GREENSVILLE, N.C. (AP) Nick Banyard scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Matt Williams added 15 points, and Central Florida closed on an 11-2 run to cap a 61-58 comeback win over East Carolina on Saturday.
East Carolina led 56-50 with 3:48 remaining, but a jumper and 3-pointer from Williams cut the deficit to one, and A.J. Davis' dunk with 1:38 left gave the Knights (17-10, 8-7 American Athletic) a 57-56 lead. Tacko Fall, a 47 percent free-throw shooter and tallest player in college basketball at 7-foot-6, made 3 of 6 from the stripe in the final 38 seconds, and East Carolina's desperation heave at the buzzer came up short.
In a game that featured nine ties and nine lead changes, UCF led 46-41 midway through the second half until Kentrell Barkley scored all 10 of his points in a 15-4 run to take a 56-50 lead. Michel Nzege had 11 points for East Carolina (12-15, 4-10), and Jeremy Sheppard, Andre Washington and Barkley had 10 apiece.
Williams made 3 of 6 3-pointers, setting the conference record for 3s in a season (98).
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