North Texas Daily

North Texas tied the school record for three-pointers made in a single game with 18 and improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1980 after defeating the Texas A&M Commerce Lions 102-53.  The Mean Green had their best shooting performance of the young season, shooting 59 percent from the field and 56 percent from the 3-point line.

“This team shot more shots in the offseason than any team I’ve been a part of,” head coach Grant McCasland said. “They put in the work. Our guys love to play basketball.”

Four different players scored in double figures for North Texas, and every man on the Mean Green roster scored at least one point tonight.

“The name of the game is to put pressure on defenses from multiple positions,” McCasland said. “That’s how you win. When you have this much depth in shooting the basketball, you’re harder to guard. We’re definitely a team that if we’re sharing the basketball like we need to, we can be a difficult team to defend.”

The Mean Green started when senior guard Jorden Duffy hit a corner three-pointer on the first possession to give North Texas an early 3-0 lead. The Mean Green continued to play at a quick pace as junior guard Ryan Woolridge made a fadeaway three from the corner to put North Texas up 29-14 midway through the first half.

Duffy finished an efficient first half by shooting 7-11 from the field to go along with 17 points, four rebounds and two assists.

“We knew it was a matter of time before he showcased what he can do,” senior guard Michael Miller said. “We have so many threats offensively that it can be anybody’s night, and we’re so unselfish as a team that if we see somebody hot, we don’t have a problem getting them the ball.”

Woolridge finished 3-4 from the field in the first half, with all four shot attempts being three-pointers. He also added three free throws to give him 12 points heading into the break.

Freshman guard Umoja Gibson made three three-pointers in a span of two minutes. Gibson finished with 22 points and shot 8-13 from the field. He leads North Texas in scoring through the first five games and is currently averaging 19.2 points per game.

Up next, after playing four games within the past six days, North Texas will host Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 5 p.m.