Box Score
Postgame Notes

JONESBORO, Ark. - It was a gutty effort but the North Texas men's basketball team lost in overtime to Arkansas State 75-66 at the Convocation Center. The Mean Green (8-16, 3-10) let a 57-50 lead with 1:08 left in regulation slip away as a 3-pointer from Cameron Golden with four seconds left tied the game.

The overtime frame saw Arkansas State (14-8, 8-5) pull away from the Mean Green with a 10-1 run, capped off by a 3-pointer from Trey Finn with 1:16 to play.

"We knew going in they had really good guards, and we don't have that luxury, but I'm proud of our guys, they never quit and they fought their butts off and kept battling tonight," said head coach Tony Benford.  "We just have to finish plays but our guys really played hard tonight.  

After building an eight-point lead at the break, North Texas pushed its advantage to 11 points at 41-30 early in the second half. The Red Wolves used a 13-2 run to make it two-point game at 45-43 with 8:14 to play.

North Texas answered back a 3-pointer from Tony Mitchell gave the Mean Green a seven-point edge again at 50-43. The lead remained at seven until the final 1:08 when Arkansas State made its final run.  With North Texas up 57-53, Arkansas State missed five straight 3-pointers, but kept the ball alive each time until Rakeem Dickerson knocked the sixth try down on the possession with 13.2 seconds left to make it 58-56.

Alzee Williams split a pair of free throws with 12 seconds to play, setting up the final heroics by Golden.

North Texas raced out an early 12-6 lead in the first six minutes of the game. After five straight points by Arkansas State, the Mean Green went on an 8-0 run capped off by Mitchell 3-pointer to make it 20-11 with 9:16 remaining.

The Red Wolves roared back on a 12-2 run fueled by Cameron Golden who hit two 3-pointers and Arkansas State retook the lead at 23-22 with four minutes left in the half.

A late flurry in the waning moments of the first half though gave the Mean Green the lead back.

First Jordan Williams buried a 3-pointer with 50 seconds to play in the half. Then with the clock winding down, Niko Stojiljkovic banked in a 3-pointer with three seconds left and North Texas closed the first half on a 14-5 run in the final four minutes to take a 36-28 lead.

North Texas returns home to face Western Kentucky on Thursday night at 7 p.m.