Box Score The game itself lacked any real drama as the University of North Texas at Dallas rolled to an easy 89-61 victory over Bacone College Tuesday night (Nov. 30). It could have been even more one-sided.
The visiting Warriors arrived shrouded in a 13-game losing streak and minus several key players who had not made the van ride from Muskogee. Thus, UNTD entered the meaningless non-conference affair with a decided manpower -- and height -- advantage.
In all honesty, the margin of victory should have been more than the 28-point advantage the Trailblazers achieved up in the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship gym meeting. It was pretty much a snoozer.
Except when UNTD coach Josh Howard hustled his players back onto the court during intermission. Rather than the standard halftime discussion of tactics, the clearly disappointed coach had his players running down-and-backs throughout the halftime break. Why? Because of what he viewed as a lack of aggressive play by his team during the first half of play.
Never mind that the hosts led 45-29 the half and that the struggling Warriors would not have even been that close had it not been for a three and one-half minute flurry of three-pointers that had, ever so briefly, allowed them to get within one point of UNTD -- 25-24 -- with eight minutes left in the first period
It is a good guess that it was about then that Howard began contemplating the halftime punishment exercises.
Soon thereafter, Coach Howard saw the style of play he wanted. His defense swarmed the Warriors. His offense moved out to 20-, then 25-point leads during the second half. Trailblazer reserves got to see action.
Four UNTD players scored in double figures, led by
Hysheam Weston's 17.
Demaryon Thornton and
Keldon Dansby each contributed 13.
Donovan Deal, despite missing time in the first half after hitting his head on the floor, added 10.
And thoughts quickly turned to Thursday evening's (Dec. 2) return to Sooner Conference play against Oklahoma City University. The OCBF doubleheader will see the UNTD women playing the Stars at 6 p.m. with the men's game scheduled for 7:45.
