ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Darius Johnson's 15 points helped UCF defeat Wichita State 52-45 on Wednesday night to open American Athletic Conference play.

Johnson added five rebounds and four steals for the Knights (10-3). Taylor Hendricks scored nine points while going 4 of 11 (1 for 4 from distance), and added five rebounds. Brandon Suggs finished 4 of 5 from the field to finish with nine points.

Melvion Flanagan finished with 11 points for the Shockers (7-6). Jaron Pierre Jr. added seven points for Wichita State.

UCF led Wichita State at the half, 26-23, with Suggs (five points) their high scorer before the break. UCF outscored Wichita State by four points in the final half, while Johnson led the way with a team-high 12 second-half points.

These two teams both play Saturday. UCF visits Houston while Wichita State hosts East Carolina.

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Darius Johnson's 15 points helped UCF defeat Wichita State 52-45 on Wednesday night to open American Athletic Conference play.Johnson added five rebounds and four steals for the Knights (10-3). Taylor Hendricks scored nine points while going 4 of 11 (1 for 4 from distance), and added five rebounds. Brandon Suggs finished 4 of 5 from the field to finish with nine points.Melvion Flanagan finished with 11 points for the Shockers (7-6). Jaron Pierre Jr. added seven points for Wichita State.UCF led Wichita State at the half, 26-23, with Suggs (five points) their high scorer before the break. UCF outscored Wichita State by four points in the final half, while Johnson led the way with a team-high 12 second-half points.NEXT UPThese two teams both play Saturday. UCF visits Houston while Wichita State hosts East Carolina.The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

UCF wins 52-45 against Wichita State