Recap: North Texas splits series with UTEP, loses first conference game on the season
North Texas women’s basketball (8-3, 5-1 Conference USA) suffered their first loss in conference play to UTEP (5-5, 2-3 C-USA) 62-52 Saturday evening.
The Mean Green were held to 35.2 percent shooting (19-of-54 attempts) and 27.3 percent (3-of-11) in 3-point shooting compared to UTEP’s 50 percent shooting (26-of-52) and 20 percent (3-of-15 attempts) in 3-point shooting.
“We didn’t shoot the ball very well,” Head coach Jalie Mitchell said. “We have to not force the issue.”
North Texas came into Saturday’s matchup with a 5-0 conference record looking to build on the program’s undefeated record among C-USA competition. The Mean Green took game one 67-59 Friday evening where sophomore guards N’Yah Boyd and Quincy Noble each had 17 points.
Throughout the first quarter, UTEP commanded a 15-7 lead courtesy of sophomore guard Katia Gallegos’ six points and sophomore guard Avery Crouse’s five points.
Late in the second quarter North Texas held a brief lead coming from a 14-5 run on a layup and two free throws by N’Yah Boyd, two layups by sophomore Destinee McDowell and a 3-pointer by Jazion Jackson.
Jackson made a free throw to put the Mean Green up 24-23 with 20 seconds remaining in the half. Sophomore UTEP guard Isis Lopes made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to put her team ahead 26-24 at halftime.
In the second half, North Texas immediately regained the lead on a 3-pointer by Jackson and Noble making a free throw shot to take a 28-26 lead.
The Lady Miners’ offense surged to a 10 point lead courtesy of layups and jumpers by freshman forward Elina Arike, Gallegos, Lopes and senior forward Michelle Pruitt.
North Texas did not go quiet throughout the final minutes, where the Mean Green closed the quarter on a 10-2 run.
Jackson started the offensive attack on a 3-pointer followed by layups by Boyd and McDowell. Boyd made a 3-pointer to make trail by two at the end of the quarter.
The two teams were locked in at 50 apiece with 3:34 remaining in the fourth quarter while the Lady Miners closed out the final offensive run at 12 to 2 to pull away with the win.
Boyd scored a team-high 19 points, while McDowell and Jackson each added nine. Freshman forward Tommisha Lampkin led the team in rebounds with six, Noble and Boyd tallied three assists each.
Offensively North Texas recorded season-lows in points (52), field goals (19), field goal percentage (35.2), 3-pointers (3), 3-point percentage (27.3) and assists (6).
Gallegos led UTEP in scoring with 21 points and assists with six, including Crouse leading the Lady Miners with nine rebounds.
Up next: North Texas takes on Old Dominion (5-6, 2-4 C-USA) at home next Friday and Saturday. The Lady Monarchs were swept by Rice in the third round of conference play.
Featured Image: Redshirt sophomore guard Quincy Noble dribbles past UTSA defender on Jan. 9, 2021. Image by Zachary Thomas
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