DRC Sturns to the rescue

[OldTimer]

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.