DMN article, box score/NT 72, NWest St 59

OldTimer · January 1, 2006

UNT women win for best start in school history

12:34 AM CST on Sunday, January 1, 2006

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

DENTON – North Texas took a 30-point lead in the second half at the Super Pit and coasted to a 72-59 win over Northwestern State on Saturday.

The win gave the Mean Green its best start in school history at 10-2. UNT scored its first 15 points of the game from the free throw line and jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first five minutes of the game. The Mean Green made 32 of 46 free throws.

UNT fell just short of the school record for free throws in a game – 51, set against Southern Arkansas earlier this season.

UNT used a 46-23 advantage in free throw attempts to push its lead to 66-36 with 10:41 left before pulling its starters. UNT starting guards Mian Williams and Natalie Mireles led the Mean Green with 16 and 13 points, respectively. Mireles matched her career high.

Tena Matthews led Northwestern (7-4) with 15 points.

UNT's win over the Lady Demons was its second in 19 games between the former Southland Conference rivals, who had not played since the 1995-96 season.

North Texas 72, Northwestern State 59

NSU (7-4) – Milliner 2-6 0-0 4, Bell 2-7 1-2 5, Perry 1-6 2-2 4, Jones 6-16 0-2 13, Matthews 6-13 3-6 15, Kennedy 1-9 8-10 10, Shead 2-4 0-0 4, Fitzgerald 0-0 0-0 0, Givens 1-1 0-0 2, B. Isom 0-2 0-1 0, N. Isom 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 22-68 14-23 59.

UNT (10-2) – Jackson 3-9 3-4 9, Sanders 2-3 2-4 6, Bobo 2-6 5-6 9, Mireles 4-8 2-2 13, Williams 3-9 9-10 16, Howard 0-2 0-0 0, Lee 0-2 3-4 3, Jackson 2-4 1-5 5, Hall 0-1 0-0 0, Wali 0-2 0-0 0, Quattrocchi 0-2 0-0 0, Wilson 0-1 1-2 1, Vation 1-5 0-1 2, Ajekwu 1-4 6-8 8. Totals 18-58 32-46 72.

Halftime – UNT 39-26. 3-point goals – NSU 1-6 (Perry 0-1, Jones 1-4, Kennedy 0-1), UNT 4-12 (Bobo 0-1, Mireles 3-6, Williams 1-3, Lee 0-1, Wali 0-1). Fouled out – Perry. Rebounds – NSU 53 (Shead 9), UNT 46 (Sanders 10). Assists – NSU 6 (Kennedy 4), UNT 9 (Jackson 4). Total fouls – NSU 29, UNT 19. Technical fouls – NSU 3 (Bell, team 2), UNT (Sanders). Attendance – 398.