DENTON, Texas. – Southeastern Louisiana held North Texas to one field goal over the final 8:16 but the Mean Green were able to hold off the Lions for a 71-65 non-conference win Tuesday night in The Super Pit.

    Southeastern (6-6) out-scored North Texas 18-10 over that stretch, but it was not enough as the Mean Green (6-5) handed the Lions their fifth loss in seven games.

    Junior forward Davon Hayes scored 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field. Junior forward James Currington added a career-best 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Moses Greenwood was also in double figures with 11 points. Southeastern shot 53.3 percent and out-rebounded North Texas 26-24 but turned the ball over 20 times.

    North Texas also had three players in double figures as Keith Frazier had 12 points, Jeremy Combs 11 and Rickey Brice Jr. 10. Ryan Woolridge led the Mean Green with six rebounds. North Texas shot 49.0 percent overall.

     North Texas built a 61-47 lead on a dunk by Combs with 8:16 left before going scoreless over the next 4:20. Southeastern got to within 61-53 as Hayes found Currington inside at the 6:36 mark. But the Lions failed to score on their next five possessions, turning the ball over three straight times.

    Sophomore guard Marlain Veal cut the deficit to 62-56 with 58 seconds left. But J-Mychal Reese hit six straight free throws and Frazier added a layup with 33 seconds remaining.

    Southeastern had tied game at 31 on a jumper by Greenwood with 19:09 remaining. The game would be tied twice more before North Texas went up 41-37 on a Combs layup and two Brice free throws with 16:25 left. Hayes came back with a jumper and layup to tie it at 41 at the 15:44 mark.

    North Texas used four Southeastern turnovers over the next 3:40 to take a 50-41 lead with 12:04 left as Frazier scored off a steal by Woolridge. Derail Green buried a 3 to make it 55-41 before Greenwood drove in at the 9:48 mark to end the 14-0 run by the Mean Green.

    Southeastern got out to a 7-2 lead at the 16:44 mark as freshman guard Chris Mejia hit a 3 and Currington dunked in a putback. North Texas closed to within 9-8 on an A.J. Lawson jumper with 15:05 left.

    Hayes hit a pair of 3s but they would be the last field goals for Southeastern for the next 6:35. Green and Frazier countered with 3s and Frazier followed with a jumper to give the Mean Green their first lead at the 9:52 mark.

    Junior forward Eddy Polanco ended a 3:55 drought for the Lions with a pair of free throws with 7:08 left. North Texas answered with a Lawson 3 and a Combs dunk to pull out to a 27-21 lead at the 5:32 mark. Hayes hit a jumper, then knocked down a 3 from the left corner to cut the deficit to 27-26 with 3:29 remaining. Ja'Michael Brown drove in to make it a three-point game with 52 seconds left before Veal hit a jumper to help Southeastern get to within 33-31 at the half.

    Hayes scored 17 points in the half after going 6-of-8 from the field, including 3-of-4 on 3s.

    The Lions close out their non-conference schedule at Southern University at 7 p.m. on Dec. 28.