Illinois Fighting Illini @ UCF Knights
Taylor has 17, Central Florida beats Illinois 68-58 in NIT
ORLANDO, Fla. -- B.J. Taylor scored 17 points, Tacko Fall had a double-double and Central Florida held on to defeat Illinois 68-58 on Wednesday night to advance to the final four of the NIT.
A.J. Davis and Matt Williams added 16 points apiece for the Knights (24-11), who play TCU in a semifinal game at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Fall had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
UCF was the fourth-seed in the bracket and Illinois (20-15) No. 2 but due to an arena conflict the Fighting Illini couldn't host the game. The Knights took advantage with the first sellout crowd in 10,000-seat CFE Arena history to move within one win of tying for the most in school history.
Both teams had five 3-pointers in the first half but Illinois only had two other baskets, shooting 7 for 26 to fall behind 34-19.
UCF pushed the lead to 19 midway through the second half and was up 52-37 before Malcolm Hill rallied the Illini. Hill hit back-to-back 3-pointers and then made three free throws with 3:14 to play to cut the deficit to six. But Davis made 5 of 6 free throws from there and Taylor was 6 of 8 in the final minute.
Hill had 29 points to finish his Illini career with 1,846, third all-time. Jamall Walker went 2-1 as the interim coach after replacing John Groce, who was fired after the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois introduced Oklahoma State coach Brad Underwood as its new coach on Monday.
Game Information
Orlando, FL
Referee:Doug Shows
Referee:Tim Clougherty
Referee:Patrick Evans
2025-26 Standings
| Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 17-1 | - | 27-2 |
| Nebraska | 14-4 | 3 | 25-4 |
| Michigan State | 13-4 | 3.5 | 23-5 |
| Illinois | 13-5 | 4 | 22-7 |
| Purdue | 12-6 | 5 | 22-7 |
| Wisconsin | 12-6 | 5 | 20-9 |
| UCLA | 11-7 | 6 | 19-10 |
| Iowa | 10-8 | 7 | 20-9 |
| Ohio State | 10-8 | 7 | 18-11 |
| Indiana | 8-9 | 8.5 | 17-11 |
| USC | 7-11 | 10 | 18-11 |
| Minnesota | 7-11 | 10 | 14-15 |
| Washington | 6-12 | 11 | 14-15 |
| Northwestern | 5-13 | 12 | 13-16 |
| Rutgers | 5-13 | 12 | 12-17 |
| Oregon | 4-14 | 13 | 11-18 |
| Maryland | 4-14 | 13 | 11-18 |
| Penn State | 3-15 | 14 | 12-17 |
| Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 14-2 | - | 27-2 |
| Houston | 12-4 | 2 | 24-5 |
| Texas Tech | 12-4 | 2 | 22-7 |
| Iowa State | 11-5 | 3 | 24-5 |
| Kansas | 11-5 | 3 | 21-8 |
| UCF | 9-7 | 5 | 20-8 |
| TCU | 9-7 | 5 | 19-10 |
| BYU | 8-8 | 6 | 20-9 |
| West Virginia | 8-8 | 6 | 17-12 |
| Cincinnati | 8-8 | 6 | 16-13 |
| Colorado | 6-10 | 8 | 16-13 |
| Arizona State | 6-10 | 8 | 15-14 |
| Oklahoma State | 5-11 | 9 | 17-12 |
| Baylor | 5-11 | 9 | 15-14 |
| Kansas State | 2-14 | 12 | 11-18 |
| Utah | 2-14 | 12 | 10-19 |
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