Discovering Excellence: The Untold Stories of the University of North Texas

DENTON — The UNT men’s basketball squad remained unbeaten at home this season after a 68-64 victory against the defending Sun Belt Conference champions, App State, on Friday night at the Super Pit. 

Brenen Lorient spearheaded the effort for the Mean Green (8-3) with 17 points, marking his third straight game with over 15 points. Throughout this stretch of three games, Lorient has an impressive shooting percentage of 82 from the field (19-23). Moulaye Sissoko achieved season bests of seven points and 10 rebounds. 

“It was an excellent college basketball match,” stated head coach Ross Hodge. “[We were] capable of making just enough stops [and] just enough plays.”

North Texas fell behind by eight points early but managed to tie the score at 26 with 3:18 left in the first half. The Mean Green then initiated a 7-2 run before heading to the locker room, leading 33-28 at halftime. 

The Mean Green established a lead by as much as 15 in the second half, but the Mountaineers (6-6) made a strong push, narrowing the gap to two points with just 11 seconds on the clock. Nevertheless, UNT sealed the game by converting four straight free throws by Jasper Floyd, who contributed eight points during the game. 

UNT managed a season-low of five 3-pointers on Friday but shot an impressive 19-of-28 (67.8 percent) from within the arc.

North Texas will conclude its trio of home games on Sunday at 2 p.m. against Houston Christian as the Mean Green aim to prolong their winning streak. The matchup will take place at the Super Pit and will be aired on the Mean Green Sports Network, presented by Learfield, and streamed on ESPN+.