UNT Bball Notes from the DRC

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UNT notebook: Duo earns added playing time

08:22 AM CST on Wednesday, February 11, 2004

A season’s worth of hard work has started to pay off for a pair of guards on the North Texas women’s basketball team.

Mian Williams has started the last two games for the Lady Eagles, while Natalie Mireles has seen her playing time increase.

Williams scored eight points in UNT’s last two games. Mireles has not started this season, but has seen her playing time increase. The sophomore hit a pair of 3-point shots in UNT’s 53-50 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 5.

"Mian is playing well defensively," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "She had six hustle plays against New Mexico State. She deserves to start."

Starting Williams gives UNT a quick three-guard backcourt that also includes junior guard Jill Medlock and sophomore point guard Erika Bobo.

The emergence of Mireles gives UNT another option at point guard. The Lady Eagles have struggled to adjust their lineup when Bobo is out of the game.

UNT has moved Medlock to the point for short spells. That switch takes away one of the Lady Eagles top outside scoring threats. Medlock has hit 46 shots from beyond the 3-point arc and is UNT’s second-leading scorer with an average of 11.3 points a game.

"I am very impressed with Natalie," Slinker said. "We went to her because of what she has done in practice. She can shoot and is a good defensive player."

UNT is hoping a new look in its backcourt will pay dividends during a critical stretch at the end of the season. The Lady Eagles will play their final road game of the season when they take on Middle Tennessee on Thursday.

UNT will then return home for its final five games of the season.

Men’s basketball

Watson a hit as a freshman

Calvin Watson got a late start to the season, but he is finishing with a bang.

The freshman has started seven games for the Mean Green and is averaging 8.1 points a game. Watson ranks fifth on the team in scoring and is hitting 39 percent of his shots from 3-point range.

Watson is the first UNT player to start seven or more games as a true freshman since senior Jerome Rogers started 11 games in his first year with the Mean Green in the 2000-01 season.

Watson appeared as if he might take a prominent role early on in his freshman season by shining in preseason practices. UNT’s plans changed when Watson broke his foot before its season opener.

Watson missed the first 11 games of the season and considered taking a redshirt year before returning to the lineup. Watson has scored in double figures four times, including a 14-point outing against Arkansas State on Jan. 24.