DALLAS, Texas – A thrilling battle on Thursday night ended with disappointment for University of North Texas at Dallas men's basketball, as it could not complete the upset on No. 11 Langston in overtime. The final score was 74-70, with the Trailblazers (5-5, 2-5 SAC) storming out to a 32-20 halftime lead. The Lions (7-2, 4-2 SAC) answered with a 12-point edge in the second half, scoring 43 points and forcing a tie in the closing seconds to send the game to overtime. After leading by three points (68-65) during the first three minutes of the extra period, Langston knotted the score with a three by Jamison Epps and a go-ahead free throw by Joshua Smith lifted the national runners-up from last season the rest of the way, scoring nine of the final 11 points.
 
Junior Greg Crawford (Houston, Texas) gave a tremendous performance, tallying a season-high and game-high 26 points, which included a season-high 17 made free throws. Crawford added to his double-double total on the year with his seventh after grabbing down 11 rebounds to also lead all players. Crawford notched all seven UNTD points in overtime. He dished a season-high five assists and had two blocks and steal to round out his stellar night.
 
Senior Vernon Johnson (DeSoto, Texas) produced his second-highest scoring game of the season with 17 points thanks to making four three-pointers in five tries, a personal-best on makes. Johnson posted 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the opening half.
 
Senior Ashton Howard (Cedar Hill, Texas) had another double-digit scoring effort and rounded out the trio from UNTD to accomplish the feat with 10 points. He remained consistent in rebounds (5) and blocks (3) from his previous two outings giving his three straight games with those totals in those categories.
 
The game started great on both sides with the Trailblazers scoring the first five points and Langston countering with 11 of the next 12 points. Johnson had an offensive rebound and tipin that stalled the momentum and two free throws by Howard made it a one-point game at 12:27. UNT Dallas fell behind as many as five but consecutive triples by Johnson and junior Jason Orta (Crandall, Texas) flipped the lead to the home side again. The final 2:54 minutes saw UNTD blaze ahead on a 16-0 run that gave them a 32-20 halftime advantage.
 
The Trailblazers did not allow a Langston point the final 7:02 minutes of the first half. Three minutes of scoreless basketball ensued before Howard made a jumper that sparked the late scoring streak. Crawford had five free throws and Johnson made the go-ahead trey early in the surge. In the final six seconds, the Trailblazers snatched four points on a layup by Sergio McClain (Peoria, Ill.) and Johnson forcing a steal that found junior Daniel Sohn (Aledo, Texas) for the late breakaway dunk. Sohn had 10 points in the game with a couple of highlight slams.
 
UNT Dallas held its largest lead of the game at 14 on a layup by Howard to start the second. It remained a double-digit spread during six and a half minutes when the Lions roared back into the game with a 10-1 run. A steal by Crawford that led to the second big dunk by Sohn kept UNTD in front. Crawford was involved on both ends of the floor assisting to Sohn and then blocking a dunk attempt on the defensive end on the next play. Senior Jayden Johnson-Blair (Dallas, Texas) scored to stretch the lead to five points, but Langston answered with five of its own. Eventually Epps made two free throws at 6:43 to give the team its first lead of the half (50-49). A trio of made three throws after a foul on a three-point attempt extended Langston's edge to 56-51 with under five minutes. Crawford got a needed UNTD layup and a couple of minutes later Sohn had back-to-back inside shots that made it a two-point game.
 
With 2:07 remaining in regulation, Johnson found a corner three in front of his bench to send the home team up 60-59. Team's traded dunks and the Trailblazers had the ball with 16 seconds left and up a point. Crawford split at the free throw line and Mario McKinney for Langston drove in for a layup with six seconds left. With the score tied he had gotten fouled for an old fashioned three-point play try. With the game at stake, McKinney missed the free throw, but UNTD turned the ball over with a little over a second left. A long heave by Langton's Epps hit the front of the rim and sent the game to overtime.
 
Crawford scored five points with three from the free throw line to push UNTD out to a 68-65 lead. Down (73-70) three with 20 seconds, another turnover prevented a chance at narrowing the gap or tying and Langston put the game away with another free throw on the other end.

UNT Dallas moved to 1-1 in overtime games on the season. 
 
Langston held a 22-14 edge on points off turnovers, including 13-2 in the second half. The guests also led 21-12 on second chance points. There were seven lead changes and seven ties.
 
UNT Dallas matched a team-best on the season with six made three-pointers and achieved that high in consecutive games. The team was also consistent from its last game with 39 rebounds and having exactly 11 offensive and 28 defensive. The team also smacked five blocks. The Trailblazers eclipsed 20 made free throws a third time on the campaign.
 
Langston was led by Bryce Monroe with 23 points and six assists. Epps had 12 points, while Smitch tossed in 11. McKinney posted nine points and rebounds.
 
UNT Dallas heads to Central Christian on Saturday, December 7. Tip-off follows the women's basketball game around 4:00 p.m.