Late first run proves costly as LSUA falls
DENTON, Texas–The LSUA men’s basketball team kept it close for a half, but North Texas used a 16-0 run late in the first half to pull away for a 110-78 win Tuesday afternoon at The Super Pit.
The Generals began the game on fire, as Casey Smith buried two triples in the first four minutes, as LSUA led 10-8 at the first media timeout.
Smith’s 3-pointers were two of six hit in the first half by the Generals, as they went 6-for-10 from downtown in the opening 20 minutes.
LSUA posted an 7-0 run to take its largest lead, 31-27, on a triple by Rodney Munson and a pair of Joe Lewis layups.
Lewis led the Generals with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
UNT (4-3) responded immediately, embarking on a 16-0 run to take control. The Mean Green made seven of their 10 field goal attempts during the run.
Thomas Bell scored 18 of his game-high 21 points in the first half to lead the way. He also grabbed seven rebounds.
The Generals shot a blistering 70.8 percent from the field in the opening half, but committed 12 turnovers, which UNT turned into 17 points.
“In the first half, we went blow-for-blow with them,” LSUA Men’s Basketball Coach Larry Cordaro said. “But at the end of the day, we didn’t score enough points. They are a well-oiled machine.
“They recruit well and they coach well, so it was nice for our guys to come in and see how they operate.”
LSUA hung around into the second half, trailing 66-53 with 15 minutes to go, but UNT turned it to another gear, going on a 13-0 run to blow the game open.
UNT used its size to its advantage, dominating paint points 56-26, which helped them shoot 56.2 percent for the game. LSUA shot well as well, shooting 55.6 percent, but the 20 turnovers did the Generals in.
In addition to Lewis, Rodney Munson was the other LSUA player to reach double figures in scoring with 10. Jakemin Abney tallied nine points.
Six players for UNT scored in double figures, with Bell being the lone player in the game to score more than 13.
Jaewon Williams scored two points in his return to action, putting in a layup shortly after entering the game.
In his first action as a member of the Generals, Traboias Fletcher buried a 3-pointer in his first shot attempt for his first three points in his career.
“It was a good learning experience for our guys, playing their third Division I game,” Cordaro said. “We were able to get some guys in at the end and give them some valuable experience against Division I talent.”
The Generals enter a bit of a break before beginning Red River Athletic Conference play Jan. 5 on the road against Texas College. Their first RRAC game at The Fort is Jan. 9 against the same Texas College team.
