Men’s basketball falls to Charlotte as win streak comes to an end
Men’s basketball had its eight-game win streak snapped by the University of North Carolina-Charlotte in a 55-49 loss Thursday night.
The Mean Green (23-6, 14-4 Conference USA) held the nation’s seventh-longest winning streak, but a contest that featured scoring runs on either side ended in favor of the 49ers (17-11, 8-9). A win would have set the single-season program record for road wins.
“You have to create some separation at some point with a team like [Charlotte],” head coach Grant McCasland said. “They have great shooters on the floor, they have a good inside-out attack and we just could never get separation from them.”
Three North Texas players scored in double digits, including senior guard Kai Huntsberry, who has averaged 15.3 points per game during the win streak.
Charlotte got out to a 15-5 lead eleven minutes into the game after going on a 13-0 run. North Texas went over seven minutes without scoring and shot 18.2 percent in the first ten minutes of the game.
Scores from junior forward Abou Ousmane and senior guard Kai Huntsberry brought the Mean Green within four as they went on a 6-0 run. Consecutive scores from Huntsberry made the score 17-16 in favor of the 49ers with 4:26 left in the first half.
North Texas outscored Charlotte 19-7 in the last 11 minutes of the period and held a 24-22 lead at the half.
“It felt like one of those games where, as the game was going on, you were trying to find a way to claw yourself back into it,” McCasland said.
The Mean Green had a 17-2 record when leading at the half this season, but a persistent Charlotte offense led by redshirt sophomore guard Lu’Cye Patterson, who led the game in scoring with 17 points, came out on top.
Charlotte took back the lead early in the second half, but a three-point play from sophomore guard Aaron Scott tied the game at 29 five minutes into the half. The teams traded the lead until the Mean Green took a six point lead with 8:22 left. With the contest tied at 40, Ousmane regained the lead for North Texas. Charlotte then went on a 8-0 run to take a six-point lead.
The 49ers held the lead with 1:29 left, but Scott hit a 3-pointer to bring the Mean Green within three with less than a minute left. A score from both teams followed, and North Texas ultimately was unable to overcome the deficit as Charlotte finished the game on a 15-7 run.
“We kind of settled in to finish the first half, but we came out at the second half flat,” McCasland said. “They jumped up on us and got the lead. It comes down to a couple possessions against two really good teams, and Charlotte is a great team — I thought they played great tonight.”
North Texas will look to set the single season-program record for regular season wins as it returns home for a matchup with Middle Tennessee State University (17-11, 10-7) on March 2. The game will begin the Mean Green’s final home stand.
Featured Image Junior forward Abou Ousmane, senior guard Tylor Perry, junior guard Rubin Jones, senior guard Kai Huntsberry and sophomore g/f Aaron Scott (left to right) walk on the court during a game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Feb. 9, 2023. Marco Barrera
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