Excitement, joy fill new Sun Belt champions

Men’s team earns ticket to Big Dance

By Sean Gorman / Senior Staff Writer –

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Emotion poured out of the Mean Green players as they celebrated their 11th-straight victory, defeating the Troy Trojans 66-63 in the Sun Belt Conference tournament final and officially punching their ticket to the NCAA tournament.

The Mean Green (24-8, 13-5) set the single-season school record with 24 wins and will play in its third NCAA tournament, last advancing in 2007.

“We are excited about it and very blessed and fortunate to be in this position,” head coach Johnny Jones said. “We executed in the second half and made some plays down the stretch and are just so excited to be able to represent the Sun Belt in the NCAA Tournament.”

(Photo by Ryan Bibb / Staff Photographer)

UNT will learn of its first-round opponent this weekend during Selection Sunday, when the seeding and matchups of the 65 teams in the tournament are announced.

“I feel like with this program the sky is the limit.,” junior forward George Odufuwa said. “At the end of the day, there is only one champion.”

Senior forward Eric Tramiel was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after his second double-double of the tournament, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

(Photo by Ryan Bibb / Staff Photographer)

“As a team, we remained poised, and in a big game like this teams are going to make a big run like they did,” Tramiel said. The offenses were on display early, with each team trading baskets for a total of 12 lead changes in the first half.

“They made some big shots in the first half, but I thought we played better defense in the second half once we got used to their style,” Odufuwa said.

While the offense gave the Mean Green a small lead, the defense held the Trojans scoreless for nine minutes . Junior guard Tristan Thompson gave the Mean Green a spark to open the second half, scoring UNT’s first three baskets.

After Troy cut the deficit to four, junior guards Collin Mangrum and Josh White helped UNT pull ahead with two-straight three-pointers.

The Trojans answered with a three-pointer of their own, and aided by a full court press defense, Troy went on a 7-0 run to even the score with three minutes left.

Following a crucial jumper by White that gave UNT the lead with less than a minute left, Odufuwa blocked a lay-up attempt that would have tied the game, and White sealed the win with three free throws.

“I was going to the hoop the entire way. I just drove in and pulled up, and it was fortunate that it went in,” said White. “My teammates just told me to keep shooting, and I knew a couple would fall in eventually.”

The Mean Green controlled the game down low, as Odufuwa helped Tramiel on the block with 11 points and 17 rebounds.

Mean Green fans can congratulate the players at a welcome-back ceremony when they arrive at 3 p.m. today at the Super Pit.