With five minutes left and the Tigers holding just a three-point lead, Memphis' sophomore forward Shaq Goodwin stepped up to the free-throw line to complete a three-point play during Wednesday's game.
The shot clanked off the back of the rim, but senior Joe Jackson soared for the offensive rebound and went strong to the hole - bucket, whistle, foul on University of Central Florida.
The Knights went toe-to-toe with the Tigers for the first 35 minutes, but, for the second game in a row, a play by Jackson proved to be the game's defining moment that gave Memphis a second-half separation.
The Tigers (19-5, 8-3 AAC) held on for a 76-70 victory in the FedExForum, giving them their third-straight win and sending the struggling UCF Knights (9-13, 1-10 AAC) to their ninth consecutive defeat.
With the UCF matchup wedged between contests against top-25 opponents Gonzaga and Connecticut, Memphis head coach Josh Pastner wanted to dispel any suspicions that the Tigers could have overlooked their opponent.
"There's nothing about a trap game or anything like that," Pastner said. "Championship teams gotta play at a championship level every time you step on the floor."
Memphis shot an efficient 50 percent from the floor for the game, but the Knights were able to hang around by bullying the Tigers on the glass with a 39-27 rebounding advantage and 19 offensive boards.
Memphis' struggles on the defensive glass can be partly attributed to the presence of the monstrous 6-foot-10, 310-pound big man Justin McBride. McBride had six points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes of play and posed a difficult matchup for the Tigers.
"It's difficult, because once you get behind (McBride) you're stuck," senior Memphis forward David Pellom said. "It's like getting stuck behind a Coke machine. He's a big body and a great player once he gets the ball around the rim."
Pellom has been dealing with a lingering knee injury throughout the season, but after struggling against Gonzaga in only six minutes of action on Saturday, he informed Pastner that he's decided to fight through.
Against UCF, Pellom played extended minutes and provided much-needed energy off the bench while totaling eight points and five rebounds.
Jackson led Memphis with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Goodwin chipped in 14 points and six rebounds on 7-10 shooting.
The performance by Jackson is the latest in what has been an impressive season for the senior point guard. He's averaging career-bests in points (14.6), rebounds (3.5), steals (2.0) and turnovers (1.9).
As a result, Jackson has been named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30 List, which highlights 30 of the nation's top players who are considered the frontrunners for the Naismith Trophy given to college basketball's top player.
Tristan Spurlock carried the torch for UCF with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double.
The Tigers' next matchup comes on the road Saturday against No. 24 Connecticut (19-5, 7-4 AAC).
The two teams squared off in the FedExForum on Jan. 16, and the Huskies shot a blazing 57 percent en route to an 83-73 victory.
Memphis wants to go in and get the victory on Saturday, but they aren't necessarily motivated by revenge.
"It's always good to beat the team you lost to, so that's something that obviously we want to do, but I wouldn't call it revenge," senior guard Michael Dixon said after the Memphis win.
However, the Tigers will be a man short in the frontcourt with Pastner announcing that freshman forward Dominic Woodson has been suspended indefinitely. Woodson was sent to the locker room in the game against UCF for using inappropriate language on the bench.
"No one's bigger than the program, and that's just the bottom line," Pastner said after Wednesday's game. "I did not like some of his language that he used and I will not allow guys to use language that is not acceptable."
Against the Knights, Woodson played only three minutes and recorded no stats. For the season, he's averaged 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game.
UConn will enter the Memphis game with momentum after dismantling South Florida 83-40 on Wednesday night.
Memphis will be looking to extend their current win streak to four games when they tipoff against the Huskies at 11 a.m. Saturday at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
