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Late Surge Pushes North Texas Past Men?s Basketball in Sun Belt Quarterfinals

Late Surge Pushes North Texas Past Men?s Basketball in Sun Belt Quarterfinals

Men's Basketball Mar 08
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Junior forward Tommie Sykes scored 17 points and senior guard Dynile Forbes added 16, but the ULM men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 69-66 decision to North Texas on Sunday night (March 7) in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament. Junior forward Lawrence Gilbert chipped in 13 points for the Warhawks.

ULM (12-19) led most of the way, but North Texas ended the contest on a 25-10 run to escape with the victory.

The Warhawks started the contest strong on the defensive end of the floor, holding North Texas (22-8) scoreless for nearly three minutes to open the game as they took an early 7-2 lead. Sykes and Forbes made the next two baskets to push the ULM advantage to 11-2, forcing a North Texas timeout.

ULM continued to frustrate the Mean Green as the Warhawks run reached 11-2 and the Warhawks lead grew to 18-4 with 11:39 to play in the first half on a basket by Gilbert.

An 8-2 burst for the Mean Green cut the ULM lead to 22-14 with eight minutes remaining before the intermission. Gilbert then scored five-straight followed by an 8-0 run from North Texas to bring the Mean Green within five, 27-22, with 3:46 to play before the half.

After North Texas cut the lead to four, a pair of free throws from Forbes gave the Warhawks a 33-27 lead headed into the break. Gilbert led all scorers with 13 points in the opening 20 minutes; Eric Tramiel had 11 to lead North Texas.

ULM shot an even 50 percent (12-of-24) from the field in the first half while North Texas shot 37.9 percent (11-of-29) after opening the game three for their first 20 shots. Foul trouble forced the Warhawks to go deep into their bench in the opening 20 minutes and the reserves responded, out-scoring the North Texas bench, 17-3, in the first half.

The ULM went back to double-digits, 41-31, on a free throw by Forbes three-and-a-half minutes into the second half, but an 11-4 run by North Texas pulled the Mean Green back within three, 45-42.

The Warhawks stretched the lead back out with a 9-1 run, pushing the lead to 56-44. Forbes scored seven of the nine during the burst for ULM, including a triple to cap the spurt. But momentum swung back to North Texas with a 7-1 run, trimming the Warhawks lead back to 57-51 with five minutes remaining.

With ULM up six, North Texas went on an 8-0 run to take its first lead of the game, 63-61, with 1:47 to play. A triple from senior guard Tony Hooper gave the lead back to the Warhawks on the next possession, but the Mean Green scored the next four to lead 67-64.

Sykes closed the gap to just a point, 67-66, with a layup with 27 seconds to play. After a pair of free throws by North Texas, the Mean Green was able to come up with a stop and hang on for a three-point victory.

Tramiel finished the contest with a game-high 22 points and 17 rebounds for North Texas.
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