Missouri State (6-3) shot a season-high 60 percent from the field and used a timely 17-0 run in the first half to cruise to a 78-55 win over visiting Kennesaw State (2-7) here Saturday in the first round of the Continental Tire Las Vegas classic.
Kyle Weems was 9-for-11 from the field to lead the Bears with 22 points and game-high 8 rebounds. It was his 16th career 20-point effort and third in the last five ball games. Caleb Patterson pitched in 12 points for the home club, while Michael Bizoukas set a JQH Arena record with a career-high 11 assists.
The Bears took control early in the game, going ahead 7-5 on a layup by Corey Copeland at the 15-minute mark. However, the visiting Owls came to play and reeled off eight straight points in a three-minute span capped by a Delbert Love three-pointer to put MSU on its heels, 13-7.
But Missouri State, which defeated its 23rd non-conference foe at JQH Arena in 24 tries, then reeled off the game’s next 17 points. Six different MSU players scored during the nearly-six-minute run, and MSU was never threatened again.
Kennesaw State, which is in the middle of a five-game road trip over 10 days, broke the scoreless streak with a Markeith Cummings trey at the 5:46 mark that made it a 24-16 contest. Anthony Downing then scored MSU’s next nine points, and Weems closed out the half with five straight points to make it a 40-22 contest at the break.
Coach Paul Lusk’s squad came out of the locker room with the first six points of the second half to push the lead to 24, and then doubled up the Owls, 52-26, on a Patterson three-pointer at the 16-minute mark. The Bears were able to maintain a 20-point margin the rest of the way, scoring a season-high 78 points.
Downing finished with 9 points and 4 rebounds to lead the MSU reserves, who outscored Kennesaw’s bench 28-6. Copeland added 7, while Christian Kirk and Isaiah Rhine contributed 6 apiece from reserve roles.
The Bears knocked down a season-best 31 field goals and finished 31-for-52 (.596), including a 7-for-17 (.412) effort from beyond the arc. MSU was 9-of-10 at the free throw line and out-rebounded KSU by a 36-22 margin, holding the visitors to just 9 total boards in the second stanza.
Cummings scored a game-high 24 points for Kennesaw State, which dropped its fifth straight. Spencer Dixon added 17 points for the Owls behind three three-pointers, pushing the senior past 1,000 points for his career.
KSU finished 18-for-51 (.353) from the field, 7-for-22 (.318) from long range, and 12-for-18 (.667) at the line. The Owls, however, turned the ball over just 7 times, compared to 9 by the Bears.
MSU continues the Las Vegas Classic on Monday with a 7:05 p.m. home game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Vegas portion of the tournament begins Thursday with four games each day at the Orleans Arena. Missouri State takes on West Virginia at 7 p.m. (Central) on Thursday before clashing with St. Mary’s at 10:30 p.m. Friday.
— MSU Sports Information —