NT vs. NMSU, SBC opener

[NT80]

Mens basketball: UNT men rolling into SBC opener

08:29 AM CST on Saturday, January 10, 2004

UNT men rolling into SBC opener

The North Texas men’s basketball team will enter its Sun Belt Conference opener tonight with a little momentum.

The Mean Green, which had been struggling only days before, broke out of a midseason funk Thursday and knocked off Texas-Pan American, 71-53. The win is one the Mean Green will look to build on tonight when it faces New Mexico State in a 7 p.m. game at the Super Pit.

UNT has beaten New Mexico State in each of the last two times the teams have met in Denton.

The Mean Green appears to have a better chance of extending its run against the Aggies after posting a solid second half against Pan-American and ending a four-game losing streak. UNT was locked in a close game in the second half before Calvin Watson hit a pair of 3-point shots to spark North Texas.

The Mean Green finished the game on a 24-5 run.

The game marked Watson’s debut with the Mean Green. The freshman missed UNT’s first 11 games of the season with a broken left foot.

The addition of Watson could give UNT an added scoring threat to add to its balanced scoring attack. Senior forward Shawnson Johnson is leading UNT with an average of 15.6 points a game and is one of five players on the team averaging at least eight points a game.

Duane John is averaging 18.2 points a game to lead New Mexico State, while James Moore is adding 16.4.