SMU defeats UCF 75-56 for 8th consecutive win

Published Jan. 31, 2015 10:50 p.m. ET

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DALLAS (AP) Ryan Manuel scored a season-high 20 points and Markus Kennedy added 13 points with 11 rebounds as SMU galloped away from UCF 75-56 on Saturday night.

The Mustangs (18-4, 9-1 American Athletic Conference) remain a half-step behind Tulsa (16-5, 9-0) in conference.

Manuel was a near-perfect 9 of 10 from the field, adding four rebounds and four assists. Kennedy's rebounds were a season high and were a big part of SMU's 34-26 edge on the boards. The Mustangs controlled the paint, outscoring UCF 46-22, and 15-5 on second-chance baskets.

Yanick Moreira added 12 points for SMU and Nic Moore had 10 assists, tying his career best.

Adonys Henriquez led UCF (9-12, 2-8) with a career-high 22 points on six 3-pointers but was the only Knights player to reach double figures. The rest of the team shot 11 of 39. The Knights shot just 36 percent overall (19 of 53).