KANSAS CITY, Mo. --- Minnesota State finished the Central Region Challenge with another win as it bested Henderson State 84-64.

With the win, MSU improves to 2-0 on the season, while HSU drops to 1-1.

At the midpoint of the opening stanza, MSU and HSU were tied at 15-15 as both teams exchanged the lead a few times. The game remained tied at 25-25 with just under six minutes to go in the half, but the Mavericks would close out the final six minutes on an 18-7 run to take a 43-32 lead into halftime.

Four different Mavericks scored in the final six minutes of the first half, including junior Malik Willingham who netted eight points.

Malik Willingham led all scorers in the first half with 12 points, while sophomores Kyreese Willingham and Brady Williams each tallied nine points. As a team, MSU shot 43.3% from the field in the first half, while enjoying a 22-15 advantage in rebounds.

Franck Kamgain and Ryan Boyce led the Reddies in the first half with nine points each. As a team, HSU shot 39.4% from the field in the first half.

Minnesota State would maintain it double-digit lead through the entire second half as it went on to claim the 84-64 win.

Malik Willingham led the way for the Mavericks as he tallied a career-high 25 points, to go along with nine rebounds and seven assists. Kyreese Willingham added 14 points as well, while Williams posted 13 points and eight rebounds.  Senior Kelby Kramer added 10 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore Harrison Braudis notched 12 points.

As a unit, MSU shot 50.8% (30-of-59) from the field, including a 17-of-29 (.586) showing in the second half. The Mavericks also enjoyed a 45-28 advantage in rebounds, while also connecting on 11-of-28 (.392) shots from three point range. MSU also hit on 13-of-14 (.929) shots from the line.

Clarence King led the Reddies with 13 points, while Ryan Boyce tallied 11 points and eight rebounds. As a team, Henderson State shot 36.5% from the field.

Minnesota State continues its season on the road this Tuesday as it takes on St. Cloud State in a nonconference game. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.