Jan 28, 2004
By JOHN MOSSMAN
AP Sports Writer
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 win over 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.
Morandais' 3-pointer capped the Buffaloes' first seven-point flurry, giving Colorado a 12-7 lead.
After Missouri climbed back into a 12-12 tie, Colorado scored the next nine points, including 3-pointers by Blair Wilson and Morandais, for a 21-12 lead with 11:19 left in the half.
The Tigers erased the nine-point deficit on three straight 3-pointers by Thomas Gardner, making it 23-23.
Colorado responded with seven straight points, including Harrison's layup and his short jumper while falling backward onto the floor. Bryant had a pair of 3-pointers in the final four minutes of the half as Missouri cut into the lead.
Colorado outshot Missouri 52 percent to 39 percent in the half, but the Tigers were 7-of-12 from 3-point range.