North Texas Daily

Men’s basketball defeated the University of Texas-San Antonio 63-59 Thursday night in a game that came down to the final minutes.

The Roadrunners (7-16, 1-10 Conference USA) are ranked last in C-USA and tied the game five times. Senior guard Tylor Perry was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points and was the catalyst for several integral runs that helped secure a victory. 

“Everyone is trying to come into the pit and get a [win],” Perry said. “I give credit to [Texas-San Antonio]. They continued to play hard throughout the night and made tough shots.” 

Perry became a top 10 all-time 3-point scorer in North Texas program history, taking the No. 9 spot after scoring five 3-pointers on the night. He now has 138 career 3-pointers at UNT, tying him with Deon Hunter. 

“It’s an honor,” Perry said of the achievement. ”So many greats and so many legends who have been here before me set the way, and I’m just grateful for it.” 

The game opened 4-0 in favor of the Mean Green (17-5, 8-3), but the teams traded buckets until Texas-San Antonio took its first lead about seven minutes into the game. Perry scored a 3-pointer to start an 8-0 run for the Mean Green midway through the first half. 

North Texas held a 34-27 lead at halftime.

Senior guard Tylor Perry drives to the left side against UTSA on Jan. 26, 2022. Photo by Maria Crane

“I give [Texas-San Antonio] a lot of credit for putting us in a position where the game was close and came down to a few possessions,” head coach Grant McCasland said. “We kept the ball in the right people’s hands where we can score a basket, and [Tylor Perry] really came through.”

Texas-San Antonio started the second half on a 10-3 run and tied the game about five minutes in. A 3-point play from sophomore guard Matthew Stone and a 3-pointer from fifth-year forward Jayden Martinez put the Mean Green ahead, but the Roadrunners rallied back within two points. 

“Games that come down to the wire are the best ones — you really find out who’s the tougher team,” Martinez said. “This is really preparing us for later down the road for conference championship time. By then you’re playing with some of the best teams, and those games will come down to the wire.”

Texas-San Antonio senior center Jacob Germany put up 15 points for the Roadrunners, who were able to stay in the game through the final minutes. Back-to-back threes from Perry late in the second half made it a five-point game, but the Roadrunners brought the score back within two points again with 30 seconds left. Perry hit a pair of free throws to close the contest. 

McCasland said team gelling was a key factor in Thursday night’s victory. 

“There is a pressure on this team to win,” McCasland said. “I felt like we didn’t play great against Rice, and it was kind of dead in the building. We look at things like huddles and timeouts and how many high-fives we give each other. Whatever happens […] we got to play for each other and stay connected.”

The Mean Green remains No. 2 in C-USA, and will take on the University of Texas-El Paso in the Super Pit Saturday at 5 p.m.

Featured Image Junior forward Abou Ousmane throws down a putback dunk against UTSA on Jan. 26, 2023. Photo by Maria Crane