GAME NOTES: The North Texas Mean Green head to Gallagher Iba Arena to try to upset the Oklahoma State Cowboys as the two schools collide for a non- conference matchup.

The Cowboys have dominated their rivalry versus North Texas, winning 14 of the previous 15 matchups. OSU is 8-0 versus the Mean Green in Stillwater and is 2-0 in the series under current head coach Travis Ford.

The Mean Green fell to 4-2 last Friday with an 89-73 loss at Arkansas, a contest that marked their first game outside of Denton. UNT was also defeated, 78-58, at home by Iona, in its only other true test, as its wins consist of a rout of Division II Arkansas Monticello and victories over Nicholls (71-57), Delaware State (62-55) and Mississippi Valley State (67-52), who have a combined record of 5-14. Coach Tony Benford's squad has played solid defensively overall, limiting the opposition to 36.3 percent efficiency from the floor.

Ford's Cowboys are fresh off being crowned the MGM Grand Main Event tournament champions last week. OSU improved to 6-0 with impressive triumphs over Oregon State (66-53) and Tulsa (73-58). Now it will return to Gallagher Iba Arena, where it has outscored four opponents by an average of 27.5 ppg in 2014-15. The Cowboys are ranked third among Big 12 schools in scoring with 78.2 ppg and also fourth in points allowed per game (55.2).

UNT's lack of a true point guard has been damaging thus far, as it is recording an average of 16.5 turnovers per game. The Mean Green rely heavily on their shooting guard Jordan Williams, who is netting team-highs of 13.8 ppg and 3.3 apg. The 6-foot-6 senior is not shy to pull the trigger, as he has already hoisted up 73 field goal tries this season, a mark that is 35 more than any one else on UNT. Williams finished just 5-of-15 from the floor versus Arkansas, while fellow senior T.J. Taylor tallied 16 points to pace the team. Taylor has taken over the role of starting point guard and posted 11.5 ppg and 4.0 apg in two starts at the one.

Williams and OSU star wing Le'Bryan Nash have a long history dating back to their high school rivalry in Dallas. Like Williams, Nash is the leader of his team with 18.3 ppg, which he is accompanying with 6.7 rpg. Nash, who has started 61 consecutive games, is ranked second in the nation with 44 made free-throw attempts this season. Nash has plenty of help surrounding him. Despite losing superstar Marcus Smart to an early departure for the NBA, the Cowboys still have one of the top backcourts in the NCAA. Junior guard Phil Forte III is scoring a career-high 17.2 ppg, while averaging 7.5 attempts from 3-point range per tilt. LSU graduate transfer Anthony Hickey has posted 41 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists over his last three outings.

OSU could be the surprise team in the Big 12 this year if Hickey's confidence continues to grow. The Mean Green will have no chance of keeping it close if they cannot limit their turnovers. UNT will have trouble containing Nash without leaving the Cowboys' 3-point specialists open on the perimeter.