By: Alex Bustillo
@txsportsblog on Twitter
📸: Jordan Ray
The time had come and the stage was set for Mean Green Basketball to decide their own fate this time around and not let a global pandemic keep them from the most coveted post-season tournament in college basketball.
North Texas was on the brink of completing what they started last season, but were unable to finish. UNT were the C-USA regular season champs and still had the POTY from last season and Newcomer of the Year, Javion Hamlet. Three wins against Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion and Louisiana Tech got them to the final against Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers are no stranger to the conference tournament final, this being their third straight C-USA final and the 8th winningest program in NCAA history.
UNT got out of the gates in a hurry and punched WKU in the mouth early with a 17-0 run to the start the game. North Texas was 3-4 from long range and forced 3 WKU turnovers during the run. The Hilltoppers didn’t score until the 14:13 mark of the first half. Western Kentucky would cut into the lead but struggled from the field and their junior center, C-USA Player of the Year for 2021, Charles Bassey was held to 1-8 shooting with 2 points at the break. Mean Green held a 34-23 edge at halftime.
The second half was much friendlier to WKU as they continued to shave the deficit and run their offense through their junior center, Bassey. The Hilltoppers took their first lead of the night, 40-39 at the 9:08 mark of the second half. UNT was ice cold, they had a stretch of 1-19 and still only trailed 45-41 with about 5 minutes left in the game. The lead would grow as large as 7 points for WKU, but UNT, despite their shooting woes continued to play solid defense, pestering guard Taveion
Hollingsworth into a late turnover that gave UNT the only chance they needed. Hamlet was able to drive and kick out to an open Mardrez McBride who laced a game-tying triple that made it 48-48 to force OT.
Overtime, in the Conference tournament final, with an NCAA tournament berth at stake; the Mean Green had been waiting for this moment and they would not let it slip away. Javion Hamlet would score 6 points in the extra session including the go ahead floater in the lane with 13 seconds left to take the 59-57 lead and James Reese would add two more free throws to earn the 61-57 victory and get their ticket punched to the tournament in Indianapolis.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers had lost their third straight conference title game. Both teams shot under 40% but North Texas made 9 of 10 free throws, out-rebounded the Hilltoppers 36-33 and forced 16 turnovers. Javion Hamlet finished with 20 points and 5 assists. Mardrez McBride added 13 points, including the game-tying triple. Thomas Bell scored 6 HUGE points, including a go-ahead three in OT, and grabbed 9 rebounds.
North Texas guards rebounded the ball extremely well and their defense held Charles Bassey to 13 points and 11 rebounds and guard Hollingsworth to just 6 points on 2-8 shooting. Javion Hamlet left no doubt, as he was named tournament MVP after his multiple gutsy performances to lead the Mean Green. UNT awaits their opponent in the NCAA tournament and they’ll be tuned in to Selection Sunday to find out who they’ll be playing in the first round from the bubble in Indianapolis.
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