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Davis lifts UNT past SWMS

North Texas survives late scare in season opener

11/23/2002

By Tim MacMahon / Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — As tough as road wins have been to come by in recent years, North Texas will take one any way it can.

The Mean Green, however, certainly could have done without the drama in the late stages of its 81-78 victory Friday night over Southwest Missouri State in front of 5,612 fans at the Hammons Center.

UNT, which led by 15 points at the half, withstood an 11-0 run early in the second half and held on for the program’s first season-opening road win since a victory at Texas Tech in 1991. SMS guard Terrance McGee, who scored 23 of his game-high 28 points in the second half, missed an open 3-pointer that would have tied the game at the buzzer.

"We got one on the road," said UNT swingman Chris Davis, who led the Mean Green with 18 points and eight rebounds. "That’s all that matters."

The Mean Green (1-0), which won’t play a home game until Dec. 10, ended the Bears’ streak of 25 consecutive wins in home openers. The only other time SMS (0-1) didn’t win a home opener at the Hammons Center was the first game played in the building, a 72-71 loss to Arkansas in 1976.

"That’s good company to be in," said UNT coach Johnny Jones, whose team was 4-10 on the road last season. "I can see why they’ve been so successful here. It’s a tough environment to play in. We knew they were going to make a run in the second half. I’m excited about the way our guys held their composure, knocked down free throws and took care of the basketball."

After shooting only one free throw before halftime, the Mean Green made 24 of 28 attempts from the line in the second half. UNT was 15-of-17 from the line in the final seven minutes.

UNT took a 39-24 lead into halftime by shooting the lights out — led by guard Leonard Hopkins, who scored all 13 of his points in the first half — and playing stingy defense. The Mean Green made 59 percent of its shots from the floor and 54 percent from 3-point range in the first half. Southwest Missouri, meanwhile, connected at a dismal 32-percent clip from the floor and helped UNT by missing 12 of 18 free throws in the first 20 minutes.

After the teams traded pairs of baskets in the opening minutes after halftime, the Bears made their big run, getting easy baskets in transition by taking advantage of poor shot selection by UNT. McGee, the only returning starter for Southwest Missouri, had seven of 11 points in the spurt, cutting UNT’s lead to four at the 15:46 mark.

"The crowd got into it and they got a little momentum behind them," said UNT forward Jermaine Green, who scored eight of his 12 points in the final seven minutes of the game, including a critical traditional 3-point play with 2:59 to play.

SMS got within one point on several occasions but never could complete the comeback by pulling even or taking a lead. UNT point guard Lee Green, who scored 10 points, hit a 3-pointer to spark an 11-4 run the last time the Bears pulled within one.

UNT took a 10-point lead with 30 seconds remaining, leading Jermaine Green to proclaim to no one in particular, "One of many." But the Bears made a pair of 3-pointers and a bank shot while UNT was called for two fouls to set up the drama in the final seconds.

"We like to make games tough," Davis said. "But we stuck together and came out with a win. We were able to calm down and make plays when we needed to. This gives us a lot of confidence that we can come out and win on the road."

TIM MACMAHON can be reached at 940-381-9572.

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