Arnett Moultrie scored 20 points, Dee Bost added 18 and No. 24 Mississippi State cruised to an 82-59 victory over North Texas on Sunday.

The Bulldogs bolted to a 30-10 lead in the first 10 minutes and were never challenged, shooting 63.3 percent in the first half and 51.9 percent for the game.

Frontcourt starters Moultrie and Renardo Sidney returned to the lineup after both missed two games because of injuries. Moultrie continued his hot start to the season, shooting 5 of 9 from the field and 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. Sidney battled foul trouble for much of the game, finishing with nine points and three rebounds.

The return of Moultrie and Sidney — who stand 6-foot-11 and 6-10, respectively — gave the Bulldogs much more size under the basket and they used it to their advantage in the first half, outscoring North Texas 20-2 in the paint by finding open players for point-blank baskets.

Moultrie sat out last season after transferring from Texas-El Paso and has made an immediate impact since becoming eligible this season, averaging 16 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

Rodney Hood and Jalen Steele had 11 points apiece for Mississippi State (7-1), which has won six straight.

Mississippi State also had a strong outside performance, going 9 of 19 (47.4 percent) from 3-point range. Bost shot 6 of 8 from the field, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. Hood and Steele also hit three 3-pointers each.

Chris Jones led North Texas (1-3) with 12 points and Jordan Williams added 10. The Mean Green shot just 32.3 percent (20 of 62) from the field and 25 percent (5 of 20) from 3-point range.

After playing five games in 11 days, the Bulldogs have a week off before hosting West Virginia next Saturday.