FW *Telegram NT Notes, Mens BB, softball

[OldTimer]

Posted on Fri, Feb. 27, 2004

UNT Notes

Key win shows men's postseason capability

By Scott Mccoy

Special to the Star-Telegram

The men's basketball team's come-from-behind win over conference-leading Louisiana-Lafayette on Monday might have answered any doubts about the Mean Green's postseason potential.

UNT received key contributions from reserve forward Mike Jones and walk-on point guard John Franklin in the second half to slow down the top scoring team in the conference.

"I think it's a huge confidence booster for us," coach Johnny Jones said. "To have the ability to come back showed we had numbers on the bench."

On Thursday, the Mean Green (13-13, 8-6) clinched a berth in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with an 84-81 road victory over New Orleans (14-13, 8-6). The victory also moved North Texas into a two-way tie with New Orleans for second place in the West Division of the conference.

North Texas closes out the regular season Sunday at South Alabama.

Track and field test

The UNT track and field team will compete in the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships this weekend in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Freshman pole vaulter Desiree Hill, an Arlington Bowie graduate, broke the school record for the third time this season Saturday at the Oklahoma Indoor. Her height of 11 feet, 3 inches is the third-best in conference this season.

Jarrod Stone, from Crowley High School, owns three of the top 10 field-event marks in conference. But without much depth, Stone and others may need to do even better.

"If we're going to have a chance to win the championship, we're going to have to win several individual events," coach Rick Watkins said. "That's going to have to be our mind-set going in. Second and third place won't get it done."

Middle Tennessee has won both the men's and women's titles the past three years.

Softball takes local showdown

Junior outfielder Stephanie Cranmer and freshman infielder Heather Bostic earned all-tournament honors at North Texas' Betlin Round-up last week.

Cranmer delivered the key blow in what coach Stacey Segal called the highlight of the young season.

In the eighth inning against UT-Arlington on Sunday, Cranmer drove in freshman Katy Maxey for the game-winning run in a 4-3 victory. Maxey picked up her third win of the season, allowing seven hits over eight innings.

"I told my squad right before we started that, obviously, conference would be the most important games, but besides that when you have the chance to play someone in the same area that competes for recruiting rights, that's the most important game we've played so far," Segal said.

UNT went 3-3 at the tournament.

"Their confidence is high, but with any sport it can go from really high to really low real quick," she said.

ONLINE: www.unt.edu/meangreen