Men's Basketball

Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - In improbable fashion, North Texas solved the riddle of E.A. Diddle again. Eric Tramiel scored the game-winning basket for the Mean Green with 10 seconds left in overtime to give North Texas an 84-83 win in overtime over Western Kentucky.

The game was sent to overtime by Western Kentucky's Steffphon Pettigrew, who hit a 3-pointer from 40 feet with one-tenth of a second left in regulation.

In overtime the game went back and forth as the Hilltoppers (11-10, 4-5) opened up an 83-79 lead with 1:41 remaining. Tristan Thompson nailed a 3-pointer with 1:13 left to make it 1-point game at 83-82.

The Mean Green (13-7, 6-4) got a defensive stop and then with 12 seconds had an inbounds play underneath the basket.  That's when Shannon Shorter found Tramiel under the hoop for the game-winner.  Tramiel ended the game tying his career-high with 25 points.

The Hilltoppers had one final chance late, but A.J. Slaughter had the ball stolen by Josh White who dribbled out the rest of the clock for the win.

"I was very proud of our guys, Pettigrew hit a tough shot at the end but our guys came to the bench focused and a little mad that they had to play the overtime and came through," said coach Johnny Jones.

The second half went back and forth as the game featured 16 ties and 15 lead changes. North Texas battled back from four-points down at 72-68 with less than three minutes in regulation with seven straight points to take a 75-72 lead with less 13 seconds left setting up Pettigrew's heroics.

Pettigrew picked up a loose ball near the midcourt line with four seconds, broke through a double team and drilled the shot from 40-foot shot with one-tenth of a second left.

Western Kentucky opened the game up with a 9-4 run as Pettigrew scored the first five points for the Hilltoppers. A 3-pointer from Pettigrew opened the Western Kentucky lead up to 10 points at 16-6 with 12:50 to play in the first half.

Tristan Thompson cut into the Hilltopper lead for the Mean Green with five straight points to make it 18-11.

George Odufuwa flexed his muscle on the inside with five offensive rebounds in the first half. He pulled the Mean Green to within two at 19-17 with a 3-point play off an offensive board.

The Mean Green capped off the 13-3 run with another bucket by Odufuwa to tie the game up at 19. Western Kentucky responded with an 8-2 run to go back up 27-21 with 4:41.

Thompson had another answer for North Texas as he fueled a 8-0 run to give the Mean Green its first lead of the game at 29-27 with 3:26 left in the half.

The two teams traded baskets down the stretch in the first half.  Tramiel gave the Mean Green the lead at the half at 35-34 with a layup with three seconds left.

Odufuwa finished the night with a double-double scoring 15 points and pulling down a game-high 16 rebounds.

North Texas continues its road trip on Saturday night when they face Middle Tennessee.