HOUSTON -- Devonta Pollard scored 16 points to help lead Houston to a lopsided 82-58 win over Central Florida on Saturday.

Danrad Knowles and LeRon Barnes each scored 13 and Damyean Dotson finished with 12 points for the Cougars (18-7, 8-5 American Conference), who have won five of six and crept to within a game-and-a-half of first place in the American Conference standings.

Matt Williams led the Knights with 13 points (11-12, 5-7). UCF was held to just 6 of 23 from 3-point range and hit only 6 of 13 at the free throw line.

Houston closed the first half on an 18-8 run and led 40-25 at the break. Barnes hit a 3-pointer and Pollard made a pair at the line to make it 45-25, and Eric Weary Jr. hit a layup with 44 seconds left for an 80-55 lead, the Cougars largest of the game.