NEW YORK (Interstat) — Connecticut built a commanding first-half lead and never looked back, defeating Illinois 74-61 in a men’s basketball game Friday at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies led 43-32 at halftime before a crowd of 16,154.

Kylan Boswell led all scorers with 25 points for the Fighting Illini. Alex Karaban paced Connecticut with 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists. The Huskies improved to 6-1, while Illinois fell to 6-2.