Written by Adrian Beecher
Orlando, FL - The hometown boys Matt Williams and BJ Taylor combined for 33 points, while AJ Davis added 16 points to lead the UCF Knights to the NIT Final Four with a 68-58 win over the Fighting Illini in front of a first-ever sellout crowd at CFE Arena. Early on the Knights dominated, but near the end of the game, the Illini made it very interesting before UCF sealed the game. Here’s how it all went down.
UCF won the tipoff, and Nick Banyard quickly put in a jumper from the right side to give the Knights the 2-0 lead. That was answered two possessions later with the Illini’s Malcolm Hill sinking a triple to make it 3-2. Then it was the Matt Williams hitting back to back triple’s for the Knights to make it 8-3 as the Illini called a timeout to slow momentum.
That however, did not happen. The Knights got a quick steal, and then Matt Williams hit his third triple of the game to make it 11-3 Knights. The Fighting Illini ended the 9-0 run with another triple, this time coming from Tracy Abrams.
The Knights continued with the pressure as BJ Taylor hit a layup and Matt Williams connected on two free throws to give the Knights a 15-6 lead. The lead was pushed to 11 before Illinois was able to get in a bucket as AJ Davis got in on the action with a triple of his own.
After a bucket from Tacko Fall, the Illini got their 5th triple of the night as Leron Black sank it from deep. At this point, it was 22-15 UCF, and then the Knights got on a hot 10-0 run to push their lead to 17 with 2:59 left to play in the half. Illinois was then able to get their first 2-point basket of the game to end the run with a layup from Malcolm Hill. Before this basket, the only buckets from the Illini were triples. They followed that up with a steal and a dunk by Hill to make it 32-19 with the Knights leading.
UCF was able to push their lead back to 15 with two free throws from AJ Davis before the half as they went into the locker room with a 15-point lead. Leading the charge for UCF was Matt Williams with 13 points. For the Illini, it was Malcolm Hill with 7 points.
Illinois started the 2nd half with the ball, and Malcolm Hill hit a triple immediately to make it just a 12 point game. UCF’s first possession of the half ended in an over and back call, but then on their next possession after getting a stop, it Matt Williams hitting a triple to push their lead back to 15. Then Tacko Fall slammed in a dunk to make it a 17-point game before Illinois put in a layup. At this point, it was 39- 24 with UCF on top.
After the Illini was able to cut the lead to just 13 points, UCF’s Tacko Fall put in a layup, and BJ Taylor drilled a triple to make it an 18 point lead for the Knights with 15:03 left to play. After the media timeout, the Illini was able to get a steal and a triple from Hill to cut the deficit to 15.
The buckets for UCF just kept falling as they were able to push their lead to 19 points with 12:44 left on the clock as Tank Efianayi put in a layup. This would be the largest lead of the game for the Knights. The Fighting Illini were able to get in a basket shortly after to make it a 17-point game before both teams spent 3 minutes scoreless.
AJ Davis ended the scoring drought with a free throw for the Knights, then Malcolm Hill drained a triple for Illinois to make it a 15 point game with 9:21 left to play. That is when things started to get fascinating.
Nick Bayard put in a dunk for the Knights, but then the Illini answered with another triple, this time coming from Te’Jon Lucas to make it 14 points. Fall had answered for the Knights with a dunk before the Illini hit yet another triple to cut it to a 13 point game with 5:51 left to play.
Another layup from Tacko Fall made it 15 points again until Illinois’ Malcolm Hill hit back-to-back triples to make it just a 9 point game with 3:59 left to play. After the under 4-minute media timeout, AJ Davis fouled Hill from beyond the arc and sent Hill to the line where he connected on all three free throws to make it just a 6 point game with 3:14 left on the clock. This capped off a 9-2 run to put the pressure on the Knights to finish the game off.
A minute later AJ Davis was able to drain two free throws to give the Knights a 8 point lead. Then at the other end, Davis fouled Hill from beyond the arc for a second time. This time Hill only connected on 2 of 3 free throws, again cutting the Knights lead to 6 with just 1:14 left to play.
Then it became a free throw game, and down the stretch, UCF hit 9 of 12 from the line to capture a 10-point victory over the Illini as they punched their ticket to New York City in a spot in the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden. The Knights will now face TCU in on Tuesday, March 28th for a spot in the NIT Championship game.
UCF won the tipoff, and Nick Banyard quickly put in a jumper from the right side to give the Knights the 2-0 lead. That was answered two possessions later with the Illini’s Malcolm Hill sinking a triple to make it 3-2. Then it was the Matt Williams hitting back to back triple’s for the Knights to make it 8-3 as the Illini called a timeout to slow momentum.
That however, did not happen. The Knights got a quick steal, and then Matt Williams hit his third triple of the game to make it 11-3 Knights. The Fighting Illini ended the 9-0 run with another triple, this time coming from Tracy Abrams.
The Knights continued with the pressure as BJ Taylor hit a layup and Matt Williams connected on two free throws to give the Knights a 15-6 lead. The lead was pushed to 11 before Illinois was able to get in a bucket as AJ Davis got in on the action with a triple of his own.
After a bucket from Tacko Fall, the Illini got their 5th triple of the night as Leron Black sank it from deep. At this point, it was 22-15 UCF, and then the Knights got on a hot 10-0 run to push their lead to 17 with 2:59 left to play in the half. Illinois was then able to get their first 2-point basket of the game to end the run with a layup from Malcolm Hill. Before this basket, the only buckets from the Illini were triples. They followed that up with a steal and a dunk by Hill to make it 32-19 with the Knights leading.
UCF was able to push their lead back to 15 with two free throws from AJ Davis before the half as they went into the locker room with a 15-point lead. Leading the charge for UCF was Matt Williams with 13 points. For the Illini, it was Malcolm Hill with 7 points.
Illinois started the 2nd half with the ball, and Malcolm Hill hit a triple immediately to make it just a 12 point game. UCF’s first possession of the half ended in an over and back call, but then on their next possession after getting a stop, it Matt Williams hitting a triple to push their lead back to 15. Then Tacko Fall slammed in a dunk to make it a 17-point game before Illinois put in a layup. At this point, it was 39- 24 with UCF on top.
After the Illini was able to cut the lead to just 13 points, UCF’s Tacko Fall put in a layup, and BJ Taylor drilled a triple to make it an 18 point lead for the Knights with 15:03 left to play. After the media timeout, the Illini was able to get a steal and a triple from Hill to cut the deficit to 15.
The buckets for UCF just kept falling as they were able to push their lead to 19 points with 12:44 left on the clock as Tank Efianayi put in a layup. This would be the largest lead of the game for the Knights. The Fighting Illini were able to get in a basket shortly after to make it a 17-point game before both teams spent 3 minutes scoreless.
AJ Davis ended the scoring drought with a free throw for the Knights, then Malcolm Hill drained a triple for Illinois to make it a 15 point game with 9:21 left to play. That is when things started to get fascinating.
Nick Bayard put in a dunk for the Knights, but then the Illini answered with another triple, this time coming from Te’Jon Lucas to make it 14 points. Fall had answered for the Knights with a dunk before the Illini hit yet another triple to cut it to a 13 point game with 5:51 left to play.
Another layup from Tacko Fall made it 15 points again until Illinois’ Malcolm Hill hit back-to-back triples to make it just a 9 point game with 3:59 left to play. After the under 4-minute media timeout, AJ Davis fouled Hill from beyond the arc and sent Hill to the line where he connected on all three free throws to make it just a 6 point game with 3:14 left on the clock. This capped off a 9-2 run to put the pressure on the Knights to finish the game off.
A minute later AJ Davis was able to drain two free throws to give the Knights a 8 point lead. Then at the other end, Davis fouled Hill from beyond the arc for a second time. This time Hill only connected on 2 of 3 free throws, again cutting the Knights lead to 6 with just 1:14 left to play.
Then it became a free throw game, and down the stretch, UCF hit 9 of 12 from the line to capture a 10-point victory over the Illini as they punched their ticket to New York City in a spot in the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden. The Knights will now face TCU in on Tuesday, March 28th for a spot in the NIT Championship game.