Dec. 17, 2003

EDINBURG, TX-Michael DeGrate's three-pointer with 2:24 remaining in overtime put North Texas ahead for good, and the Mean Green hung on for an 87-81 victory over the University of Texas-Pan American's men's basketball team at the UTPA Fieldhouse Wednesday evening.

Junior center Alvaidas Gedminas (Plunge, Lithuania/Laivite HS/Kirtland CC) had given the Broncs the lead with two free throws with 3:09 remaining in overtime. Gedminas' free throws, the first two points of the extra period, put Texas-Pan American ahead, 79-77.

DeGrate's jumper, and a free throw by Leonard Hopkins put UNT ahead, 81-79. A free throw by junior guard Ray Castillo (San Antonio, TX/South San Antonio HS/Temple HS) cut North Texas' lead to a single point, 81-80. Jerome Rogers hit two free throws for the Mean Green to make it 83-81. After junior forward Chris Fagan (Bronx, NY/Storm King HS/Trinidad State) of the Broncs made a free throw to cut North Texas' lead to 83-81 with 20 seconds left, Will Smith and DeGrate each converted two free throws to account for the final score.

The teams battled each other down the stretch as regulation time came to an end. The Mean Green led, 71-67, with 3:33 remaining, but senior forwards Delvis Diaz (San Antonio, TX/Jay HS/South Plains College) and Andrius Sakalys (Vilnius, Lithuania/M. Dauksos HS/Eastern Oklahoma State) each converted two free throws, and junior guard Sergio Sanchez (San Antonio, TX/South San Antonio HS/Temple College) made four free throws to put UTPA ahead, 75-71 with 1:49 to play. UNT got layups from Shawnson Johnson and DeGrate to tie the score with 1:16 left. Sakalys' jumper gave the Broncs the lead with 12 seconds remaining, but Jerome Rogers was fouled and hit a pair of free throws with two seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Sanchez fouled out on the play.

"We had a five or six minute stretch in the second half where we didn't execute," said UTPA Head Coach Bob Hoffman. "Our effort and intensity were good enough to win. We were beaten for 14 points on back cuts, and it was one of the differences in the game. Losing Sergio hurt. It would have been nice to have him in overtime, but we had other guys step up. We fought hard, but they made some plays at the end."

Sanchez finished with 23 points and six steals to lead all scorers. Sakalys added 18, and Fagan had 13, while Fagan and Gedminas each grabbed eight rebounds. Johnson had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead UNT. Hopkins added 16, and DeGrate had 13.

The Broncs fell to 3-6 with the defeat, while North Texas improved to 4-3. Texas-Pan American will return to action when they visit Rice Saturday.