LAS VEGAS (AP) Nic Moore scored 16 points to lead No. 18 SMU past Colorado 70-66 on Wednesday night in the Las Vegas Classic championship game. The Mustangs remain one of five unbeaten Division I teams.
SMU (11-0) used a late 14-1 run to overcome a seven-point deficit with just under 7 minutes left and end Colorado’s 11-game winning streak.
Moore, the tournament’s MVP, was 7 of 18 from the field.
Shake Milton added 14 points, while Markus Kennedy had 12 for the Mustangs, who had coach Larry Brown return from his nine-game suspension to win on consecutive nights at the Orleans Arena.
The Mustangs hit six of seven free throws over the final 1:06.
Josh Fortune led Colorado (11-2) with 15 points, including a desperation 3-pointer with 20 seconds left that made it 68-66.
Milton made two free throws with 13 seconds left to seal it.
Josh Scott had 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Dominique Collier had 12 points for Colorado.
Colorado took a 19-12 lead with 11:43 left in the first half. But the Mustangs scored the next eight points, taking the lead on a layup by Kennedy with 8:45 to go. Ben Moore’s layup with 5:05 remaining gave SMU the lead and the Mustangs were up 35-30 at halftime.
Colorado rallied and took the lead on a layup by Xavier Talton with 11:18 left.
The Buffaloes took a 54-46 lead, their largest of the game, with 8:29 left on a dunk by Wesley Gordon.
Colorado finished 12 of 27 from 3-point range. SMU missed all five 3-point attempts. The Mustangs shot 29 of 60 from the field (48 percent), while Colorado was 23 of 58 (40 percent). SMU was outrebounded 38-34.
UP NEXT:
SMU is at Tulsa next Tuesday.
Colorado is at California on Jan. 1.