In Fort Worth, Texas, North Texas secured a spot in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference tournament by defeating Tulsa 77-59 in the quarterfinals on Friday.
The game marked a significant triumph for second-seeded North Texas, who will now compete against the winner of the East Carolina versus UAB matchup.
Atin Wright was instrumental in the team’s success, contributing 24 points. He had an impressive shooting performance, completing 7 of 16 attempts, including 3 of 11 from beyond the arc, and maintaining a perfect record from the free-throw line with 7 of 7.
Jasper Floyd also made a meaningful impact, adding 11 points by shooting efficiently from both the field (3 of 5) and the free-throw line (4 of 4), in addition to providing five assists.
Brenen Lorient supported the team’s efforts with 10 points, delivering precise 4 of 7 shooting from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line.
This victory extended North Texas’s winning streak to eight games.
Tulsa, on the other hand, saw a noteworthy performance from Keaston Willis, who led the team with 20 points.
Braeden Carrington added to Tulsa’s efforts with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Ian Smikle contributed eight points alongside six rebounds.
The initial half of the game saw Wright adding 12 points to the scoreboard for North Texas, though the team was trailing 31-26 at halftime.
However, the second half showcased a resurgence from North Texas, as they launched a 16-2 run that transformed a five-point deficit into a 49-40 lead with just under 12 minutes left to play.
Wright continued his offensive output with another 12 points in the second half, helping seal the victory for the Mean Green.