Solo Ball scored 15 points to lead a balanced attack as No. 5 UConn held on for a 74-61 nonconference victory over No. 13 Illinois on Friday afternoon at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Malachi Smith notched 14 points and nine assists off the bench and Alex Karaban added 12 points as the Huskies (6-1), who had their full squad available for the first time this season, limited Illinois to 31.7% shooting.
Kylan Boswell piled up a game-high 15 points, but he was the only player for the Illini (6-2) to make a field goal between the 4:50 mark of the first half and the 6:18 mark of the second half. Tomislav Ivisic added 11 points and 10 rebounds but Andrej Stojakovic, the team’s top scorer at 18.5 points per game, finished with 3 points on 1-for-7 shooting.
Ball drilled a 3-pointer on the game’s first possession to give the Huskies a lead they’d never relinquish. That inspired UConn to can seven of its first nine shots – including three NBA-length 3-pointers – to build a 17-12 lead.
When Ball swished a 3-pointer while getting fouled and added the free throw at the 12:05 mark, he owned 11 points and UConn held a 23-12 lead.
Illinois shaved its deficit to six, but the Huskies reeled off seven points in 51 seconds to restore order. Silas DeMary Jr. sank two free throws, Ball swished a pullup jumper and Jaylin Stewart cashed a 3-pointer to make it 35-22 at the 8:04 mark.
Illinois finally figured out a way to slow down the Huskies – in part by bringing in freshman Brandon Lee to hound Ball – but the Illini missed 15 straight shots from the field and 13 consecutive 3-point attempts over an extended stretch bridging the two halves.
After the Illini pulled within 46-38 on two Zvominir Ivisic free throws, UConn went on an 11-2 spree capped by Jayden Ross’ open 3-pointer that gave the Huskies a 57-40 lead with 13:32 to play.
The Illini finally made their first second-half shot from the field when Boswell sank a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer with 12:40 to go. The Huskies responded by stretching their lead to 64-43 on Eric Reibe’s turnaround in the lane.
Illinois went on a 16-2 run to get as close as 66-59 on Ivisic’s 3-pointer with 2:56 to go, but UConn gained breathing room when Smith threw up a 30-footer just because Jake Davis reached in. Smith banked it home and sank the accompanying free throw to regain a double-digit lead.
