’s basketball team enters its game against Texas this week looking for a little balance. Junior guard Jill Medlock has gotten off to a blazing start in her first season at UNT and is providing the Lady Eagles a scoring threat from the outside. What UNT now needs is additional scoring inside to balance its offense and make defenses pay for following Medlock everywhere she goes on the floor. Medlock is averaging 12.7 points a game to lead UNT. "We have to establish more of a post game to help Jill get more opportunities to score," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. Senior All-Sun Belt Conference forward Kim Blanton is averaging 12.3 points a game, while sophomore forward Jamie Armstrong is adding 10 points a game. Both players score most of their points around the basket. The Lady Eagles would like to have another threat inside. Kelsie Edwards showed signs that she could be that player in a game against Texas A&M. The freshman forward scored a career-high 20 points in a 72-62 loss to the Aggies. The total was the highest for UNT freshman since Jalie Mitchell scored 20 points in a game against Cal-Poly on Jan. 23, 2000. Added scoring inside could help Medlock continue her surge early this season. Medlock has already made 17 3-point shots and is shooting 47 percent from behind the arc. She is on pace to shatter the UNT record of 60 3-point shots made in a single season. Medlock is also a perfect 19-of-19 from the free throw line. UNT will likely need all the scoring it can muster when it takes on Texas on Sunday. The Longhorns are ranked second in the Associated Press top 25 poll. Briefly ... North Texas outrebounded Texas A&M 43-34 in its last game. It marked the third time in the last four games that UNT has grabbed more rebounds than its opponent. ... UNT has a 21-70 record against Big 12 teams. The Lady Eagles last win over a Big 12 school came against Baylor on Nov. 24, 1999 at the Super Pit. ... Seven of UNT’s first eight games are on the road this season.

Official Basketball Box Score Baylor vs North Texas 12/9/03 7 PM at Denton, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: Baylor 3-3 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 24 Thomas, Terrance.... f 7-16 2-6 6-11 4 7 11 3 22 3 3 0 1 38 32 Swanson, Tommy...... f 1-5 0-1 0-0 1 4 5 3 2 1 1 1 0 26 34 Guinn, R.T.......... c 6-13 2-5 3-5 5 1 6 2 17 1 1 0 3 37 04 Kidd Jr., Ellis..... g 5-13 2-9 3-3 3 3 6 4 15 1 2 0 2 33 13 Sayman, Matt........ g 2-5 0-2 3-6 1 5 6 4 7 4 5 0 2 38 02 Pryor, Ryan......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+ 03 McKenzie, Robbie.... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 05 Herring, Corey...... 1-3 0-1 0-2 1 0 1 5 2 1 2 0 0 16 10 Marshall, Carl...... 2-3 0-0 0-1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 9 Team................ 4 3 7 Totals.............. 24-59 6-24 15-28 19 24 43 22 69 11 14 1 8 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-27 37.0% 2nd Half: 14-32 43.8% Game: 40.7% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-11 27.3% 2nd Half: 3-13 23.1% Game: 25.0% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 5-11 45.5% 2nd Half: 10-17 58.8% Game: 53.6% 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: North Texas 3-2 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 01 SMITH, Will......... f 5-7 0-0 0-5 4 9 13 2 10 0 0 2 0 31 42 DeGRATE, Michael.... f 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 15 44 JONES, Michael...... f 2-5 1-2 0-1 0 1 1 3 5 1 0 0 0 11 05 MITCHELL, Marqus.... g 1-9 1-7 0-0 0 2 2 2 3 0 2 0 2 17 12 RONIGER, Scott...... g 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 3 3 2 0 7 3 0 3 19 02 ROGERS, Jerome...... 4-5 4-4 0-1 0 3 3 3 12 1 1 0 1 21 03 HARRIS, Ron......... 5-6 0-0 3-4 2 2 4 4 13 1 2 2 0 23 22 HOPKINS, Leonard.... 6-10 4-7 3-5 1 2 3 2 19 2 1 0 0 28 24 THOMAS, Ty.......... 2-5 0-2 5-6 1 1 2 3 9 0 3 3 0 24 54 BARNETT, Justin..... 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 11 Team................ 3 3 Totals.............. 26-53 10-23 11-22 11 26 37 23 73 15 13 7 6 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-27 40.7% 2nd Half: 15-26 57.7% Game: 49.1% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-14 35.7% 2nd Half: 5-9 55.6% Game: 43.5% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 5-9 55.6% 2nd Half: 6-13 46.2% Game: 50.0% 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Danny Hooker, Bill Kennedy, Curtis Shaw Technical fouls: Baylor-None. North Texas-None. Attendance: 2173 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total Baylor........................ 28 41 - 69 North Texas................... 32 41 - 73 Pts in paint: NT 30 BU 28; Second chance pts: NT 4 BU 2 Fast break pts: NT 4 BU 4; Pts off turnovers: NT 6 BU 6