HOUSTON (AP) -Taylor Young scored 14 points and Marcus Jordan had 12 to lead UCF to a 66-59 victory against Rice on Saturday.
A.J. Rompza's 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining gave the Golden Knights (14-16, 6-10 Conference USA) the lead for good, 62-59. UCF, which overcame 22 turnovers, clamped down on defense and made four free throws down the stretch.
Connor Frizzelle had 19 points for Rice (8-22, 1-15), and Lawrence Ghoram added 13.
Both schools play on Wednesday in the first round of the C-USA tournament in Tulsa, Okla. UCF, the No. 9 seed, plays eighth-seeded SMU; Rice, the 12th seed, faces No. 5 Tulsa.
