DRC Mens BB buzzer-beater beats NT Sat

OldTimer · February 5, 2006

Men's basketball: Buzzer-beater dooms UNT at New Orleans

Mean Green fall to 5-5 in Sun Belt

08:58 AM CST on Sunday, February 5, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

NEW ORLEANS — North Texas ended a two-game road trip in a gym the fans at New Orleans like to call the Chamber of Horrors.

The destination only seemed appropriate after a swing through Louisiana the Mean Green would like to forget. UNT lost both games on the trip, including a heartbreaking 75-74 setback against the Privateers on Saturday night in a Sun Belt Conference game.

UNO guard Jamie McNeilly scored the last four points of the night to sink UNT, the final two of which came on a game-winning jumper over the outstretched arm of Mean Green center Jeffrey Simpson with 4.3 seconds left.

“McNeilly is a good shooter, a good finisher and a quick guy,” Simpson said. “I went up for the block. He just got it over me.”

Seeing the shot fall was the final blow in a bitter road trip for the Mean Green. UNT (12-9, 5-5) came into its two-game swing to Louisiana-Lafayette and UNO two games over the .500 mark in league play and appeared to have an opportunity to improve on that mark.

UL-Lafayette had lost seven of eight entering the week, while UNO (7-14, 4-6) came into Saturday night just 3-6 in league play.

UNT lost both games and now faces the challenge of trying to scramble back up the conference standings during its last five games in conference play.

The Mean Green have now lost a season-high three straight games.

“It’s very disappointing because when you go on the road you at least want to split,” UNT head coach Johnny Jones said. “When you look at the records of both teams you feel like you can at least do that if not win both games. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”

The Mean Green were in perfect position to pick up the split after sophomore forward Quincy Williams converted a 3-point play to give the Mean Green a 65-58 lead with 7:10 left.

UNT had a chance to put the game away, but went cold from the field while UNO went on a 13-5 run to take a 71-70 lead 2:56 left.

The Mean Green needed to find a way to get back on track offensively and turned Kendrick Davis over the final few minutes.

Davis came into the night off one of his worst performances of the year against UL-Lafayette when he missed all seven of his shots from the field and scored just two points.

Davis bounced back and finished a 25-point outburst against UNO by scoring four points on consecutive possessions put the Mean Green up 74-71 with 1:19 left.

“I hurt my team last game and didn’t produce last game,” Davis said. “I tried to come back this game and be aggressive.

Davis’ big game just wasn’t enough to lift the Mean Green past UNO and McNeilly, who hit a jumper with 1:02 left to pull UNO within one at 74-73. When Davis missed on UNT’s next possession, the Privateers went right back to McNeilly and he hit a second jumper to give UNO the win.

Jeremie Davis scored 19 points to lead the Privateers, while McNeilly added 13 on 5-of-8 shooting.

The last of those shots sealed a tough road trip for the Mean Green.

“It was a real tough road trip,” Simpson said. “We expected to come out here and win both games. We have to try to bounce back now.”

Briefly …

UNT backup guard Michael Sturns did not play after injuring his hand during practice on Friday. Jones said that Sturns would have X-rays when the Mean Green return to Denton.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

New Orleans 75, UNT 74

UNT (12-9) — Stewart 1-2 0-0 2, Simpson 5-10 2-4 12, Brown 1-6 0-0 3, Davis 8-17 6-7 25, Hines 2-7 4-4 9, Young 2-4 0-0 4, Edwards 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 3-4 1-5 8, Watson 3-6 2-2 9, Howerton 0-1 0-0 0, Barnett 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 26-58 15-22 74.

UNO (7-14) — Manning 1-3 4-4 7, Davis 4-10 9-12 19, Malloy 1-3 5-8 7, Barnitz 1-2 0-0 3, McNeilly 5-8 3-5 13, Driggs 0-1 0-0 0, Parlow 4-11 1-2 10, Badawi 0-0 0-0 0, Daney 5-6 0-1 10, Parker 2-2 2-2 6. Totals 23-46 24-34 75.

Halftime—UNT 43-39. 3-Point Goals—UNT 7-16 (Davis 3-5, Williams 1-1, Hines 1-3, Watson 1-3, Brown 1-4), UNO 5-13 (Davis 2-5, Manning 1-1, Barnitz 1-2, Parlow 1-4, Driggs 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—UNT 36 (Williams 8), UNO 29 (Malloy 8). Assists—UNT 16 (Brown 9), UNO 14 (Davis 4). Total Fouls—UNT 22, UNT 20. A—511.

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