GreenBat

Who on this team made free throws when we really needed them?????

Brackets (PDF File)

Mean Green Tennis Tops Sam Houston 5-2 For Second Straight Win The North Texas women’s tennis team defeated Sam Houston State 5-2 on Saturday to pick up its second consecutive win and improve to 7-2 through its first nine matches for the second consecutive year. The Mean Green continued its dominance in doubles, winning the point for the eighth time in nine tries virtue of sweeping all three flights. Katherine Harris and Krysta Lee reached 11 wins in the top flight for the second straight year, while Holly Lee and Kelli Royer won flight two and Ashley Sammis and Megan Schmulbach took the third flight. North Texas claimed four singles flights behind wins from Harris, Schmulbach, Sammis and Ingrid Stockinger. All four Mean Green wins were in straight sets and six sets were decided by at least four points. Megan Schmulbach became the fifth NT player to record double-figure wins this season, while Sammis picked up her ninth victory. The Mean Green returns home for two matches on Feb. 27, including its first Sun Belt Conference outing of the season. North Texas will host Florida International at 9:30 a.m. followed by Abilene Christian at 2:30 p.m. Results North Texas, 5 Sam Houston, 2 Doubles: 1. Harris/K. Lee (NT) d. Assugani/Hassiv (SHSU), 9-7 2. H. Lee/Royer (NT) d. Rudich/McDougal (SHSU), 8-4 3. Sammis/Schmulbach (NT) d. McDougal/Yurjin, 8-4 Singles: 1. Laga Assugani (SHSU) d. Krysta Lee (NT), 6-3, 6-3 2. McDougal (SHSU) d. Kelli Royer (NT), 6-3, 6-4 3. Katherine Harris (NT) d. Cristina Flores (SHSU), 6-2, 6-1 4. Megan Schmulbach (NT) d. Mouina Hassiv (SHSU), 6-4, 6-1 5. Ashley Sammis (NT) d. Erika Rudich (SHSU), 7-6(7-3), 6-0 6. Ingrid Stockinger (NT) d. Bethany Yurjin (SHSU), 6-0, 6-0

NT Softball Loses First Three In OU/NIke Classic Despite four hits from sophomore Heather Bostic, the Mean Green softball team lost its first three games in opening-day action at the OU/Nike Classic on Saturday at the OU Softball Complex. The Mean Green (1-8) lost to Lipscomb twice (5-1 and 6-5) and once against Creighton (7-1). North Texas led Lipscomb, 2-0, in the first inning of the last game, but the Bison tied the game at 5-5 and then walked in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. North Texas scored seven runs in the combined three games, which is five more than it recorded in its first six games. Bostic batted .444 in the combined three games on 4-for-9 hitting, including three hits in the 6-5 loss to Lipscomb. The first baseman doubled in the first inning of the third game, scoring the Mean Green’s first run. She then posted an RBI single in the third inning to tie the game at 3-3. After Lipscomb tied the game at 5-5, Bostic singled in the seventh inning but was left stranded at third base. Bostic also posted her first home run of the season and second of her career in the 7-1 loss to Creighton. Sophomore Christen Jonse helped North Texas take its second lead in the 6-5 loss to Lipscomb with a two-run homer in the fourth inning to put Mean Green ahead, 5-3. The home run was Jonse’s first of her career and only hit in the three games. The Mean Green posted a season-high eight hits in the 6-5 loss to the Bison. Freshman pitcher Morgan Monte (0-1) earned her first start in the first game against Lipscomb. In the 5-1 loss, Monte gave up five runs, two earned, off six hits in 5.1 innings of work. After giving up one run in the first inning, Monte pitched four shutout innings, before allowing four Lipscomb runs in the six inning. North Texas tied the game in the top of the sixth with an RBI double by senior Stephanie Cranmer. Cranmer went 2-for-3 in the game and batted .375 in the three games. North Texas returns to action Sunday, Feb. 20 when it finishes up play in the OU/Nike Classic with a 2:30 pm game against Creighton and a 4:45 matchup against No. 4 Oklahoma.

Mean Green Track Runs Well In Final Tuneup Meet Jessica Henderson led the North Texas track and field team by toppling her own school record in the 20-pound weight throw at the Sooner Indoor Meet. The senior set a new school record with her throw of 15.53-meters (50-11.50) and finished in fifth place. She set the previous record just a month ago at the same facility at the OU Indoor Classic. Henderson's toss is the Sun Belt Conference's fourth best throw of the season. She will get her chance to face off against the conference's best next week at the SBC Indoor Championships in Jonesboro, Ark. Ciji Brooks, Jill Brennan, Heath Smith and Rhonda Williams all set season best marks in their events. Brooks had the year's top 60-meter hurdles time of 8.77, and Brennan set the mile mark with a time of 5:21.55. With a toss of 12.06-meters, Smith notched the years best weight throw of the year. Williams' third place finish in the long jump was the season's best at 5.6-meters The Mean Green women claimed victory the last time they ran in Norman at the OU Indoor Classic on January 22. While 17 North Texas athletes claimed top five finishes, team scores were not kept for the Sooner Indoor.

North Texas sprinter Osaze Aghedo was named the Sun Belt Conference's Women's Track Performer of the Week for her record-breaking run at the Tyson Invitational. The senior ran a 7.57 in the 60-meter dash, eclipsing the all-time school and conference records. Aghedo is the third woman on the Mean Green track team to topple a school record this season. Junior Deidra Wesley and senior Jessica Henderson set the all-time marks in the pentathlon and 20-pound weight throw respectively. One of the fastest sprinters on the team, Aghedo holds the year's fastest time in not only the 60-meter dash, but also in the 55-meters and is a member of the 4x400 relay team as well.

NACOGDOCHES (2/18/05) -- The North Texas women’s tennis team improved to 6-2 on the young season with a 4-3 victory over Stephen F. Austin Friday at the SFA Tennis Courts. The Mean Green won two of the three doubles flights to claim the first point of the match for the seventh time this year. Katherine Harris and Krysta Lee won the top flight 8-2 to pick up their team-leading fifth victory of the spring season. Megan Schmulbach and Ashley Sammis won flight three by a 9-8 (10-4) score, which gave the Mean Green what turned out to be the match-winning point. The two teams split the six singles matches with NT’s Lee, Harris and Kelli Royer all picking up victories. The match marked just the second time this season the Mean Green won all of the top three flights. All three North Texas wins were in straight sets, while two of its three setbacks went three. North Texas wraps up a five-match road swing Saturday at Sam Houston State at 1 p.m.. RESULTS Singles 1. Krysta Lee (UNT) def. Robin Houston, 6-4, 6-1 2. Katherine Harris (UNT) def. Laura Harrison, 6-3, 7-5 3. Kelli Royer (UNT) def. Lauren Nowicki, 6-3, 6-0 4. Ashley Johnson (SFA) def. Megan Schmulbach, 4-6, 7-5 (10-6) 5. Megan Langston (SFA) def. Ashley Sammis, 6-4, 6-4 6. Kama Scott (SFA) def. Ingrid Stockinger, 3-6, 6-4 (10-6) Doubles 1. Harris/K. Lee (UNT) def. Houston/Scott, 8-2 2. Johnson/Langston (SFA) def. Holly Lee/Royer, 8-2 3. Schmulbach/Sammis (UNT) def. Harrison/Melissa Bass, 9-8 (10-4)

Coach, Here is the email I sent to Ken Heckmann, the producer of the film. _________________________________________________________ Mr. Heckmann, I have covered Texas High School football for more than 20 years. This film is what TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL is about. There are problems with teenagers growing up, but this film shows what a positive attitude and hard work can do. It is a good bet that none of these kids will play on Sunday or even on a national stage on Saturday, but that does not take away from the message of this movie. It only enforces it. The only thing I did not like about the film was it was TOO SHORT. "Friday Night Lights" is a good movie, but "Power, Passion, and Glory" is a GREAT FILM. My thanks to you for making a film that pulls back the curtain on the fervor that Texas High School football creates.

The release of “Friday Night Lights” has turned the nation’s attention to the incredible drama and emotion of high school football as played in the Lone Star State. But more and more of this attention is being directed away from the Hollywood film to the unscripted, unrehearsed, “un-Hollywood” version: “Power, Passion & Glory: The Real Story of Texas Football Madness.” Narrated by veteran sportscaster Pat Summerall, the documentary is the product of filmmaker Ken Heckmann’s quest to capture the grit, hysteria and heart-stopping tension of the real thing. Appropriately, he selected as his subject the Celina Bobcats, who became the winningest team in Texas history during their dramatic 2002 season, all of which Heckmann captured on camera. Celina had won 57 straight games and four consecutive state 2A championships heading into that campaign. What Heckmann didn’t know when the project began was that two extraordinary events would give his documentary an extra dose of drama. First, to everyone’s shock, Celina’s legendary head coach of 14 years, G. A. Moore, suddenly left to coach for the school’s archrival, Pilot Point, who they would later play in a key game. To this day, it’s not clear why he left. But when Moore’s key assistant, protégé and friend Butch Ford took his place, the stage was set for a riveting story. The game pitting their teams against one another is one of the unforgettable parts of the film. The plot thickened further when the governing body of Texas high school athletics bumped Celina up to the 3A division. Overnight, they became the smallest school in their division, playing against better teams from bigger schools. The result is the pulse-pounding story of a team, and a town, defending their cherished reputations as champions. After the close of this fateful season, Heckmann spent the following eighteen months turning miles of video into a tightly-wound, 110-minute documentary with enough twists, turns and excitement to fill several movies. Pat Summerall’s narration is complemented by original music from Dallas composer Chip Evans. Emerging as the star of the documentary is Celina’s new head coach Butch Ford. With his spiritual approach and characteristically “Texas” colloquialisms, Ford delivers a natural and unrehearsed tour-de-force. His pre-game and halftime speeches are highlights of the film. Power, Passion & Glory is a heart-stopping story of a season on the brink. Can Celina maintain their record-breaking winning streak, even with a change of coach and division? Will they win their fifth-straight state championship? The film builds in tension to an unforgettable ending even Hollywood could not have even dared to imagine. Link to Power, Passion & Glory website This is a great movie.

(2/10/05) - The Mean Green softball team looks for its first win of the season when it competes in the UTSA Fastpitch Express Classic this weekend, beginning with a Friday morning game against Centenary. North Texas lost to nationally-ranked Texas A&M, 8-0, in its season opener last Friday. The Mean Green put itself in a hole early, allowing the first four batters to get on base. A three-run homer cleared the bases and gave Texas A&M a 4-0 lead after the first inning. "Our pitch selection wasn’t where it needed to be," said head coach Kelly Burns. "We were letting strikes go by. We have been working on being more aggressive at the plate early in the count at practice this week." Burns is also working with her team on being more mentally tough. "We have to control the controllables," said Burns. "After something happens, it’s over and done. We have to learn from it and move on. We are going to play these upcoming games one pitch at a time." The UTSA Fastpitch Classic Express consists of four teams: Centenary, Texas-San Antonio, Texas-El Paso and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Texas A&M-CC is the only team in the tournament to start the season with a winning record at 4-0. Centenary won its first game of the season against Southern Arkansas after dropping its first six games. UTSA lost two games to Texas A&M on Wednesday night and dropped to 0-5 this season, while UTEP is currently at 0-5. Stay updated throughout the weekend on North Texas’ performance

Mean Green Tennis Falls At No. 20 TCU FORT WORTH (2/9/05) -- The No. 20 TCU Horned Frogs (2-0) pinned the North Texas women’s tennis team (4-1) with its first setback of the season Wednesday, defeating the Mean Green 7-0 at the Bayard H. Friedman Center. The Mean Green started the season with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2001-02 and is now 4-1 for the third consecutive year under head coach Dawna Prevette. While TCU swept all three doubles matches, the Mean Green fell by no more than three points in two different flights. The Horned Frogs were led by two players ranked among the top 25 in the nation and one doubles team ranked among the top 50. "I think it’s a great experience (to play against a top 25 team)," said Prevette. "We need to play some of those teams and grow from it. We played tough overall as a team. We weren’t intimidated and I was impressed with how we fought." NT’s Kelli Royer played No. 25 Helena Besovic tough in flight two, but fell by scores of 6-3 and 6-4. North Texas continues a five-match road swing this week with two matches in Fayetteville, Ark., against Southwest Missouri State and No. 53 Arkansas. The Mean Green plays SMS Saturday at 2 p.m. and Arkansas Sunday at 10 a.m. RESULTS DOUBLES: 1. Centik/Tweedie-Yates (TCU) d. K. Lee/Harris (NT), 8-5 2. No. 34 Besovic/Karla Mancinas (TCU) d. H. Lee/Royer (NT), 8-3 3. Paige Brown/Morgado (TCU) d. Sammis/Schmulbach (NT), 9-7 SINGLES: 1. No. 14 Story Tweedie-Yates (TCU) d. Krysta Lee (NT), 6-0, 6-0 2. No. 25 Helena Besovic (TCU) d. Kelli Royer (NT), 6-3, 6-4 3. Ana Cetnik (TCU) d. Katherine Harris (NT), 6-2, 6-0 4. Gloriann Lopez (TCU) d. Ashley Sammis (NT), 6-0, 6-0 5. Kewa Nichols (TCU) d. Megan Schmulbach (NT), 6-2, 6-3 6. Andrea Morgado (TCU) d. Holly Lee (NT), 6-1, 6-0

Mean Green Tennis Rolls To Remain Undefeated Denton (2/08/05) - The North Texas tennis team knocked off Tyler Junior College 5-2 to remain unbeaten on the season.! The Mean Green (4-0) swept doubles play and four of six matches in singles play to beat the Apaches at North Lakes Park. Head coach Dawna Prevette earned the 50th win of her career with the victory. Prevette is already third on the school's all-time win list in only her fourth season. Kelli Royer, Katherine Harris, Megan Schmulbach and Ashley Sammis all won their singles matches. Royer and Harris both improved their season records to 4-0. The Mean Green will return to action Wednesday at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Results North Texas - 5 Tyler Junior College - 2 Doubles 1. K. Lee/K. Harris (NT) d. Blacketer/Wieding (TJC), 8-6 2. K Royer/H. Lee (NT) d. Brown/ Castillo (TJC), 8-6 3. I. Stockinger/A. Sammis (NT) d. Giles/Mills (TJC), 8-4 Singles 1. Ina Wieding (TJC) d. Krysta Lee (NT), 6-0, 6-1 2. Kelli Royer (NT) d. Catalina Castillo (TJC), 7-6, 7-6 3. Katherine Harris (NT) d. Marissa Brown (TJC), 6-4, 6-4 4. Megan Schmulbach (NT) d. Brooke Mills (TJC), 4-6, 6-0, 6-0 5. Ashley Sammis (NT) d. Djehjan Memisi (TJC), 6-1, 7-6 6. Ingrid Stockinger (NT) d. Sara Giles (TJC), 6-2, 6-1

Wesley Named Sun Belt Field Perfomer Of The Week Denton (02/09/05) - Deidra Wesley was named the Sun Belt Women's Field Performer of the Week for her record setting pentathlon at the JD Martin Invitational in Norman, Okla. The junior set a school record of 3,679 points, which is just 21 points shy of qualifying for the NCAA meet. Wesley set personal bests in the hurdles, shot put and 800-meter run to bring home the gold. Not a stranger to the NCAA Regionals, Wesley has been a regional qualifier for the past two seasons in the high jump. Wesley is the second North Texas athlete to be named field athlete of the week this season. Senior Jessica Henderson was named to the honor on January 25 for her record setting toss in the 20-pound weight throw at the OU Indoor Classic. Wesley and the Mean Green track and field team will return to action this weekend at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.

Lubbock, TX (2/05/05) - The field events anchored the Mean Green track and field team at the Wes Kittley Invitational in Lubbock, Texas. Sophomore Heath Smith set new season highs in both the weight throw and the shot put. Smith’s weight throw of 11.72-meters earned him a top 10 finish, and in the shot put, Smith took sixth place with a toss of 14.68. Jessica Henderson, who set a school record two weeks ago in the weight throw, finished third in Lubbock. The senior’s throw of 14.75-meters is just short of her record setting toss of 15.10 at the OU Indoor Classic. Sophomore Mark Lee recorded the first high jump of the season for the Mean Green men’s team. Lee’s leap of 2.07-meters put him into a tie for second place. Led by junior Ciji Brooks, the women’s 55-meter hurdles team took 3 of the top 5 spots. Brooks finished second with a time of 8.31. Junior Jahnisha Warren finished third with a time of 8.39 and freshman Brandi Sneed finished in 8.53 and took fifth place. Senior Justin Kauffman ran the season’s fastest mile run of the season. Kauffman finished the mile run in a time of 4:24.02 in fourth place. The Mean Green track team will be back in action at the Tyson Invitational on February 11 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Larry Allen

Introducing the FIRST and ONLY 24 Hour Texas HS Football Radio Station! Texas HS Football will be launching the first and only radio station dedicated to giving you total coverage of Texas HS Football coverage 24 Hours A Day, 365 Days A Year beginning with its launch date of Friday, January 14, 2005 at 7:30 pm Central. So what will be on Texas HS Football Live 365? Texas HS Football Live 365 will carry weekly shows with some of the state's top coaches, players and experts. Also included will be the THSF Music Library, the THSF Legends Series and much, much more. Will you be carrying Texas HS Football Games? Yes we will be carrying select games from across the state each and every week at all levels from Class 5A to Six Man and even the private school ranks. We will also be carrying a live scoreboard show every Friday night starting in the fall of 2005. Can my school have its own weekly show on Texas HS Football Live 365? Yes. Just simply e-mail us and get information on how you can get your school on THSF Live 365 every week. How can I get my business or product sponsored on THSF Live 365? Simply e-mail us today for more information on how you can advertise on the new station. Texas HS Football Live 365

The Patriots will win a close, hard-fought game.

Link to MYSA.com Aggies fan makes big impression on opponents Web Posted: 01/21/2005 12:00 AM CST Brent Zwerneman Express-News Staff Writer COLLEGE STATION – Oklahoma forward Kevin Bookout lined up for a free throw on Tuesday night at Texas A&M – and grimaced. The Jiggler had claimed yet another victim in Reed Arena. "That dude was huge,” said Bookout of shirtless A&M fan Nathaniel Cooper, who tips the scales at a gravity-challenged 310 pounds. “He started shaking and I went, ‘Ugh!’ He was just going nuts.” Cooper, who at least offers the formality of a bow tie with his eye-catching ensemble, typically lines up behind the opponent’s basket and quivers, shivers and gyrates during free throws – effectively shaking his moneymakers. His efforts have earned him such nicknames as The Jiggler, Jiggly Puff, Fat Shaker and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Belly Dancer. “People tell me all of the time they love what I’m doing,” Cooper said. Well, most, anyway. Cooper said one A&M fan kindly asked that he please, please re-robe. “He was an Old Ag who graduated in like 1945,” Cooper said. One Internet poster wittily dubbed Cooper’s act as “one big wardrobe malfunction.” The A&M basketball team, however, has presented Cooper, a senior sociology major from Copperas Cove, a pair of Aggies shorts and shoes for his, um, services. A&M officials said they briefly discussed asking Cooper to keep his shirt on, but then reasoned that fans show up with painted bare chests and such all of the time at a variety of sporting events. “Some people are ashamed of their bodies,” Cooper said. “But I figure that God gave me this body and this personality, so I’d go out and have fun with it.” And that attitude has even earned the admiration of Bookout, a standout player for the Sooners. “That’s courageous, for him to take his shirt off like that,” Bookout said. “I’m a big boy, too, and I wouldn’t have the courage to do that in front of all of those people.”

What was Flannigan's record at SMU? I know he was there during Dickey's last year when they went 6-5. Did he win any OOC games as a qb, I know he's won very few as a coach. GMG

Women's basketball: UNT women knock off NMSU, 63-55 09:09 AM CST on Sunday, January 9, 2005 By Jake Floyd / For the Denton Record-Chronicle North Texas did not have much reason to be confident coming into its Sun Belt opener against New Mexico State Saturday night at the Super Pit. The Mean Green had lost three-straight games, whereas the Aggies were coming off an upset win over No. 22 Houston. UNT was also playing without starting forward Kelsie Edwards who will miss three weeks with a stress fracture in her right leg. None of that seemed to matter as the Mean Green jumped out a 19-point lead in the first half and held off a late rally for a 63-55 win. It was the eighth-straight time UNT has beaten the Aggies in Denton. "This is a huge win because they came in with a lot of confidence after beating Houston and we were at home," UNT head coach Tina Slinker said. "Now the early scheduling can start to pay off for us with three at home." UNT got a career-high 18 points from junior Mian Williams to begin a three-game homestand just the way it wanted. "It feels really good to get this win," Williams said. "We want to win every game at the Pit. The atmosphere was good tonight, and we were real comfortable." The Mean Green had no trouble adjusting to the zone NMSU threw at them to begin the game. UNT hit four 3-pointers in the first six minutes — three from Williams — and held a 17-4 lead at that point. That lead was stretched to as many as 19 points with 4:14 left in the first half but the Aggies closed the half on a 9-4 run. NMSU went on a 10-0 run early in the second half and had the lead trimmed to five with 1:42 to play. "That’s just how the game went," said Mia Ajekwu, who scored 17 points with a career-high three 3-pointers. "We came out strong but things just happened and we had to adjust." The Mean Green adjusted after going 3-for-12 from the free throw line in the first 39 minutes of the game, but finished the final minute making 10 straight from the charity stripe. "I was happy that I put a freshman [Amanda Quattrocchi] in and she hit two free throws, then I put another [Erica Howard] in and she made two," Slinker said. "We made them when they counted." Slinker called on another freshman in Talicia Sanders to step into the starting lineup and was not disappointed. Sanders finished with only three points but pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. UNT came into the game leading the conference in offensive rebounding but was outdone by the Aggies, who got 15 offensive boards and 15 second-chance points. "We were focused all week on defensive rebounding," Slinker said. "Some of those come because [NMSU] only shoots 33 percent from the floor, but we have to do a better job blocking out." "We tried to hedge out and keep them from shooting threes, but sometimes we forget when we do that we still have to get back and rebound." The Mean Green were terrorized on the boards by Sherell Neal who finished with 15 rebounds and 16 points. However, 29 turnovers by the Aggies helped in negating the rebounding advantage. UNT tied a season-high with eight made three pointers but did turn the ball over more than 20 times for the 12th-straight game. North Texas 63, New Mexico State 55 New Mexico State (5-8, 0-1) – Ford 0-0 0-0 0, Neal 6-11 4-6 16, Kennedy 3-7 0-0 6, Bribiescas 4-14 2-5 12, Baker 0-4 0-0 0, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Russell-Nava 6-11 0-0 16, Wald 0-0 0-0 0, Crainer 0-2 0-0 0, Clift 2-5 1-2 5, Beard 0-1 0-0 0, Denning 0-0 0-0 0. Totals – 21-55 7-13 55. North Texas (6-7, 1-0) – Sanders 1-4 1-4 3, Ajekwu 7-11 0-1 17, Bobo 5-12 0-2 11, Mireles 0-3 2-3 2, Williams 6-11 2-2 18, Howard 1-6 2-3 4, Quattrocchi 0-2 2-2 2, Wali 0-2 3-4 3, Wilson 0-1 0-0 0, Klat 1-1 1-1 3. Totals – 21-53 13-22 63. Halftime: North Texas 63, New Mexico State 55. Rebounds: NMSU 42 (Neal 15), UNT 32 (Sanders 8). Three pointers: NMSU 6-16 (Bribiescas 2-4, Russell-Nava 4-8), UNT 8-17 (Williams 4-6, Ajekwu 3-3, Bobo 1-4). Turnovers: NMSU 29, UNT 22. Attendance: 405.

Men's basketball: Rolling along Mean Green win Sun Belt opener 09:11 AM CST on Sunday, January 9, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The situation was not exactly what North Texas men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones would have desired Saturday night when the Mean Green took on New Mexico State. The outcome was a different story. Leonard Hopkins scored a game-high 24 points while Calvin Watson added 23 to lead UNT to a historic 79-69 win over the Aggies in both teams’ Sun Belt Conference opener at the Pan American Center. UNT (8-4, 1-0) had not won on NMSU’s home floor since Feb. 14, 1974. "It’s a huge win for us," Jones said. "It’s our first conference game on the road against a team that we felt was going to come out and play very hard. I am proud of our team because we were poised and patient." NMSU (4-9, 0-1) challenged UNT on what was supposed to be a special night for the Aggie basketball program that instead turned into a tough situation. Legendary coach Lou Henson was scheduled to return to the bench after battling viral encephalitis, but came down with pneumonia on Thursday and was unable to coach. He was released from the hospital on Saturday morning. "We wish coach Henson and his family the best, and we will keep them in our prayers," Watson said. "I know their team wanted to win and get the victory for him. They played hard. Luckily we were able to come away with the win." UNT picked up the victory thanks to some key plays down the stretch. NMSU hung with the Mean Green throughout the game and trailed 69-66 with 3:02 left in the game. Junior guard Isaac Hines helped give UNT momentum when he forced a five-second call on NMSU point guard Josh Jenkins, who led the Aggies with 21 points. Hopkins scored on a short jump shot on the ensuing possession and then jumped in a passing lane to steal a Jenkins pass. Hopkins drew a foul on the other end of the floor and hit two free throws with 1:40 left to give UNT a 73-66 lead and ice the game for the Mean Green. The Mean Green led most of the way, but were never able to put away NMSU. "It was tough, but we kept our focus and kept running our offense," Watson said. UNT’s steady offensive play helped the Mean Green jump out to a four-point advantage after the first half when their lead grew to as many as nine points. Hopkins and Watson each scored 11 points before intermission for UNT. Both teams shot 12-of-29 from the field, but UNT made all seven of its free throws and also started out 4-of-8 from 3-point range. The Mean Green appeared as if they would take control of the game when Watson scored the first six points of the second half to give them a 41-31 lead that was their largest of the game at that point. Unfortunately for UNT, the lead didn’t last in the face of a quick 10-0 run by NMSU to tie the game at 41. The Aggies remained in striking distance for the rest of the game, but could never overcome UNT, which made a few critical plays late to grab a key win and extend its quick start to the season. The Mean Green are off to their best start since the 1994-95 campaign. "This was very important for us," Hopkins said. "This was our first conference game and we wanted to stop our losing streak here." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. N. Texas 79, New Mexico St. 69 N. TEXAS (8-4) — Williams 1-3 0-0 2, Jones 1-2 2-2 4, Hopkins 9-17 5-6 24, Hines 2-5 0-1 5, Watson 6-9 9-9 23, Harris 2-4 0-1 4, Mitchell 0-1 0-0 0, Sturns 1-4 1-2 3, Thomas 2-5 4-4 8, Simpson 3-7 0-1 6. New Mexico St. (4-9)— Jones 1-6 2-2 4, Lawrence 2-11 3-6 7, Mitchell 6-13 0-0 14, Davis 0-2 3-4 3, Jenkins 6-10 4-4 21, John 5-13 2-5 13, Haynes 1-1 0-0 3, Alexander 2-7 0-0 4, Funston 0-1 0-0 0. Halftime — N. Texas 35, New Mexico St. 31. 3-Point goals—N. Texas 4-10 (Watson 2-3, Hines 1-3, Hopkins 1-3, Jones 0-1), New Mexico St. 9-19 (Jenkins 5-7, Mitchell 2-7, John 1-2, Haynes 1-1, Funston 0-1, Davis 0-1). Fouled out—Alexander. Rebounds—N. Texas 40 (Hopkins 7), New Mexico St. 39 (Jones 9, Lawrence 9). Assists—N. Texas 7 (Hines 4), New Mexico St. 14 (Jenkins 4). Total fouls—N. Texas 19, New Mexico St. 17. A—04,252.

Congratulations on a good finish against great competition.

That's why he's 6-12 in the postseason.

DD= 4 straight Sunbelt conference titles. He's not going anywhere unless he wants to, as long as he wins conference titles. How many Conference (SLC, Big West or SBC) titles has Slinker won?

White dies Sunday morning Former NFL star Reggie White has died after suffering a massive heart attack Sunday morning at his home near Huntersville, N.C., ESPN's Chris Mortensen has learned. The former Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles star turned 43 on Dec. 19. "Today our beloved husband, father and friend passed away," White's wife, Sara, said through a family pastor. "His family appreciates your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of Reggie White. We want to thank you in advance for honoring our privacy."