In a stunning display of resilience, the University of North Texas women’s basketball squad engineered their most remarkable comeback of the season this past Saturday. Facing a daunting 13-point deficit against Temple at the Liacouras Centre, the Mean Green mounted a spectacular second-half surge to clinch a narrow 69-66 victory.
The comeback was spearheaded by a phenomenal individual performance from the team’s 6-foot-4 center, who single-handedly accounted for all 13 of North Texas’ points in the decisive fourth quarter. Her late-game heroics included consecutive baskets that first tied the game and then secured the lead. She finished with an impressive stat line of 20 points on highly efficient 12-shot attempts, complemented by six successful free throws out of seven. Dominating the boards with 13 rebounds and setting a personal best with four steals, she recorded her 14th double-double of the campaign.
Despite entering halftime with a 10-point disadvantage, North Texas (13-10, 7-4) exploded offensively in the final two quarters, putting up 41 points. The third period proved to be the critical turning point in the game, with the team unleashing an offensive barrage of 28 points and connecting on six three-pointers to shift the momentum entirely.
The victory was a testament to a collective team effort. Four other players made significant scoring contributions: Jazzy Owens-Barnett, Aysia Proctor, and Andi Schissler each added 9 points, while Chania Price chipped in with 8. Schissler’s hot hand from beyond the arc continued, as she sank three more triples, bringing her shooting tally to an impressive 9-of-14 from deep over the last three contests. Price also made a notable impact by successfully landing her second and third three-pointers of the year.
Head Coach Jason Burton praised his team’s unselfish and confident play, stating, ‘We spread the wealth today. We’ve emphasized becoming a team with multiple scoring threats, and that vision was realized on the court. Witnessing multiple players shoot with such confidence fundamentally transforms our identity as a team.’