Missouri State beats A&M-Corpus Christi 66-53

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) Caleb Patterson and Christian Kirk scored 13 points apiece, and Missouri State never trailed Monday in a 66-53 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, part of the Las Vegas Classic.

Kyle Weems and Corey Copeland added 11 points each for the Bears (7-3), who dominated Corpus Christi inside, outscoring the Islanders 30-8 in the paint.

Chris Hawkins-Mast, who scored a career-high 22 points in a loss to West Virginia on Saturday, was held to eight points this time. But he and the rest of the starters got plenty of rest, as the Bears led 41-19 at halftime and by as many as 26 points in the second half before a late Corpus Christi run.

Terence Jones led the Islanders (1-8) with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, but couldn't prevent his team from losing its sixth straight game. Missouri State also won the only previous meeting between the schools, in 2005.

Updated December 19, 2011