NEW YORK — In a game that felt a lot like March in early December, the No. 5 UConn Huskies outlasted the No. 18 Florida Gators 77–73 in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden, adding another ranked win to their growing résumé and a fresh layer of drama to a quickly budding nonconference rivalry.
A Heavyweight Battle on a Neutral Floor
This matchup had real stakes beyond the neutral-site showcase label.
It was a meeting between
the last three national champions, with UConn owning back-to-back titles before Florida’s run last season — a run that famously included a second-round win over the Huskies in the NCAA Tournament.
On Tuesday night, UConn flipped the script.
- UConn improved to
9–1, notching its
fourth win over a Top 25 opponent this season after previous victories over BYU, Illinois and Kansas.
- Florida dropped to
5–4, with all four losses coming by single digits in a brutal early schedule.
The setting added another layer: Madison Square Garden, a building UConn continues to treat like a second home, winning for the
11th time in its last 13 games there.
Solo Ball Takes Center Stage
Sophomore guard
Solo Ball was the headliner, pouring in
19 points and hitting several clutch shots down the stretch.
He went
6-of-14 from the field and knocked down
three 3-pointers, repeatedly punishing Florida when the Gators threatened to seize control.
He had plenty of help:
-
Alex Karaban scored
13 points, including a big second-half three and a key block that swung momentum.
-
Tarris Reed Jr., back from a lingering ankle injury that cost him the last two games, added
12 points and 5 rebounds, giving UConn much-needed interior presence.
-
Malachi Smith orchestrated the offense with
9 assists, helping the Huskies shoot
50% from the field and a scorching
59.3% in the first half.
UConn’s depth also quietly tilted the game: the
Husky bench outscored Florida’s reserves 20–6.
Florida’s Rally Falls Just Short… Again
If there’s a theme to Florida’s early season, it’s
“close, but …” — and this one fit perfectly.
Defending national champion
Xaivian Lee led the Gators with
19 points, but shot just
5-of-14 and went
1-of-7 from three, a cold perimeter night that hurt Florida in crucial moments.
Forward
Thomas Haugh was outstanding with
18 points, including a tough go-ahead layup that gave Florida a
55–54 lead with 8:02 to play.
Alex Condon nearly posted a double-double with
14 points and 9 rebounds, anchoring a Florida frontcourt that
dominated the glass.
The Gators:
- Shot
42.4% from the field- Crashed the boards for
16 offensive rebounds and a
+12 rebounding marginAnd still, they couldn’t quite finish.
The Game-Turning Sequence
With just over eight minutes left, Florida held its
55–54 edge and looked like it might replay last season’s NCAA Tournament comeback.
Instead, UConn responded with the kind of poised stretch you expect from a veteran, championship-tested program.
Key sequence:
-
Braylon Mullins hit a jumper to put UConn back on top.
- On the next critical possession,
Alex Karaban blocked Xaivian Lee’s layup attempt, then buried a three on the other end, a brutal five-point swing.
- UConn then went on a
10-for-12 shooting stretch, building separation with efficient execution.
Ball drilled another three, and a layup from Smith pushed the lead to
66–58 with 4:31 remaining.
Florida kept punching, but UConn’s shot-making kept just enough distance.
Chaotic Final Seconds
The finish was pure chaos.
Florida’s
Boogie Fland cut the deficit to
75–73 on a layup with
13 seconds left, setting up a desperate final sequence.
UConn then turned the ball over on the inbounds, handing the Gators a golden chance to tie or win.
But Florida never got the shot off.
The Gators were called for a
five-second violation trying to inbound, a brutal mental mistake in a late-game situation they’ve seen too often this season.
Forced to foul, Florida sent Ball to the line, and he hit a free throw to push the lead to four and effectively seal it.
Numbers That Tell the Story
This was a game where the box score reveals a tug-of-war in identity and style.
Team comparison| Stat | Florida | UConn |
|-------------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| Final Score | 73 |
77 |
| Field Goal % | 42.4% |
50.0% |
| First-Half FG % | — |
59.3% |
| Rebounds (Total) | Edge to Florida | — |
| Offensive Rebounds |
16 | Fewer |
| Bench Points | 6 |
20 |
| Turnover Margin | — |
+3 |
| Points off Turnovers | 8 |
17 |
| Second-Chance Points | 6 |
7 |
Florida’s
rebounding dominance and volume of extra possessions usually win you games, but UConn’s
efficiency, depth, and turnover edge — 17–8 points off miscues — quietly flipped the math.
A Growing, High-Stakes Rivalry
These programs are starting to feel like regulars in each other’s storylines.
- Last season,
Florida erased a late deficit to beat UConn in the NCAA Tournament second round, outscoring the Huskies 26–12 over the final 8:20, with Walter Clayton Jr. taking over late.
- This season, UConn answered with its own decisive closing stretch at MSG, denying Florida another dramatic comeback and reinforcing its status as a top-five force.
The shared timeline is striking:
-
Past three NCAA titles: UConn, UConn, Florida
- Now a 1–1 split in two massive, emotional games in back-to-back seasons.
If the committee gifts us a rubber match in March, nobody will complain.
What This Means for UConn
For UConn, this win checks several important boxes:
-
Fourth ranked win before conference play truly heats up
- Fifth straight victory since a
71–67 loss to then-No. 4 Arizona, now ranked No. 1 in the country
- Proof of
depth and resilience, with Reed returning strong and Ball emerging as a late-game closer
The Huskies look every bit like a team capable of
another deep run, even in a season where the target on their back has never been bigger.
What This Means for Florida
Florida’s record at 5–4 doesn’t tell the full story.
The Gators:
- Have faced one of the tougher early slates, including this second straight game against a top-five opponent.
- Have multiple narrow losses where they led or had late chances — including this one, where a single inbound decision killed their final shot.
The positives:
-
Haugh and Condon look like legitimate high-major frontcourt forces.
- The Gators can
out-rebound elite teams and generate extra possessions at will.
The concerns:
- Late-game execution and mental mistakes — like the five-second violation — are becoming a pattern.
- Perimeter shooting inconsistency, highlighted by Lee’s 1-for-7 from three, is limiting the payoff on those extra possessions.
In other words: this is a dangerous team with a championship pedigree, but one still learning how to close against the very best.
The Bigger Picture
The Jimmy V Classic is always about more than just basketball, honoring legendary coach Jim Valvano and raising money for cancer research.
This year, it also gave us a compelling snapshot of where two recent champions stand in a crowded national landscape.
-
UConn: Still elite, still deep, still capable of hammering you with efficiency and composure.
-
Florida: Flawed but fearless, and
Sources
1. Florida Gators vs. Connecticut Huskies Live Score and Stats
2. How it happened: No. 18 Florida vs. No. 5 UConn
3. #5 UConn Tops #18 Florida, 77-73, In Jimmy V at MSG
4. Another "Close, but ..." for Gators in loss to UConn
5. Recap: UConn grinds out 77-73 win over Florida in Jimmy V Classic thriller at Madison Square Garden
6. Florida basketball vs UConn live updates, TV channel, live stream for Jimmy V Classic
