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2017 AAC Tournament: Central Florida brushes past Memphis into semifinals

By Andrew Nostvick

Feb 11, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; UCF Knights guard Matt Williams (12) waits for the ball during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against the Connecticut Huskies at CFE Federal Credit Union Arena. The Huskies won 66-63. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; UCF Knights guard Matt Williams (12) waits for the ball during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against the Connecticut Huskies at CFE Federal Credit Union Arena. The Huskies won 66-63. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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After early struggles, Central Florida powered past Memphis in the 2017 AAC Tournament quarterfinals.

It’s on to the AAC Tournament semifinals for the Central Florida Knights, who defeated the Memphis Tigers on Friday afternoon, 84-54, in the quarterfinals.

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UCF is more known for their defense, but it was the offense carrying them to victory and their first ever appearance in the AAC Tournament semifinals. The Knights shot 54 percent from the field and went 14-of-26 from three-point range. Leading the offensive charge for UCF was guard Matt Williams, who finished with a game-high 19 points and made 5-of-7 from three.

The defense for UCF still did its part as they held the Tigers to 32 percent from the field, including 24 percent from three. UCF center Tacko Fall made his presence felt defensively despite running into foul trouble in both halves. Fall had 11 rebounds and two blocks.

Both Lawson brothers finished with double-figures, but both had to earn it against the tough UCF defense. Dedric Lawson scored 12 points to lead Memphis but he shot 3-of-14 from the field. Lawson had one field goal in the first half. Meanwhile, KJ Lawson had 10 points for the Tigers on 4-of-10 shooting.

Friday’s win gives Central Florida a 21-10 record for the season. One more win would give them their most wins since 2011-12. This head coach Johnny Dawkins has transformed this team into one of the nation’s best defenses.

The win for UCF gives them a tough challenge in the semifinals as they will take on the SMU Mustangs. SMU is coming off of a tighter than expected victory earlier in the afternoon versus East Carolina. The two teams have faced each other once this season, with SMU narrowly coming out on top 65-60 on Jan. 25.

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SMU has no shortage of playmakers they can turn to on offense and they’re not afraid to attack. However, UCF is the one team that can slow down their transition game and keep SMU from attacking the paint. They proved how strong their defense can be in their win against Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago. UCF and SMU will face off at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.