Basketball: Back To Full Strength

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http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/...1.2a785619.html

UNT men looking for lift from return of Stewart

<H5 class=vitstorydate>10:34 PM CST on Wednesday, January 10, 2007</H5>

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

North Texas will not only be back home today for the first time in more than a week, it will also be back at full strength.

Harold Stewart, a key cog in the Mean Green's front line and a former starter, will return to UNT's rotation tonight for the second half of a doubleheader with Louisiana-Lafayette at the Super Pit. The UNT women will look to break a three-game losing streak in the opening game.

Stewart missed UNT's last five games while dealing with personal issues.

"We definitely missed Harold because he was a huge part of our rotation," UNT head coach Johnny Jones said of the 6-8 sophomore forward. "We are so much deeper in the post with him. He started for us and has played starter's minutes."

Stewart started the first seven games of the season before junior Quincy Williams moved into the starting lineup. Stewart still plays an important role off the bench for UNT (11-5, 2-3) and is averaging 4.7 points and 4.5 rebounds a game.

"I am ready to play," Stewart said. "It was tough to sit out for that long because I wasn't able to help the team and had to just sit over there and watch."

Playing without Stewart wasn't very pleasant for the rest of the Mean Green, either.

UNT was forced to juggle its rotation and play 6-5 senior guard Rich Young at the power forward spot at times. Jones said playing Young at power forward takes away from the Mean Green on both ends of the floor.

Young is one of the Mean Green's best perimeter defenders and is also shooting a team-high 47.1 percent from 3-point range.

The return of Stewart will give Jones a chance to change his lineup tonight in an effort to improve the Mean Green's defense that has floundered the last few weeks. UNT has given up an average of 85 points in its last two games -- losses to Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State.

Young will start at shooting guard, while Williams will play the power forward spot with Stewart as his backup. Calvin Watson, a senior shooting guard, who leads UNT with an average of 15.6 points a game, will come off the bench.

UNT is hoping the change will help make the Mean Green a better team defensively.

"We have to play better defense," UNT junior point guard Ben Bell said. "When we hold teams under 70 points, we don't lose. Our practices have been all about defense this week."

The Mean Green will need to perform well defensively to knock off ULL (4-12, 2-4 Sun Belt). The Ragin' Cajuns have won their last two games after dropping seven straight. ULL guards Ross Mouton and David Dees are averaging 18.8 and 18.1 points a game, respectively, to lead the Ragin' Cajuns.

While Stewart has not played a game in weeks, he has been practicing and thinks he is ready to make an immediate impact.

"I really believe I will be able to give us some depth," Stewart said. "I have been practicing hard, so hopefully I didn't lose anything. I will come out and work hard. That's what I usually do anyway."

The UNT women (4-10, 1-3) will also be looking to bounce back after dropping their last three games, including a heartbreaker against Denver on Tuesday. UNT was up by five late in the second half, but scored just two points in the final 7:54 and lost 51-48.

Junior post Erica Howard scored a season-high 19 points, but was the only UNT player to score in double figures.

Senior forward Yolanda Jones is averaging 16.0 points a game to lead the Ragin' Cajuns (12-5, 4-2)

"We have to keep our heads up," UNT women's coach Tina Slinker said following the Mean Green's loss to Denver. "We have to continue to work hard and prepare for our next game."

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