Missouri falls in Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. -- Michel Morandais scored 28 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and David Harrison had 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead Colorado to an 83-70 victory against Missouri on Wednesday night.

Colorado (11-6, 3-3 Big 12) used a 21-4 run early in the second half to open up a 19-point lead, and Missouri got no closer than 10 points after that.

Missouri (8-8, 3-3) was led by Arthur Johnson, who had 19 points, 16 of them in the second half. Rickey Paulding, the Tigers' leading scorer who was averaging 21.8 points over the previous four games, was held to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.

Colorado outshot Missouri 55 percent to 40 percent and made 23 of 36 free throws compared to the Tigers' 3 of 6.

Colorado, leading 34-30 at halftime, broke it open in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

Morandais scored 11 points during that span, including nine points during the Buffaloes' 21-4 flurry.

Morandais made a three-point play for a 46-35 lead with 13:14 left. Then he drove the baseline through traffic for a reverse layup that brought the crowd to its feet.

After Morandais hit a pair of free throws, Lamar Harris made a layup that just beat the shot clock. Harrison followed with a three-point play for Colorado's biggest lead, 57-38, with 10:04 remaining.

Johnson kept the score respectable, scoring Missouri's next 12 points, but Colorado still led 65-50 with 5:50 to go.

Jimmy McKinney's 3-pointer cut the deficit to 77-67 with 1:34 left, but Colorado hit 6 of 10 free throws the rest of the way.

Colorado hit its first seven shots and used runs of 7-0, 9-0 and 7-0 to take a 34-30 halftime lead.

After Missouri climbed back into a 12-12 tie, Colorado scored the next nine points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Missouri knotted the score again at 23-23 before Colorado went on a seven-point spree.