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ORLANDO, Fla. — B.J. Taylor scored 26 points, A.J. Davis added 17 and Central Florida held off Colorado's late rally for a 79-74 victory on Wednesday night in the first round of the NIT.
Matt Williams also scored 17 points for No. 4 seed UCF (22-11), playing in its first postseason in five years. The Knights will face the Illinois State-UC Irvine winner in the second round.
Colorado used a 15-4 run in a 1:28 span to pull to 77-74 with 14 seconds left. Derrick White made a 3-pointer and converted a 3-point play during the stretch. Wesley Gordon, Lucas Siewert, and Xavier Johnson also hit 3s for the Buffaloes.
Davis split a pair of free throws to make it 77-74. White missed a 3-pointer on Colorado's next possession, and Davis grabbed the rebound and made two free throws to seal it.
White scored 30 points, made three 3-pointers and had six assists to lead No. 5 seed Colorado (19-15). Johnson finished with 13 points.
Associated Press
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