Junior guard Ereauna Hardaway finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as well as the game winner with 2.6 seconds left to play. photo by Don Mooney
by Don Mooney
MEMPHIS, Tenn. –In front of approximately 30 family members and friends who made the short drive from Jonesboro, Ark., to Memphis, Ereauna Hardaway hit the clutch bucket for the Mean Green after Memphis had tied the game at 71 with six seconds to play. The junior guard finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on the day.
The Mean Green and Memphis battled for the entire 40 minutes despite UNT holding the lead for 36 minutes compared to the Tigers’ two minutes. The largest lead of the game came following a 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter when North Texas extended the lead to nine.
Tigers sophmore forward Latazia Williamson battles for position in the paint. photo by Don Mooney
The Tigers (3-10, 1-1 AAC) trailed 68-64 with two minutes to play but scored five unanswered points to take a one-point lead before North Texas (11-4, 3-0 AAC) converted an and-one to go up, 70-68. Alex Simmons drew up an empty-side pick-and-roll for Dee Dee Hagemann and Alasia Smith, and Smith got the layup to go with six seconds remaining, but the visitors responded through Ereauna Hardaway with the game-winner.
In a game that saw the lead change six times, Tilly Boler had 19 points, just missing her fourth consecutive 20-point game. Alasia Smith posted a second straight double-double with 16 points, 12 boards and a career-high five blocks, and DeeDee Hagemann recorded 16 points and three assists.
Tigers forward Alasia Smith receives entry pass en route to an 18 pt performance against UNT. photo by Don Mooney
The Mean Green threw the first punch of the game with a 9-2 run thanks to two early Memphis turnovers, but the visitors struggled protecting the ball as well, turning it over three times in the opening five minutes. North Texas got in the bonus with 3:00 remaining in the opening period, making six of six free throws in that span and seven of seven in the quarter. Hagemann raced down the court and buried a midrange jumper as the clock expired to cut the Mean Green lead to 21-15.
Memphis went on a 7-4 run to start the second stanza behind four more points from Hagemann. North Texas took control of the game, going on a 6-0 run before a Boler steal-and-score made the score 31-24. UNT got the lead up to nine before a 6-0 Tiger run at the end of the half, but a put-back from Aniyah Johnson gave the Mean Green a 35-30 halftime lead.
photo by Don Mooney
After shooting just 1-for-10 from deep in the first half, Memphis connected on four of their first five long-distance attempts, including three in a row to spark a 9-3 run and cut the deficit to one. Putting themselves in the bonus for the final five-plus minutes of the period, the Tigers took their first lead, 46-45, behind two Tanyuel Welch free throws. Memphis led by as much as four in the quarter before a 10-0 run by the visitors, who led by three heading into the final period.
photo by Don Mooney
North Texas went on a 6-0 run to open the fourth, but the Tigers would respond with an 11-1 run of their own to take a one-point lead. The Mean Green were able to take the lead back and build on it thanks to second-chance points, and a costly and-one made things tough for Memphis down four with two minutes to play. Hagemann got to the line and split a pair, and Smith fought through contact to lay it up at the rim to cut the deficit to one.
Coach Alex Simmons instructs senior guard DeeDee Hagemann during free throws. photo by Don Mooney
A second consecutive stop and rebound gave Memphis a chance to take the lead, and Boler delivered with a drive and finish from the left side of the court, in what started four straight scoring possessions between both teams and culminated with Hardaway’s game-winner. A great play design with two seconds to play got Smith a look at the rim, but she could not convert through multiple bodies as the Mean Green took a sixth consecutive conference victory dating back to last season.
UNT player launches mildly contested 3-pointer in first half. photo by Don Mooney
Hardaway led the way for North Texas with 18 points and seven assists, and Tommisha Lampkin and Johnson both had double-doubles. Memphis held the visitors to 39.7% shooting – the fourth-lowest figure of their season – but allowed 25 second-chance points thanks to 17 offensive rebounds.
The Tigers will head to Birmingham, Alabama, to take on UAB this Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 6:00 p.m.