University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
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Florida
5-4,0-0SEC
#5 UConn Tops #18 Florida, 77-73, In Jimmy V at MSG
12/10/2025 12:57:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK – The No. 5 UConn men's basketball team (9-1) won its fifth-straight and knocked off No. 18 Florida, 77-73, on Tuesday night in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies used a hot first half stretch to build a halftime lead and got clutch late shot-making to fend off the defending champion Gators and their second half surge.
Solo Ball tied the game-high with 19 points for the Huskies, hitting a trio of 3-pointers including a crucial one with 5:01 to play. Alex Karaban finished with 13 points and also knocked down three from deep, adding two blocks and finishing +10 on the day. Tarris Reed Jr. was the third Husky in double-figures, scoring 12 with a team-high five rebounds in his return from injury.
The Huskies shot a blistering 59.3 percent in the first and was up 39-32 at the break. The Gators started the second half strong and took the lead with 11:53 to play, their first advantage since midway through the first half. The Huskies dug in and pulled back ahead for good with 7:40 to play. Malachi Smith had a huge game off the bench, with the Bronx-native scoring five points and dishing out a game-high nine assists against one turnover. Xavian Lee tied for the game-high with 19 points for Florida, while Thomas Haugh added 18 for the Gators.
How it Happened
The Huskies opened the aggressor, with Reed Jr. scoring the game's first two baskets before a Karaban 3-pointer gave the Huskies a 7-2 edge at 17:25 of the first. The Gators answered later in the first and took advantage of a four-plus minute UConn scoring drought with a 12-0 run to go up 18-11 at 10:53 of the first.
An 8-0 run from the Huskies allowed UConn to retake the lead on a Ball 3-pointer at 7:25 that made it 21-20. The Ball triple was part of a run of nine-straight makes from the field for the Huskies, and an Eric Reibe lay-in at 3:45 triggered a Florida timeout with the Huskies up 33-26 and 3:45 to play in the opening stanza. The hot shooting stretch helped UConn take a 39-32 lead to the halftime break.
The Gators opened the second half strong, and a 7-0 run gave UF its first lead of the second at 49-46 before a timeout with 11:49 to play. UConn re-took the lead at 52-51with 9:03 on a Smith step-back jumper and the sides continued to trade leads. Following a Braylon Mullins jumper to go up one, Karaban came up with a block on one end then hit a trailer 3-pointer on the other, forcing a Florida timeout with the Huskies up 59-55 and 7:04 to play.
At 5:01 Ball connected on his third 3-pointer, and moments later Smith scored on the break to give the Huskies a 66-58 edge and prompt Florida's final timeout with 4:29 to play. After the stop the Gators got it back within four, before a Karaban floater at 2:09 pushed the edge to 68-62.
With 9.4 seconds remaining and clinging to a three-point lead, the Huskies forced a five-second violation and Ball connected from the free throw line to salt away the victory. The Huskies shot 10 free throws in the final minute as the Gators extended the game, converting enough to put the win on ice.
Inside The Numbers
- UConn shot 50.0 percent (29-58) from the field and 44.4 percent (8-18) from three, holding Florida to 42.4 percent (25-59) and 26.7 percent (4-15) marks
- In the first half, UConn hit at a 59.3 percent (16-27) clip and limited UF to 30.0 percent (9-30)
- The Huskies used a +3 turnover margin to out-score the Gators 17-8 off miscues
- The UConn bench outscored the UF reserves 20-6
- Florida was +12 on the glass and garnered 16 offensive rebounds, but Connecticut still managed a 7-6 edge in second chance points
- UConn dished out 18 assists on 29 field goals, led by nine from Smith and two apiece for Ball, Mullins and Reed Jr.
News and Notes
- UConn improves to 6-2 all-time against Florida and 5-0 in the regular season
- Dan Hurley is 17-8 as the UConn head coach at the World's Most Famous Arena, including a 7-2 mark in non-conference regular season games
- The Huskies have won 11 of 13 at MSG and are 16-3 in the state of New York since the start of 2022-23.
- With 13 points Karaban now has 1,487 in his career, moving past Kevin Freeman (1,476) into 21st place in UConn history
- Smith now sits at 499 career assists
- UConn has faced five teams in the current Kenpom top-20 over the last 24 days, amassing a 4-1 record against the gauntlet
Up Next
The Huskies close their non-conference slate on Friday night when they welcome Texas to PeoplesBank Arena for an 8 p.m. tip on FOX.
