Cheer on Mean Green hoops

Mean Green basketball got off to a great start this fall as the women's team scored the biggest upset in the program's history and the men started the season as the nation's fifth-highest-scoring team.

The men's team beat Jarvis Christian College 112-82 to open the season, scoring more than 100 points for the first time in the Tony Benford era and garnering Ja'Michael Brown Con­fer­ence USA Freshman of the Week honors. The team followed that with a 110-61 win over Texas College.

The women's team, led by new head coach and alumna Jalie Mitchell ('02), opened the season with a win over Texas Woman's University. The team then pulled off the 61-57 upset over the 17th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, securing the program's first-ever win over a ranked opponent.

Under Mitchell, the women's team entered the season looking to play to its full potential. The coach played for UNT from 1998 to 2002 and left an assistant coaching position at the University of Texas in April to return to her alma mater.

Check the men's and women's basketball schedules and get your tickets at meangreensports.com.

Top punter

Mean Green punter Eric Keena was named a nominee for the 2015 Ray Guy Award, which recognizes the nation's top collegiate punter.

With a few games left to play this season, Keena was ranked 21st in the nation in punting with a 44-yard average and 11 punts of 50 or more yards.

The Augusta Sports Council announced the list of nominees, and the winner was to be featured live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards Dec. 10.

Rugby teams score big

The UNT men's and women's rugby clubs earned spots in championship games this year after standout performances on the field.

The men's club qualified for the American Collegiate Rugby Championship Bowl series in Charlotte, N.C. UNT played against Rutgers University, coming from behind to win 19-16 and ending the fall season with a 9-0 record.

The women's club is in its first year and captured the northern division of the Lonestar Women's Conference, qualifying for the playoffs. The club was undefeated as it advanced to the finals, but fell to UTSA 24-19 in overtime. Follow the clubs at facebook.com/untrugby and facebook.com/untwomensrugby.