DALLAS – Nic Moore continues to be a difference maker in his first season on the hardwood for Southern Methodist University.

The star guard, a former standout at Warsaw Community High School, turned in yet another huge performance for the Mustangs Saturday.

Moore poured in a game-high 20 points to pace his team to a 74-65 upset of No. 15 Connecticut.

Moore, who led his team in scoring Saturday for the eighth time this season, also dished out six assists as the Mustangs beat the Huskies in their first game in the newly refurbished Moody Coliseum. The win improves SMU to 11-3 overall and was their first win in the American Athletic Conference.

The league win Saturday for coach Larry Brown’s team was SMU’s first over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 17 Purdue 60-59 in December of 2003 in West Lafayette.  The victory also came in front of an overflow crowd of 7,166, the first home sellout for the Mustangs since November of 2001.

Moore, a 5-9 sophomore guard who sat out last season after transferring from Illinois State, tied his season high with his 20 points. He was 5-9 from the field, including 3-4 from 3-point range and hit 7-8 free throws in 35 minutes of playing time.

Moore was the runner-up for Mr. Basketball honors in 2011 in Indiana. He led coach Doug Ogle’s Tigers to a 23-3 mark and a Class 4-A state runner-up finish as a junior in 2010. Moore finished his prep career at WCHS second in career scoring with 1,891 points (behind only Kevin Ault’s career mark of 2,028).

Moore, who had an outstanding freshman season at Illinois State where he started 29 games and led his team in assists, has picked right up at SMU after sitting out last year.  He is leading the Mustangs in scoring (13.9 points-per-game), assists (65), 3-pointers (35) and minutes played per game (32.3). Moore is shooting 52 percent overall from the field (64-123) and 84 percent (31-37) from the free throw line.

Moore has earned a spot on the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll three times already this season.

SMU returns to action Sunday with a game at Louisville at 1 p.m.

SMU guard Nic Moore, a former star at WCHS, drives past a UConn defender on Saturday. Moore led the Mustangs to a 74-65 win over the No. 15 ranked Huskies.