Taylor's FTs lifts UCF over Illinois State 63-62 in NIT

Mar 21, 2017, 03:21 am

NORMAL, Ill. -- B.J. Taylor scored 22 points, including a pair of free throws with 1.3 seconds left, and Central Florida beat Illinois State 63-62 Monday night in the second round of the NIT.

No. 4 seed UCF (23-11) will play No. 2 seed Illinois (20-14) in a quarterfinal. Top-seeded Illinois State (28-7) had its 22-game home winning streak snapped.

Taylor scored 17 points in the second half and finished 11 of 11 from the line. Matt Williams added 15 points and A.J. Davis 11 for the Knights.

Deontae Hawkins scored 15 points to lead Illinois State.

UCF trailed by 13 early in the second half, and took its first lead of the game when Davis converted a 3-point play for a 61-60 lead with 1:40 left.

With the game still 61-60, Taylor fouled MiKyle McIntosh at the top of the arc with four seconds left. McIntosh made both free throws and the Redbirds led 62-61 with four seconds to play.

Following a timeout, Taylor ran the floor and McIntosh fouled him along the baseline. Paris Lee's desperation 3-point attempt was short to end it.