Jones leads WVU past Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
By PSR Staff | Sat, 12/17/2011 - 21:13
Kevin Jones blew open a close game with 10 points early in the second half as West Virginia pulled away to beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 84-64.
Clinging to a four-point halftime lead, Jones scored 18 and Deniz Kilcli 11 as West Virginia outscored Corpus Christi 52-36 in the second half.
Jones scored 22 points to lead the Mountaineers, Truck Bryant finished with 14 and Kilicli 13 in the first game in the IBN Sports Las Vegas Classic.
With Jones and Kilicli combining to play just 11 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, Corpus Christi kept it close, trailing by just four at the break.
Jones, however, was in the lineup as the second half started, and he made the most of it.
After a 3-point shot by the Islanders' Terence Jones to pull Corpus Christi within four, 35-31, with 18:31 remaining, West Virginia scored 11 straight points. The scoring spree put the Mountaineers up 46-31 with 15:17 to go.
West Virginia built its lead to 20 with 11:20 left and Corpus Christi would come only within 14 points the rest of the way.
Chris Hawkins-Mast had 22 and Terence Jones totaled 20 for the Islanders.
West Virginia hosts Tennessee Tech in the second round Monday, then goes to Las Vegas for the final two games against Missouri State (Dec. 22) and No. 6 ranked Baylor (Dec. 23).
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