Despite a monumental individual performance from Megan Nestor, the University of North Texas (UNT) women’s basketball team saw its three-game winning streak halted in a narrow 54-58 home defeat against Rice on Saturday, January 17.
Megan Nestor, the towering 6’4″ forward from Saint Lucia, delivered a career-defining performance in the loss. She secured her fifth consecutive double-double and tenth of the season by pouring in 15 points and dominating the glass with a remarkable 21 rebounds. This marked the second time this term she has grabbed at least 20 rebounds in a single contest. Her efficiency was notable, converting six of her nine field goal attempts and three of five from the free-throw line.
Nestor’s prowess on the offensive glass places her as a co-leader nationally in the NCAA for offensive rebounds, while she also ranks among the top ten players in the country for both total rebounds and double-doubles. The alumna of Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School and former national netball player logged a UNT career-high 37 minutes of play.
The sole other bright spot for the Mean Green was Aysia Proctor, who erupted for a career-best 25 points on an efficient 10-of-16 shooting from the field. However, the collective effort fell just short. UNT mounted a late surge in the final quarter, trimming a significant deficit to a mere two points, but Rice managed to withstand the pressure and execute down the stretch to secure the conference victory.
The result moves UNT to a record of 10 wins and 8 losses on the season. Reflecting on the hard-fought battle, Head Coach Jason Burton acknowledged the quality of the opponent. ‘We knew today was going to be a battle,’ Burton stated. ‘We knew today was going to be a really good game. Hats off to Rice for getting it done… Still really proud of our team and the direction that we’re headed.’