Main Story: North Texas recovered from an early 10-point deficit and beat McNeese 77-67 in Denton, handing the Cowboys their first loss of the season. Je’Shawn Stevenson scored a career-high 30 points as North Texas took control after halftime. McNeese cut the gap to three, but struggled to score down the stretch.

By the Numbers
  • Stevenson: 30 points.
  • Larry Johnson and Jaylon Dean-Vines: 17 points apiece for McNeese.
  • McNeese shot 36% from the field and committed 15 turnovers.
  • North Texas had a 37-32 rebounding edge and scored 15 second-chance points.
Yes, But

McNeese showed resilience, trimming a 12-point deficit to 53-50 with an 9-0 run. But the Cowboys made only 3 of 16 shots over the final 11:23 and went the last 5:58 without a field goal.

State of Play
  • McNeese is 1-1; North Texas improved to 2-0.
  • The Cowboys return Monday to host Biblical Studies in their home opener.
Bottom Line

McNeese’s early burst wasn’t enough: North Texas controlled the boards, capitalized after halftime and shut down the Cowboys late.