DENTON – The women’s basketball team has a chance to knock off a top-25 team on Saturday afternoon when they take on No. 25 Rice (22-3, 13-0 C-USA) at The Super Pit.
The only time North Texas beat a top-25 team was when the Mean Green took down the No. 17 Oklahoma Sooners 61-57 in 2015.
North Texas comes into Saturday’s matchup on a three-game winning streak with three games remaining until the Conference USA Tournament on March 13. Freshman forward Charlene Shepherd was named C-USA player of the week this past Monday.
Rice comes into the game winners of 15 in a row, which is the nation's second-longest active winning streak. Baylor has won 16 consecutive games.
UNT looks to improve their seed heading into the C-USA tournament. The Mean Green (14-11, 7-6 C-USA) sit in a tie for seventh place with Southern Mississippi and sit only one game back from fifth place Old Dominion.
North Texas fell 64-52 in the first matchup between the two teams in Houston. The Mean Green were within five points at halftime before failing to make a field goal for nearly seven minutes in the third quarter.
Playing in The Super Pit will definitely increase the Mean Green’s chances to knock off the Owls, as UNT holds a 9-4 home record compared to a 4-6 away record.
The stingy UNT defense will look to slow down 6’9 center Nancy Mulkey and freshman forward Olivia Ogwumike. Mulkey leads the nation with 3.8 blocks a game while Ogwumike leads the Owls offensively with 16.3 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Senior guard Terriell Bradley and junior Anisha George have to play a big role in this game for North Texas to capture a pivotal, late season win. Bradley ranks fourth in C-USA with a 17.2 scoring average and George leads the team with 7.8 rebounds a contest.
With a full week of rest, I expect the Mean Green to come out with lots of intensity and determination to keep their winning streak alive and become the first C-USA team to defeat the Owls this season.
Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday.
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