UCF ended a four-game losing streak — and an 11-game skid in its series with Memphis — by beating the Tigers Saturday in Orlando. The Knights scored the first 13 points of the game and never saw their lead reduced below nine points to win their first game over the U of M since January 18, 2012. Matt Williams led four Knights in double-figures with 20 points and UCF shot 53 percent from the field to improve to 15-8 for the season and 6-5 in the American Athletic Conference. The loss drops Memphis to 17-7 (7-4).
The Tigers shot a dreadful 30 percent from the field and even worse (5 for 23) from three-point range as they were forced into comeback mode merely five minutes into the game. Sophomore forward Dedric Lawson scored 28 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for his 15th double-double of the season. No other Tiger scored as many as 10 points. Freshman K.J. Lawson scored eight points and had 11 rebounds.
Down 17 points at halftime, the Tigers managed to pull within nine (64-55) on a three-pointer by Dedric Lawson with two minutes left in the game. They would get no closer.
B.J. Taylor scored 16 points for UCF and Tacko Fall added 15.
The Tigers return home Tuesday night to face Tulsa, a team that beat them by ten points in Oklahoma on January 11th.
NOTE: Dedric Lawson needs five points to become the 51st Tiger to score 1,000 for his career. He aims to join an exclusive club of just nine other Tigers to score 1,000 in their first two college seasons. The last to do so was Will Barton (2010-12).
