STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Before Oklahoma State took the court against North Texas, first-year coach Travis Ford told James Anderson he wanted him to have a “big time” game. He didn’t disappoint.

Anderson scored 28 points, including going 9-for-9 from the free throw line, and Terrel Harris added 21 to lead the Cowboys to a 100-88 victory over North Texas on Monday night.

“I told him it was time to let loose,” Ford said. “What I really liked was his performance around the rim, how he finished.”

Anderson, a 6-foot-6 sophomore guard, shot 8-for-14 and also had eight rebounds. He missed matching his career-high in scoring by only one point.

“It wasn’t a good-looking win but we got it,” Anderson said. “It was a sloppy game.”

With starters Byron Eaton and Ibrahima Thomas in foul trouble, the Cowboys had to show off a different personality than in Ford’s debut Friday, when they tried only 14 3-pointers in a 76-57 win against Texas-San Antonio.

Oklahoma State (2-0) was 13-for-30 from 3-point range against the Mean Green.

“It was a big contrast from the first game we won,” Ford said. “”We won [Friday’s] game with a great work ethic and a great attitude. We just didn’t shoot the ball that well.

“[Monday] we shot the ball well and didn’t have the execution in a lot of different areas.”

Josh White led the Mean Green (1-1) with 23 points on just 6-of-20 shooting. North Texas outrebounded Oklahoma State 57-43, but hit just 5-of-22 from 3-point range.

Freshman Keiton Page scored 20 for the Cowboys, who staved off a rally by North Texas late in the first half.

Page, a freshman who holds the national high school record for 3-point field goal percentage at 49.9 percent, went 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the first half and finished 5-for-8 from long range. His four 3-pointers in a span of six minutes in the first half helped Oklahoma State build a 15-point advantage.

“When you shoot well, it makes you look good,” Ford said. “His 3s made a big difference. They brought some life into us when we needed it. He was very impressive.”

North Texas then closed the first half with a 13-5 run to trail 51-44 at intermission. However, back-to-back 3-pointers by Harris pushed the lead to 61-45 early in the second half.

North Texas closed the gap to nine at the 13-minute mark, but Anderson hit back-to-back 3-pointers and then a dunk to push the lead to 75-58.

Oklahoma St.100, North Texas 88

NORTH TEXAS (1-1) — Odufuwa 5-10 0-1 10, Howerton 0-1 2-2 2, Johnson 0-6 7-8 7, White 6-20 10-10 23, Thompson 2-9 4-6 9, Dennis 2-11 5-6 10, McCoy 3-5 1-2 9, Stewart 1-2 1-4 3, Hogans 3-5 2-5 8, Tramiel 2-3 3-6 7. Totals 24-72 35-50 88.

OKLAHOMA ST. (2-0) — I.Thomas 2-4 0-1 4, Eaton 2-8 2-2 6, Harris 7-15 5-6 21, Muonelo 3-10 6-7 14, Anderson 8-14 9-9 28, Brown 1-4 1-2 3, Page 6-10 3-4 20, Sidorakis 1-2 0-0 3, Moses 0-0 0-0 0, Kirkland 0-2 1-2 1. Totals 30-69 27-33 100.

Halftime—Oklahoma St. 51-44. 3-Point Goals--North Texas 5-22 (McCoy 2-3, Dennis 1-4, Thompson 1-4, White 1-6, Hogans 0-1, Tramiel 0-1, Johnson 0-3), Oklahoma St. 13-30 (Page 5-8, Anderson 3-7, Muonelo 2-5, Harris 2-6, Sidorakis 1-2, Eaton 0-1, I.Thomas 0-1). Fouled Out—Brown, Eaton, Hogans, I.Thomas. Rebounds—North Texas 57 (Odufuwa 13), Oklahoma St. 43 (Harris, Muonelo 9). Assists—North Texas 9 (Johnson, White 3), Oklahoma St. 18 (Eaton, Harris 4). Total Fouls—North Texas 24, Oklahoma St. 34. A—9,681.