The Sports Xchange
Nov 30, 2017
Trae Young continued a torrid pace to begin his career as Oklahoma fended off an evenly matched North Texas 82-72 on Thursday night at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.
Young scored 21 of his 32 points in the second half and dished out 10 assists for the Sooners (5-1). The freshman has posted double-digit point totals in each of his first six collegiate games. He has gone for more than 20 points in five straight contests and has 30 points in three consecutive outings.
Four North Texas players scored in double digits, led by Roosevelt Smart with 15 points. A.J. Lawson scored 14 points for the Mean Green (4-4), Jorden Duffy contributed 12 points, and Shane Temara had 11.
Oklahoma led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, overcoming an early six-point advantage for North Texas. The Mean Green, however, played coach Lon Kruger's squad tightly to tie the game at 38 heading into halftime.
Young sparked Oklahoma out of the break, scoring seven points on a 9-0 Sooners run. North Texas answered, pulling within one point with just under eight minutes remaining.
It was Young who stepped up again, along with Khadeem Lattin, hitting several baskets to give the Sooners some breathing room. Oklahoma would eventually build up a 13-point lead to run away with the victory.
Lattin finished with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
The Sooners shot 54.2 percent from the floor to the Mean Green's 50 percent. North Texas won the rebounding battle 29-28, while Oklahoma earned a 20-10 edge in points off turnovers.