PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Megan Nestor scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, including a crucial putback and a pair of late free throws, to lift North Texas to a 69-66 victory over Temple in an American Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Liacouras Center.

The Mean Green, who trailed by 10 points at halftime, outscored the Owls 28-18 in a decisive third quarter and then held on through a tense final minute to secure the road win before a crowd of 1,243.

North Texas improved to 13-9 overall and evened its conference record. Temple fell to 10-12.

The game turned on a dominant third-quarter performance by the visitors. After managing just 10 points in the second period and trailing 38-28 at the break, North Texas erupted with a 19-5 run to start the second half. The surge was fueled by defensive pressure that forced six Temple turnovers in the quarter, which the Mean Green converted into easy scoring opportunities.

Chania Price and Aysia Proctor hit 3-pointers during the run, and Nestor’s interior presence created space for her teammates. North Texas shot 10 of 16 from the field in the quarter and took a 56-54 lead into the final period.

The fourth quarter was a defensive struggle, with both teams combining for just 23 points. Temple tied the game at 58 on a Saniyah Craig layup with 9:35 remaining, and again at 66 on a Savannah Curry pull-up jumper with 2:09 left.

On the ensuing possession, Nestor missed a layup but fought for the offensive rebound and scored on a tip-in to put North Texas ahead for good at 68-66 with 1:44 on the clock.

Temple had two chances to tie or take the lead in the final minute. After a North Texas turnover, Kaylah Turner missed a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left. Following a defensive rebound by Price, the Mean Green ran the clock down, but Proctor missed a jumper with 21 seconds remaining, giving Temple one final opportunity.

Out of a timeout, the Owls attempted to inbound the ball, but Nestor intercepted the pass near midcourt and was fouled by Turner with 3 seconds left. Nestor made the first free throw to extend the lead to three points and, after intentionally missing the second, Temple’s desperation heave from beyond half-court was not close as time expired.

Nestor, a 6-foot-3 junior from Canaries, St. Lucia, recorded her second double-double in three games, adding two assists and two steals in 32 minutes. Her performance was pivotal in overcoming a slow first half for the Mean Green.

Price finished with eight points, three rebounds and two assists, while Proctor added nine points and five rebounds. Cherie Spencer contributed six points, five rebounds and five assists for North Texas, which forced 19 Temple turnovers and converted them into 20 points.

Temple was led by Curry, who scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. Craig added 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Turner finished with nine points, seven rebounds and four assists, but also committed seven of Temple’s turnovers.

The Owls controlled the first half, using a 24-point second quarter to build their double-digit halftime advantage. Brianna Mead provided a spark off the bench with seven points in the period, including a 3-pointer.

North Texas struggled offensively in the half, shooting just 10 of 34 from the field. The Mean Green’s defense, however, kept them within striking distance by forcing 10 turnovers before the break.

For the game, North Texas shot 37.1% from the field but connected on 8 of 17 from 3-point range. Temple shot 44.8% overall but was hampered by its ball security issues. The Mean Green also won the battle on the glass, outrebounding the Owls 45-35, including a 12-7 edge on the offensive boards that led to 13 second-chance points.

The victory marked a resilient response from North Texas, which was coming off a narrow two-point loss at Texas-San Antonio on Jan. 28. Temple, which had won an overtime thriller at Tulane last Saturday, saw its two-game winning streak snapped.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Temple entered the game with a 60.4% probability to win.

North Texas continues its road trip at Rice on Tuesday. Temple will travel to face Texas-San Antonio, also on Tuesday.