BOULDER — Josh Scott has found a trusty sidekick.
Senior center Scott had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and sophomore swingman George King scored a team-high 23 points to lead Colorado past BYU 92-83 on Saturday night before 8,913 at the Coors Events Center.
The Buffaloes (8-1) watched a 25-point lead dwindle to as few as six in the second half before holding on for their eighth consecutive victory.
After a dominant first half, CU went on a 13-0 run that lasted the first 4:25 of the second half. Guard Josh Fortune converted a three-point play, and King capped off the burst with a 3-pointer and two free throws to push the lead to 61-36 with 15:46 left.
The Cougars responded with an 18-3 run and cut the lead to 10 with 11 minutes remaining. Later, back-to-back 3s by guards Zac Seljaas and Nick Emery made it 85-77 with less than three minutes left. Guard Kyle Collinsworth hit 1-of-2 from the line to cut it to 89-83 with 21 seconds left.
The Buffaloes, however, went on to hit 3-of-4 from the line to preserve the win.
Power forward Wesley Gordon and point guard Dominique Collier each added nine points for CU.
Emery had 23 points and Seljaas added 18 for BYU (6-3).
CU, which has overcome double-digit deficits in three wins this season, didn’t have that problem against the Cougars.
In the first half, the Buffaloes shot 53 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range. Scott led the way, scoring six quick points as part of a 12-2 run to put the Buffs up 27-17. Guard Xavier Talton added two 3-pointers, and Fortune had another as the lead grew to 46-29 with 2:46 left in the half.
With 92 points Saturday, the Buffs have scored 80 points or more in a school-record eight consecutive games.
CU hosts Nicholls State on Friday in the first round of the Las Vegas Classic.
