Women Win, DMN article 70-59

[OldTimer]

UNT women get first-round scare

03/07/2003

From Staff and Wire Reports

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The North Texas women's basketball team narrowly avoided an embarrassing end to its season in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament.

The Lady Eagles struggled to put away Arkansas-Little Rock, which was winless in league play, before emerging with a 70-59 win Thursday night at E.A. Diddle Arena.

"When we learn not to play down to the level of our opponent, we'll be a lot better off," said UNT forward Emily Britt, who scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting off the bench.

UNT (12-15), the No. 4 West seed, advances to play East top seed and host Western Kentucky at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Arkansas-Little Rock (5-23) was up four, 32-28, at the half. It was the Lady Trojans' first halftime lead over a Sun Belt opponent this season.

The Lady Eagles took the lead for good near the 14-minute mark on a 19-foot jumper by Britt, which began a spurt of eight unanswered points. Point guard Erika Bobo (team-high 15 points) capped the run with layups off steals at midcourt on consecutive possessions.

UNT shooting guard Heather Trout, who had a game-high nine assists, scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half.

UNT didn't lead by more than seven until the final minute of the game. Arkansas-Little Rock senior forward Eplunus Brooks, a Wichita Falls Hirschi product, led all players with 27 points and 15 rebounds to keep the Lady Trojans in the game.

Tim MacMahon