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No. 18 SMU stays unbeaten with 70-66 win over Colorado

Nic Moore

SMU guard Nic Moore (11) looks to the basket during the first half against Colorado in an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015, in Las Vegas. SMU won 70-66. (AP Photo/David Becker)

AP

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.