HOUSTON – The Celts of the University of St. Thomas scored early and often Monday as they raced to a 104-53 win over visiting Howard Payne.

At UST's Jerabeck Center, the Celts jumped out to an 11-3 lead before the first media timeout, and then stretched their advantage to 27-5 with 13:30 remaining in the first half and never looked back. The Celts remain undefeated in 2019-20 with a 6-0 record.

Nathan Ghavidel (FR/Boerne, Texas) led the Celts with 14 points off the bench, going 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Calen Anderson (FR/League City, Texas) chipped in 13 points and six rebounds off the UST bench, while Brian Payton (SO/Cypress, Texas) added 10 points off the bench.

UST starters Cameron Gims (SO/Cypress, Texas) and Kennard Robinson (SR/Houston, Texas) scored 11 first-half points apiece for the Celts. With a 56-26 halftime advantage, the Celts rested their starting lineup for the entirety of the second half; UST's bench outscored Howard Payne 69-27.

As a team, the Celts shot 51 percent (38 of 75) from the field, and drained 42 percent (14 of 33) of their 3-point attempts. On the defensive end of the court, the Celts held the visiting Yellow Jackets to 26 percent (19 of 73) shooting from the field, and forced 25 HPU turnovers.

The Celts topped the century mark for the third time in their last four games. By game's end, 15 of the team's 16 players who saw action Monday scored for the Celts.

UST returns to action Thursday, Dec. 19, when the Celts make the short trip to Rice University to face the Owls in an exhibition contest. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:15 a.m.