Tristan Thompson's 4-point play started a 22-11 North Texas run Sunday that lifted the Mean Green to an 88-79 victory over Middle Tennessee in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament. North Texas (20-11), the league's No. 4 seed, built a 40-27 lead after Thompson was fouled on a 3-point shot from the left baseline and led by no less than 8 points until late in the game. The Blue Raiders hit four 3-pointers in the final 2:14 to cut the gap to 85-79, but Josh White's six free throws in the final 1:24 kept North Texas' lead safe. White finished with 27 points while Thompson had 19. Montarrio Haddock scored 26 points and Desmond Yates had 15 for Middle Tennessee (18-14). North Texas plays top-seeded Western Kentucky in a Monday semifinal.
