NEW YORK (Interstat) — Alex Karaban scored 13 points and Solo Ball added a team-high 19 as Connecticut held off Florida 77-73 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Huskies improved to 9-1, while the Gators fell to 5-4. Connecticut led 39-32 at halftime and maintained a narrow advantage throughout the second half despite 19 points from Florida’s Xaivian Lee and 18 from Thomas Haugh. The Gators’ Alex Condon contributed 14 points.

A crowd of 19,694 watched the Huskies win their fourth straight. Florida’s Boogie Fland, a Bronx native, scored eight points in his hometown return.