| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNT | 20 | 43 | 63 |
| MSST | 29 | 40 | 69 |
Mississippi St. tops N. Texas 69-63, Molinar returns
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- — D.J. Stewart Jr. scored 14 of his 16 points after halftime, Iverson Molinar added 15 in his season debut and Mississippi State defeated North Texas 69-63 Friday night.
The Bulldogs (2-2) pounded the ball inside, outscoring North Texas (1-2) 44-22 in the paint. Tolu Smith added 12 points and eight rebounds for Mississippi State, and Jalen Johnson scored 10.
Molinar, a sophomore guard, had missed the first three games, quarantining after a positive COVID-19 test. Friday he scored five points in the first three minutes, announcing his return with Mississippi State's lone 3-pointer.
He shot 5-for-9 with five rebounds, two assists and a steal in 29 minutes.
Rubin Jones led Mean Green with 14 points, 11 in the second half on 3-for-3 shooting from distance. Jones finished 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point arc. North Texas made seven from beyond the arc to Mississippi State's 1-for-10.
North Texas fashioned a 13-8 surge to begin the second half and cut an 11-point Mississippi State lead to 37-33. Stewart converted a three-point play and the Bulldogs lead generally hovered between six and 10 points the rest of the way.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Joe Lindsay
- Pat Adams
- Rob Rorke
2024-25 American Athletic Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 0-0 | - | 4-0 |
| Wichita State | 0-0 | - | 4-0 |
| East Carolina | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| North Texas | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| Rice | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| Tulane | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| Charlotte | 0-0 | - | 3-1 |
| Temple | 0-0 | - | 3-1 |
| South Florida | 0-0 | - | 3-2 |
| Tulsa | 0-0 | - | 3-2 |
| Florida Atlantic | 0-0 | - | 4-3 |
| UAB | 0-0 | - | 3-3 |
| UTSA | 0-0 | - | 1-2 |
2024-25 Southeastern Conference Standings
Men's College Basketball News