DENTON, Texas (Interstat) — In a game defined not by fluid offense but by relentless pressure and trips to the free-throw line, North Texas used a decisive second-half surge to secure a 76-69 victory over Memphis in an American Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at North Texas Coliseum.

A crowd of 3,395 saw the Mean Green (14-11, 5-7 AAC) avenge a loss to Memphis from just over six weeks prior, overcoming a narrow halftime deficit by dominating the final 20 minutes. The game, a stark contrast to the teams’ first meeting which Memphis won 57-48, was ultimately decided at the charity stripe, where North Texas built an overwhelming advantage.

The most critical phase of the contest came early in the second half. Leading by a single point at 33-32 after a grinding first half, North Texas unleashed a 12-2 run out of the locker room. The spurt was fueled by aggressive defense and efficient offense in the paint. Je’Shawn Stevenson started it with a driving layup, David Terrell found Reece Robinson for an easy basket, and after a pair of Memphis free throws, Cole Franklin converted a layup to push the lead to 41-34. Stevenson then capped the run with a pull-up jumper, forcing a Memphis timeout with the Mean Green up 43-34 and 17:26 remaining.

Memphis (12-12, 5-7) never fully recovered. The Tigers, who shot a respectable 43.1% from the field, could not offset North Texas’s parade to the free-throw line. The Mean Green attempted 41 free throws, making 31, while Memphis went 13 of 15. That 18-point disparity at the line proved insurmountable on a night where both teams struggled from deep, combining to shoot 9 of 34 from three-point range.

North Texas guard David Terrell, a Dallas native, orchestrated the victory with a team-high 14 points and four assists, consistently breaking down the Memphis defense. Je’Shawn Stevenson added 16 points, while Reece Robinson contributed 12 points and two blocks. The Mean Green’s defensive activity was pivotal, generating 11 steals and converting 28 points off 14 Memphis turnovers.

Memphis was led by Sincere Parker’s game-high 20 points, with 14 coming in the second half as he tried to will his team back into contention. Julius Thedford added 12 points for the Tigers, who saw a two-game winning streak snapped. Despite holding North Texas to 44.7% shooting and blocking seven shots, Memphis’s own offensive execution faltered down the stretch, managing an offensive rating of just 98.4 on 70 possessions.

The Tigers briefly threatened midway through the second half. Trailing 51-42, Parker ignited a 9-0 run with a layup, a steal leading to two free throws, and a three-pointer assisted by Ashton Hardaway, tying the game at 51 with 9:56 left. The comeback was short-lived. North Texas responded immediately, with Terrell assisting on a Cole Franklin tip-in and then drawing fouls to get to the line, where he made three of four attempts over the next two minutes to restore a five-point cushion.

Memphis made one last push, closing to 62-59 on a Sincere Parker three-pointer with 5:50 left. But the Tigers would get no closer. A critical sequence saw Parker turn the ball over, leading to a Stevenson layup, and after a Memphis shot-clock violation, Franklin sank two free throws to extend the lead to 66-59 with 3:25 left, effectively sealing the game.

The victory moved North Texas to .500 in conference play and handed Memphis its seventh loss in nine true road games this season. According to Interstat’s ELO system, the outcome was an upset, as Memphis had entered with a 61.7% probability to win and was a 1-point pregame favorite. The total score of 145 points went over the betting line of 134.

North Texas next travels to face Temple on Sunday. Memphis, meanwhile, must regroup quickly for a non-conference road test at Utah State on Saturday.