The loss dropped the Lady Toppers to 19-7 on the year and 13-4 in the Sun Belt Conference, while the Mean Green improved to 8-18 and 5-11 in the league. The also snapped a six-game win streak for WKU over North Texas.
WKU’s only lead of the game came in the first three minutes of the contest as UNT lead for the final 37 minutes of the contest, including a five-point lead at intermission. The Mean Green came out and scored 13 of the first 18 points of the second half — including eight from Amber Jackson to open up a 44-31 lead just five minutes into the period.
The Lady Toppers came back with a 9-2 run to get back within five when a Crystal Kelly jumper made it 47-42 with 10:49 to go, but North Texas 10-0 run of its own to pull the lead back out to 15 points. WKU could get no closer than seven points the rest of the way as the Mean Green held on for the eight-point victory.
After scoring the first four points of the game, the Lady Toppers saw the Mean Green score seven unanswered to grab a 7-4 lead on a Brittney James three just over three minutes into the game. Tifany Zaragoza pulled WKU even with a three at the other end, but after that bucket the Lady Toppers would play from behind the rest of the half.
The Mean Green scored nine of the next 11 points to open up a seven point lead. Kenzie Rich came back with five straight points for the Lady Toppers to make it a 16-14 game, but James answered with a three to spark a 7-0 UNT run as it opened up a nine-point lead midway through the half.
WKU was able to get as close as four on two occasions, but an Erica Howard layup at the 2:58 mark stretched the Mean Green lead to 31-21. Rich knocked down a three and Kelly hit a pair of free throws to make it a five point game with 2:24 remaining, but neither club was able to score the rest of the period as North Texas held onto a five-point lead at intermission and led the entire second half for the victory.
Kelly led the Lady Toppers with a game-high 25 points, while also pulling down seven rebounds. Zaragoza shot 5-for-7 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 behind the arc to finish with 14 points and added a career-high seven rebounds. Rich also finished in double figures with 11 points.
Jackson paced three Mean Green in double figures with 19 points, while James added 16 and Howard dropped in 12 off the bench.
WKU will look to regroup as it plays its final game of the regular season Saturday night, hosting Florida International at 7 p.m. (CST) at E.A. Diddle Arena.
