Tulsa pulls away late to hand North Texas 82-66 loss

By Troy Littledeer | @candyminksprings

North Texas led 63-62 with less than five minutes to play Wednesday night at the Reynolds Center before Tulsa closed the game on a 20-3 run, pulling away for an 82-66 win.

Adair County native and Cherokee Nation citizen Buddy Hammer Jr., a former Westville Yellowjacket, played 10 minutes for the Mean Green, recording two points and three rebounds. Hammer drew a large contingent of local fans and family to the Reynolds Center.

Je’Shawn Stevenson led North Texas with 19 points. The Mean Green fall to 12-10 overall and return home Sunday to face UAB.

Troy Littledeer is a member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and an award-winning journalist and photographer based in Adair County, Oklahoma. His reporting focuses on tribal sovereignty, federal Indian law, and accountability in Adair County and across Indian Country, with an emphasis on people over government and service to community members. He is a lifetime member of the Indigenous Journalists Association and recipient of the 2025 Tim Giago Free Press Award. Littledeer also supports high school and NCAA sports, as well as music and the arts.