Box Score

Norman, Okla. – North Texas (2-6) came up just short in the final seconds against 13^th ranked Oklahoma in a physical battle. Fouls ultimately doomed the Mean Green’s upset bid despite a career game from Alexis Hyder, who scored 15 and added 12 boards.

Oklahoma opened up the game on a 5-0 run. North Texas stopped the bleeding with tough defense and a trademark Laura McCoy logo-deep 3-pointer evened the score.

Oklahoma didn’t stop attacking extending the lead to five again before North Texas was able to claw its way back into the game with two long balls from freshman Loryn Goodwin.

At the nine minute mark, a put back on the offensive boards by Sara Stanley tied it at 15. The two units traded buckets before a Hannah Christian trey put North Texas into the lead at the seven minute mark.

With 3 minutes remaining in the first half, the Mean Green’s press finally forced trouble in the back court for OU as Breanna Dawkins got the steal leading to an easy Hannah Christian layup to push the North Texas lead to four at 27-23.

In an unfortunate moment during the final two minutes of the first half, Oklahoma’s Whitney Hand came down awkwardly on her knee and hit the floor hard in serious pain. She would not return.

North Texas closed the first half out with a 3-point lead over 13^th ranked OU. The Mean Green’s halftime lead was no coincidence after firing 38.5 percent from deep and doubling OU in bench points, 15-7.

The first five minutes of the second half were a track meet as both teams raced out of the gate swapping buckets at will. Despite the offensive explosion by North Texas, OU kept pace.

At the 11 minute mark, OU took its first lead of the half after a pair of free throws.

After seven minutes of tough play, McCoy hit another deep ball to push the lead back to 4 at 57-53.

The Mean Green worked its way into foul trouble, an issue that would lead to free points for OU down the stretch and allow for them to tie the game up at 59 with three minutes left.

With two minutes remaining in the tight contest and a 4-point led for the Sooners, OU’s Morgan Hook fouled out after putting Hannah Christian at the line for two foul shots she would knock down to cut the Oklahoma lead to two.

OU would continue to go to the foul line on nearly every possession in the final two minutes burying North Texas into a four-point hole with 30 seconds remaining. The Mean Green retaliated after the makes finding a wide-open Loryn Goodwin in the corner with 14 seconds for a 3-pointer.

After fouling, OU would hit one of two at the line giving North Texas one last chance, a miss and foul to put Oklahoma on the line with .7 seconds left ending the last gasp attempt for the Mean Green.

The Mean Green fell to 2-6 on the year after a valiant effort in Norman, Okla. North Texas gets a 12 day break until a Dec. 18 meeting with UTA in Denton, Texas.