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NEW YORK — Solo Ball scored 15 points and fifth-ranked Connecticut never trailed in beating No. 13 Illinois 74-61 on Friday at Madison Square Garden.

The Huskies (6-1) did not dominate Illinois like in the previous meeting — when they scored 30 straight points in the Elite Eight on their way to the 2024 national title — but were more than effective enough until the final minutes, when they let a 17-point lead slip to single digits.

UConn won for the ninth time in its last 11 games at the Garden and improved to 15-8 in the building under coach Danny Hurley.

Ball scored 13 points in the first half and made 6 of 14 shots. Malachi Smith added 14 points and nine assists and Alex Karaban had 12 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Braylon Mullins pl

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