The North Texas basketball team (1-2) fell in their third game of the season against Arkansas (2-0) by a score of 66-43 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. North Texas wasn’t able to get going from the field the whole night, shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 11.8 percent from the 3-point line while the Razorbacks shot 44.4 percent and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc.
“Let’s give credit to the [Razorbacks], they were better than us tonight,” head coach Grant McCasland said. “But, we like our pieces, we like our team and we played some good defense and we will anchor on that end.”
While the Mean Green missed their first 11 shots of the game they were able to remain within striking distance of the Razorbacks, who shot in the first half of the game on 47.8 percent shooting and 30 percent shooting from the 3-point line.
Graduate transfer forward Deng Geu led North Texas in scoring with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting while also adding six boards, junior guard Javion Hamlet also added nine points on 3-for-9 shooting.
North Texas shot 27 percent from the field and missed all nine of their 3-point attempts in the first period. They trailed by 12 at halftime.
“Arkansas was consistent enough with their defensive energy,” McCasland said. “They were consistent enough with their pressure and it caused us problems.”
While not a single player scored over four points in the first period for the Mean Green, they came out in the second half and managed to keep up with the Razorbacks. North Texas began the second half on a 17-11 run bringing North Texas within six points.
Once it felt as if the Mean Green might make a comeback, the Razorbacks would proceed to go on a 19-3 run in the latter half of the second period and ran away with the win from that point on.
North Texas did not to get the ball into the paint against the Razorbacks which plagued their shooting numbers further, as starting junior center Zachary Simmons had six points on 3-for-7 shooting. McCasland said he didn’t have many concerns as this is a team with eight new players on it and they’re still yet to find their identity as a team.
“Honestly, I’m still getting a feel for [our] team and how we want to play,” McCasland said. “I know you can’t play fast in a gym like this, but I also have to give our guys confidence.”
UP NEXT: The Mean Green (1-2) will return to action Friday at home in the Super Pit as they take on Eastern Michigan (2-0).
Featured Image: Redshirt junior guard Javion Hamlet lays up the ball at the game against Oklahoma Christian on Nov. 6, 2019. Image by Jordan Collard
Article Originally Published by on North Texas Daily
Source: North Texas Daily