FORT WORTH, Texas – No. 7 seed UCF defeated No. 10 seed SMU, 76-70, in the second game of the 2023 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship Thursday, March 9 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
 
With the win, the Knights (18-13) will face No. 2 Memphis in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 10 at 7 p.m. ET/6 CT on ESPNU.
 
UCF used 61.5 percent shooting in the second half (16-26) to surge from behind for victory. SMU (10-22) led by eight with 13:12 remaining, but the Knights scored the next 12 points over the two and a half minutes to take a 4-point lead.
 
SMU battled back and took a 1-point lead on a 3-point play by Zhurich Phelps, but an Ithiel Horton jumper on the next possession started an 11-4 UCF run to close out the game.
 
CJ Kelly led the Knights with 21 points, while Horton and Taylor Hendricks each contributed 15 points.
 
Phelps had 21 points to lead SMU.
 
The latest tournament information can be found online at The American's Championship Central by visiting www.TheAmerican.org/mbb. Tickets for the championship are on sale through Ticketmaster.
 
2023 American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship Schedule
 
First Round | Thursday, March 9
Game 1: No. 9 East Carolina 73, No. 8 South Florida 58
Game 2: No. 7 UCF 76, No. 10 SMU 70
Game 3: No. 11 Tulsa vs. No. 6 Wichita State | 7 p.m. | ESPNU
 
Quarterfinals | Friday, March 10
Game 4: No. 9 East Carolina vs. No. 1 Houston | 1 p.m. | ESPN2
Game 5: No. 5 Temple vs. No. 4 Cincinnati | 3 p.m. | ESPN2
Game 6: No. 7 UCF vs. No. 2 Memphis | 7 p.m. | ESPNU
Game 7: Game 3 Winner vs. No. 3 Tulane | 9 p.m. | ESPNU
 
Semifinals | Saturday, March 11
Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner | 3 p.m. | ESPN2
Game 9: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner | 5 p.m. | ESPN2
 
Final | Sunday, March 12
Game 10: Semifinal Winners | 3:15 p.m. | ESPN