Memphis held Central Florida to 15 first-half points and cruised to a 73-56 victory on Wednesday night in an American Athletic Conference game at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

The Tigers held the Knights to 28 percent shooting from the field in the first 20 minutes and blocked four shots.

The score was tied at 6 before guard Craig Randall II made a free throw to give Memphis (15-11, 6-7 AAC) the lead for good. Randall and guard Avery Woodson sparked the Tigers early, scoring eight and seven points, respectively.

Memphis forward Dedric Lawson struggled in the first half but came alive in the final 20 minutes to post his fourth consecutive double-double and finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Forward Trahson Burrell also scored 13 points for the Tigers.

UCF's leading scorer, guard A.J. Davis (12.7 points per game), had to leave the game in the first half after falling and suffering a wrist injury. Davis returned and finished with nine points.

Guard Matt Williams led the Knights (11-13, 5-8) with 12 points.

The Tigers controlled the first half and opened a 33-15 lead heading into halftime. The lead grew to 20 before the Knights went on a 25-14 run to close within nine at 49-40 with eight minutes to go on Williams' 3-point jumper.

Six straight Memphis free throws pushed the lead back to 15 and thwarted any UCF thoughts of an upset.

The Knights, who finished the game shooting 31.7 percent from the field, have lost seven of eight games. The Tigers snapped a two-game losing streak.