Storrs, Conn. ? The people who have been around the Big East for decades and those who are fairly new to the conference agreed No. 1 Connecticut’s 80-76 victory over No. 9 Pittsburgh on Tuesday night was physical even for a league known for that style of play.

“I was tired with three minutes left. That’s about as tough as it gets,” said Huskies guard Marcus Williams, who made five free throws during the final 30 seconds in Connecticut’s eighth straight victory. “That was a physical game. I made those free throws because there were a couple of timeouts there that made it easier. I’m tired.”

There were bodies on the floor throughout the game, the defense was tenacious as both teams tried to go inside because no one was hitting from three-point range, and there even was a technical foul called on each head coach for animated objections to non-calls. Two of the best teams in the 2005-06 Big East played a game similar to those played by the league’s power teams of the mid-1980s.

“Two tough teams went at it, and they just came out on top,” Pittsburgh center Aaron Gray said. “They’re not the No. 1 team in the country for nothing.”

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun called the game “emotionally draining.”

“This was a terrific win for us,” he said. “This league is not going to let you breathe.”

Pittsburgh's Aaron Gray, left, passes to a teammate as Connecticut's Rudy Gay defends. UConn beat Pitt, 80-76, Tuesday night in Storrs, Conn.

Rudy Gay had 22 points for the Huskies (19-1 overall, 7-1 Big East), who improved to 6-0 this season against ranked teams and 32-5 when playing as a top-ranked team. Gray had 23 points for the Panthers (17-2, 6-2), who dropped to 0-13 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams.

No. 6 Illinois 66, Wisconsin 51

Madison, Wis. – Dee Brown and Rich McBride each scored 16 for Illinois. It was Illinois’ fourth straight victory over the Badgers – including two victories at the Kohl Center, where Illinois is the only Big Ten team to beat the Badgers in five years under coach Bo Ryan.

Illinois (20-2, 6-2) took sole possession of first place in the Big Ten with the victory, moving a half-game ahead of Michigan and Iowa.

No. 8 Florida 69, Mississippi 58

Oxford, Miss. – Taurean Green had 17 points, and Al Horford added 14 to lead Florida over Mississippi. The Gators (19-2, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) led by as many as 15, shot nearly 54 percent and snapped a two-game road losing streak.

No. 17 Georgetown 64, DePaul 44

Rosemont, Ill. – Roy Hibbert scored 17, and Georgetown used an early 18-0 run to rout DePaul for its fifth straight victory. The Hoyas (15-4, 6-2 Big East) showed why they were able to defeat then-No. 1 Duke 10 days ago – scoring balance, tough defense and strong work on the boards. After DePaul’s Cliff Clinkscales scored the game’s first basket, the Hoyas took off.

Creighton 63, No. 25 Northern Iowa 55

Omaha, Neb. – Nick Porter scored 14 of his career-high 16 points in the second half, and Creighton spoiled Northern Iowa’s debut in the national ratings. The Panthers, who until this week never had been ranked in the program’s 25-year Division I history, shot just 42 percent and saw Ben Jacobson held to eight points.