Hartford - As frequent-flier Stanley Robinson soared to convert an alley-oop dunk in the second half Sunday, UConn's energy level rose, too.

In desperate need of a spark, Robinson sent a bolt of electricity through the Huskies, bringing life to an equally flat XL Center crowd.

No. 14 UConn shook off a post-exam-break hangover to beat Central Florida, 60-51. The Huskies (7-2) fed off an energized Robinson, who scored 23 of his season-high 26 points after intermission.

His two alley-oop dunks in the second half helped lift the Huskies out of a major funk, fueling a game-turning 30-12 spurt.

"It gets everybody on the floor going," senior Gavin Edwards said of Robinson's high-flying act. "It gets the bench going. It gets the fans going. It just gets everybody excited. Everybody starts playing more up-tempo and everybody starts getting a little more hyped."

Up until then, the Huskies played brutal basketball. They had more turnovers (13) than field goals (four) in the first half and trailed 31-22 with 17:50 remaining in the game. The Huskies were outhustled and outworked.

"We just had to pick it up," Robinson said.

Even with the second-half surge, UConn still shot only 44 percent from the floor, 61 percent (17-for-28) from the free throw line, lost the rebounding battle (36-34) and made 17 turnovers in a sloppy effort. Freshman Ater Majok had a shaky debut, finishing with one point and three rebounds in a starting role.

"We looked really logy," coach Jim Calhoun said. "It's disappointing that we can't give more energy."

Somebody had to do something in the second half or the Huskies were headed for an upsetting loss.

Enter Robinson.

After playing only eight minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, Robinson took flight, scoring 17 of his team's first 24 points. His two free throws gave the Huskies a 39-37 edge with 11:37 remaining, their first lead since 3-2.

Next, Robinson slammed home Donnell Beverly's alley-oop pass and converted a 3-pointer for a 44-39 lead. Senior Jerome Dyson (16 points) took the scoring baton next, scoring eight straight points. His 3-pointer pushed the lead to 52-43.

That was it for the young, hard-working Knights (7-4), who buckled in the face of defensive pressure, shooting just 35 percent from the field.

In one last electrifying feat, Robinson dunked home a rebound off a Dyson miss in the final minute.

"He really did take over," Calhoun said. "He's a gifted kid. He stayed really within himself. He took one tough shot. Otherwise, he had wide-open jump shots. He's been working harder on his 3-point shooting. The dunk-tip kind of sealed the deal."

So what got Robinson going?

"I was just more confident in my shot and I was just more determined to get to the basket and lay it up," he said. "Whatever I can do to help the team out, that's what I'm going to do."

Calhoun had a long list of dirty laundry to air after the game. He complained about his team's sloppy passing and decision making. The Huskies generated little offense inside. Freshman center Alex Oriakhi had his worst game, taking only one shot in a scoreless, foul-plagued 24 minutes. Edwards had only five shots but played well, chipping in a team-high 11 rebounds and a career-best seven blocks.

UConn's inconsistent play, especially in the effort department, troubled Calhoun.

"We're good, and we can be really good if we play hard," he said. "If we don't play hard, we're not going to just out-talent you. You've got to play hard every single night. … If we play hard, rebound, take full advantage of what we have, then we're very good.

"Today, we were pretty good and we did the right things in the last 10 minutes of the game."