PITTSBURG, Kan. – Junior Caden Kirkman posted a double-double and Senior Malcolm Jones led the offense with a career high 26 points as Minnesota State men's basketball posted a win over Central Missouri 81-63 Friday afternoon at John Lance Arena.
 
"Today, we played selfless basketball. We were physical without fouling," said head coach Matt Margenthaler. "That's our identity. We need to continue building on that."
 
The Mavericks (2-1) play again in the Central Region Crossover Tournament on Saturday, November 15, against Henderson State at 1 p.m.
 
Jones (Prior Lake, Minn.) finished 11-17 from the field and made 4-6 free throws, along with six rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals. Kirkman (Wilton, Iowa) added 16 points on 7-12 shooting, along with 12 rebounds and two steals.
 
Arhman Lewis (Madison, Wisconsin) pitched in 15 points and a team-high seven assists for the Mavericks and Traijan Sain (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) contributed nine points off the bench.
 
The Mavericks took a 27-26 lead into the locker room in a strong first half. MSU improved its shooting efficiency in the second half and converted 57.5 percent of tries from the field.
 
Lazerek Houston led Central Missouri (2-2) with 15 points and the Mules shot 37.1-percent overall.