SMU (6-2) shot 55% from the field in the second half, and going a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line in outscoring Washington State 50-29 after the intermission.

SMU missed its first nine shots on Wednesday, and shot just 31% from the field in the first half in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational championship game against Washington State.

But in what felt like a tale of two halves, the Mustangs managed to find their way back and cruise to a decisive 77-60 win over the Cougars inside Acrisure Arena.

“We just started throwing it into our bigs and our bigs began making plays,” SMU senior guard Boopie Miller said. “They threw it back out to us when (WSU) came to trap and our shots started falling.”

College basketball continues inside Acrisure Arena on Thursday, with four men’s games. The day starts with TCU taking on Santa Clara and will continue with Washington facing Colorado State, USC meeting Saint Mary’s and New Mexico matching up with Arizona State in the Acrisure Classic.

On Tuesday, in the Acrisure Invitational title game, SMU turned a game that they trailed at halftime into what looked like an easy victory, at least at the end.

SMU (6-2) shot 55% from the field in the second half, and going a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line in outscoring Washington State 50-29 after the intermission.

“There’s going to be games like this,” Miller said. “But we’ve just got to keep believing in ourselves and in our shots and just lock them up on defense and I think we did that tonight.”

SMU held Washington State (6-2) to 37% from the field for the game and 30% from beyond the arc.

Miller led all scorers with 16 points in the game. A day earlier, his game-winning shot lifted the Mustangs over Cal Baptist inside Acrisure Arena.

Nate Calmese led Washington State with 15 points.

The Mustangs won’t play again until Tuesday against Alabama State. Washington State will play at Nevada on Monday.

This week marked the first time both teams played inside Acrisure Arena. Miller said that it’s been a fun experience coming out to the desert to play in what he thinks will be a worthwhile experience for teams in the future.

“It’s amazing out here, man,” Miller said. “I’m a kid from Chicago, so just coming out here and exploring the world out here is amazing to me and I know my teammates appreciate it, too.”

Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.

The No. 1 Oregon football team will once again be a double-digit favorite at home Saturday before its matchup against Washington at Autzen Stadium.

The Ducks (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) are looking to remain the only unbeaten team in college football while the Huskies (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) will look to spoil the home team’s senior day.

Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. game will air on NBC.

At BetMGM, as of Wednesday, the Ducks are a 18.5-point favorite. Oregon is -1,000 on the moneyline while Washington is +650. The over/under (point total) is set at 50.5.

The matchup predictor provided by ESPN Analytics has Oregon with an 89% chance to beat Washington.

Projection: Ducks win by 18.3 points

“Oregon is just a way better team, really complete team, we saw them struggle against Wisconsin … but back’s against the wall, they got it done. That’s what a lot of teams have not done this season, they’ve lost those games. I’m not worried about it, I think Oregon will cover.”

Pick: Oregon to cover -19.5 (spread at time of recording)

“Oregon’s main objective here is to win and remain healthy ahead of its date with Ohio State for the Big Ten Championship. Beating Washington by 20-30 points or running up the score in the fourth quarter likely isn’t on the mind of this team or coaching staff.”

Pick: Oregon’s team total under 36.5

Pick: Oregon wins

“This game means a lot. Washington beat them twice last year, it doesn’t matter if none of those players are there anymore, that helmet looks the same. Washington’s 0-4 on the road this year and three of those losses have come by 14-plus. Oregon is coming off a bye, the indicators are all pointing down for Washington.”

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.

BetMGM is the premier destination for sportsbook odds throughout the year.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

Week 12 was surprising for the Tennessee Titans (3-8) and Washington Commanders (7-5) for completely different reasons, and they’ll meet in an interconference matchup on Sunday.

Will Levis orchestrated the best win of his young career last week when he went into Houston and threw two touchdown passes against the division-leading Texans. It wasn’t a result many expected given how bad the offense has been, but it’s an encouraging sign for a quarterback hoping to remain a starter for years to come.

For weeks, the Dallas Cowboys looked like an easy victory. But the Commanders couldn’t capitalize against the struggling team and instead dropped their third-straight game. It’s concerning an amazing start to the season is looking to be wasted, but Washington gets another crack at it back at home.

Commanders vs. Titans odds, moneyline, over/under

The Commanders are favorites to defeat the Titans, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.

• Spread: Commanders (-5.5)
• Moneyline: Commanders (-250); Titans (+200)
• Over/under: 44.5    

NFL Week 13 odds, predictions and picks

Lions vs. Bears | Cowboys vs. Giants | Packers vs. Dolphins | Chiefs vs. Raiders | Falcons vs. Chargers | Bengals vs. Steelers | Jaguars vs. Texans | Vikings vs. Cardinals | Patriots vs. Colts | Jets vs. Seahawks | Commanders vs. Titans | Panthers vs. Buccaneers | Saints vs. Rams | Ravens vs. Eagles | Bills vs. 49ers | Broncos vs. Browns

Lorenzo Reyes: Commanders 27, Titans 14

Washington has come down a little bit, though the team’s obvious talent remains. Getting steady production out of Jayden Daniels, while protecting the ball, is essential. The Titans aren’t the strongest opponent and are second-to-last in turnover differential. 

Tyler Dragon: Commanders 27, Titans 20

The Commanders have lost three straight games, and Jayden Daniels is experiencing some mild rookie growing pains. I think Washington gets back on track this week against a bad Titans team.

Richard Morin: Commanders 35, Titans 16

Washington needs to get back on track after a head-scratching loss, and they’ll be able to when a rebuilding Tennessee squad comes to visit.

Jordan Mendoza: Commanders 24, Titans 17

Washington won’t like to see its offense go against the best pass defense in the league in Tennessee. However, expect Jayden Daniels to play with a sense of urgency and use his legs a ton to extend drives and get his team back on the winning side.