Box Score DENTON, Texas ? North Texas held New Orleans scoreless for nearly seven minutes in the first half to take a 79-69 win on Thursday at the Super Pit.
Eric Tramiel had 20 points and nine rebounds and was one of four scorers in double figures for North Texas (14-10, 7-6 Sun Belt Conference). Collin Dennis had 17 points off the bench, while Tristan Thompson added 13.
The Mean Green shot 51 percent from the field, including 55 percent in the first half. North Texas hit five 3-pointers in the opening stanza.
The hot shooting spoiled a career night for UNO senior T.J. Worley. The Philadelphia native had a career-best 31 points on 12-for-17 shooting, and fellow senior Kyndall Dykes had 19 points and nine rebounds.
The offense, though, was non-existent during a long stretch of the first half. UNO (10-15, 5-9) held an early 4-1 lead but went scoreless for six minutes and 42 seconds, going 0-for-5 from the field with five turnovers.
North Texas took full advantage, outscoring UNO 11-0 to grab a quick 12-4 lead nearly 11 minutes into the game.
The Mean Green stretched the advantage to double figures late in the half and ended the frame with a Dennis 3-pointer to make it 44-27 at halftime.
“They are very explosive,” said UNO head coach Joe Pasternack. “We played our tempo early, but there was a six to eight minute spurt where they blew it open. They kept running it down our throats in the first half.
“In the second half, we got back to our tempo, but give credit to North Texas. Their guards are quick and explosive. And then Tramiel was a monster on the inside.”
North Texas stretched its lead to 53-29 with 13 minutes left before the UNO offense finally came alive. The Privateers went on a 15-2 run to make it 55-44 with 9:46 remaining.
Worley had eight points during the rally.
UNO methodically cut the lead down to single digits and had it as close as six with 1:30 to play. But the Mean Green made their final 12 free throws to claim just their second win over UNO in Denton since joining the league in 2000.
The Privateers fell to 0-6 on the road in Sun Belt play.
“T.J. and Kyndall did a great job like they normally do,” Pasternack said. “We have to have a third guy in double figures for us to have a chance to win.”
UNO out-rebounded the Mean Green 34-31 (14-8 offensive).
The Privateers will continue the weekend road swing with a 5 p.m. CT contest on Saturday at Denver.
