North Texas Mean Green Hold Off Temple Owls 65-62 Behind Balanced Attack

The North Texas Mean Green pulled off a 65-62 victory over the Temple Owls at the Liacouras Center, a result that will have real consequences for both teams' postseason aspirations. The Mean Green, now 15-11 on the season, were led by a balanced attack that saw three players score in double figures, including Dylan Arnett, who chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds. Temple, meanwhile, fell to 15-10, despite a game-high 20 points from Derrian Ford. The Owls had been averaging 74.4 points per game over their last 5 contests, but were held to just 62 points by a stifling North Texas defense.

The first half was a struggle for both teams, with North Texas managing just 22 points and Temple scoring 28. However, the Mean Green came out on fire in the second half, scoring 43 points and outpacing the Owls by 9. This surge was fueled by a 13-point effort from Je'Shawn Stevenson, who scored 10 of his points in the final 10 minutes of the game. Temple, on the other hand, saw their offense stall, scoring just 34 points in the second half. The Owls' Masiah Gilyard, who had 16 points on the night, was held to just 4 points in the second half, a period in which North Texas outscored Temple 43-34.

The stat line doesn't do justice to the clutch shooting of North Texas's EJ Horton, who hit 2 big three-pointers in the final 5 minutes of the game to help seal the win for the Mean Green. Horton finished with 12 points, but his timely shooting was the difference-maker here. On the other hand, Temple's Aiden Tobiason, who had 12 points, was largely invisible in the second half, scoring just 2 points after the break. The Mean Green's ability to shut down Tobiason and limit Gilyard's production in the second half was a key factor in their victory.

The CHD Scout prediction had Temple winning by 2.6 points, but the actual result was a 3-point win for North Texas.

The model missed the fact that North Texas would be able to shut down Temple's offense, holding the Owls to 62 points, 12 below their average over the last 5 games. The Mean Green's defense, which had allowed 73.4 points per game over their last 5 contests, was able to stifle the Owls' attack, limiting them to just 38% shooting from the field. This defensive effort, combined with the clutch shooting of Horton and Stevenson, was the difference-maker in the game.

The win for North Texas is a significant one, as it moves them to 15-11 on the season and improves their NET ranking to 152. The Mean Green have now won 2 of their last 5 games, with the 2 wins coming by a combined 5 points. Temple, on the other hand, falls to 15-10, with a NET ranking of 155. The Owls have now lost 2 of their last 5 games, with the 2 losses coming by a combined 5 points.

The loss is a significant blow to Temple's tournament hopes, as they were already on the bubble with a NET ranking of 155. The Owls' quad 3 loss to North Texas, also a quad 3 team, will not help their case for an at-large bid. North Texas, on the other hand, may have played themselves into the tournament conversation with the win. The Mean Green's NET ranking of 152 is still a ways off from being considered a lock, but they are now in the discussion. With 5 games remaining on their schedule, North Texas must continue to win and hope that other bubble teams stumble in order to secure a spot in the tournament.

The trends heading into this game suggested that Temple would have the upper hand, as they had been averaging 74.4 points per game over their last 5 contests, while North Texas had been averaging 74.8 points per game. However, the Mean Green's defense was able to shut down the Owls' attack, holding them to just 62 points. The win for North Texas is a significant one, as it moves them ahead of Temple in the standings and gives them a crucial quad 3 win. The Mean Green want to build on this momentum as they head into their next game, while Temple must regroup and refocus in order to get back on track.

In the end, the 3-point win for North Texas was a reflection of the Mean Green's resilience and determination. Despite being down by 6 at the half, North Texas was able to come out and outscore Temple 43-34 in the second half, securing a crucial win. The Mean Green's ability to shut down Temple's offense and limit their production in the second half was the key to their victory. As the season heads into its final stretch, North Texas must continue to win and hope that other bubble teams stumble in order to secure a spot in the tournament. With 5 games remaining on their schedule, the Mean Green are in a good position to make a push for the postseason.

The win for North Texas is also a significant one in terms of the team's recent form. The Mean Green had been 2-3 over their last 5 games, with the 2 wins coming by a combined 5 points. However, the win over Temple moves them to 3-3 over their last 6 games, and gives them a crucial quad 3 win. The Mean Green's NET ranking of 152 is still a ways off from being considered a lock, but they are now in the discussion. With 5 games remaining on their schedule, North Texas must continue to win and hope that other bubble teams stumble in order to secure a spot in the tournament.

HEADLINE: North Texas Mean Green Hold Off Temple Owls 65-62 Behind Balanced Attack SUBHEADLINE: The win moves North Texas to 15-11 on the season and improves their NET ranking to 152, while Temple falls to 15-10 with a NET ranking of 155, 3 points behind the Mean Green in a game that saw 127 total points scored, an average of 1.04 points per possession.