MORAGA, Calif. (Interstat) — Saint Mary’s used a dominant first-half performance to cruise past North Texas 80-49 in a non-conference men’s basketball game Friday night at a raucous McKeon Pavilion.

The Gaels improved to 4-0 on the young season, while the Mean Green fell to 3-2.

Saint Mary’s seized control of the game from the opening tip, building a commanding 47-17 lead by halftime. The Gaels’ offense was ruthlessly efficient in the first period, while their defense stifled North Texas into difficult shots and a frigid shooting performance.

Mikey Lewis led all scorers for Saint Mary’s, pouring in 23 points in just 25 minutes of action. The Oakland native was a catalyst in the first-half explosion. He was complemented by Paulius Murauskas, who added 15 points, and Joshua Dent, who filled the stat sheet with 10 points and 7 assists. Dillan Shaw also chipped in 10 points off the bench.

North Texas, which never led in the contest, was paced by Je’Shawn Stevenson with 16 points. David Terrell added 12 points for the Mean Green, who struggled mightily to find any offensive rhythm against the disciplined Gaels defense.

The statistical disparity told the story of the lopsided affair. North Texas shot a dismal 23.8 percent from the floor, making just 15 of its 63 attempts. Saint Mary’s, by contrast, connected on 44.3 percent of its shots. The Gaels also dominated the glass, hauling in 19 offensive rebounds compared to just 8 for the Mean Green, leading to numerous second-chance opportunities.

Saint Mary’s also shared the ball effectively, dishing out 18 assists, while their defense forced 13 North Texas turnovers. The Mean Green did show resilience after the break, scoring 32 points in the second half to Saint Mary’s 33, but the first-half deficit was far too large to overcome.

The game was part of a challenging early-season stretch for North Texas, which was coming off a narrow two-point loss at Oregon State just two days prior. Saint Mary’s, meanwhile, continued its strong start, having won each of its first four games by at least 21 points.

An announced crowd of 3,392 watched the game at McKeon Pavilion. Saint Mary’s will look to continue its unbeaten streak when it hosts Arkansas State on Wednesday. North Texas returns home to face Central Arkansas on Thursday.