DENTON -- Despite a thrilling attempted comeback in front of 8,195 rowdy Mean Green fans at The Super Pit, North Texas fell to Western Kentucky 62-59 on Saturday evening. The 8,195 fans are the fourth largest in program history.
"Our team is still learning how good we can be," UNT coach Grant McCasland said. "We need more opportunities to play in games like this so we can learn from it. That's how I'm looking at it. I believe in our team."
The Mean Green fell 19 points behind the Hilltoppers (15-10, 8-4 C-USA) and scored just 15 points in the first half, the Mean Green's lowest scoring half of the season.
"Let's give a lot of credit to Western Kentucky," McCasland said. "They really played under control and composed. But that start doomed us. Unfortunately, there was a stretch where guys looked like they were unsure if we were going to win offensively."
Western Kentucky freshman center Charles Bassey is a projected top-20 pick for the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft. Bassey had another impressive night, totaling 18 points and 7 rebounds. The 6'10, 245 pound freshman from Louisville shut down the Mean Green's inside presence, holding Zachary Simmons to just four points.
During the first half, North Texas shot just 20 percent from the floor and 1 of 15 from the 3-point line. The Mean Green's two starting shooting guards, Umoja Gibson and Roosevelt Smart, went a combined 0 for 12 from beyond the arc in the first half.
"We were wide open and we're going to take [three-pointers]," McCasland said. "It's what we do. When the ball doesn't go in, it's deflating as a player."
The second half was a different story. The Mean Green shot 48 percent from the field and Gibson heated up from behind the 3-point line. Gibson finished with 18 points after laying a goose egg in the first half.
"We finally settled into the game," McCasland said. "I believe we will learn from this because this team has responded to unique games like this one."
North Texas' Ryan Woolridge was the Mean Green's most proficient player of the night. Woolridge scored 18 points, shot 9 of 14 from the field and led the team in 4 assists.
Woolridge also scored his 1,000th career point late in the game, much deserved to a player who has dedicated his career to North Texas basketball.
The Mean Green (20-5, 8-4 C-USA) continued to inch closer and closer to the WKU lead during the second half and cut it to 56-51 with 5:24 remaining.
A Bassey two-pointer at the end of the shot clock extended WKU's lead to seven points and made North Texas start fouling early.
The Hilltoppers were money from the free throw line. No matter who North Texas fouled, the free shots were going in for WKU. The Hilltoppers finished 15 of 17 from the free throw line, while the Mean Green only reached the charity stripe seven times.
North Texas returns to action on Thursday for a 6 p.m. tip-off in Boca Raton against Florida Atlantic.
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