Sun Belt: Sun Belt Conference Tournament Semifinals

Sun Belt Conference Tournament Semifinals: It wasn’t pretty, but No. 5 North Texas has found a spot in the Sun Belt Conference championship after beating No. 9 Middle Tennessee State 59-52. The Mean Green shot only 40 percent from the field in the victory, but the Blue Raiders were worse, shooting 35.1 percent. Junior guard Ben Bell led North Texas with 15 points. North Texas will play No. 2 Arkansas State in the Sun Belt championship. Arkansas State dug out of a nine-point second-half hole to beat No. 3 Western Kentucky 80-73. The Indians got 29 points from Adrian Banks, who led the free throw parade for Arkansas State. As a team, the Indians made 26-of-28 free throws, marking the difference between a win and a loss. Western Kentucky slipped into foul trouble throughout the second half, facilitating the Indians’ rally. Courtney Lee, the Hilltoppers’ top scorer in the game, finished with 17 points. [3/05/07]