Rutgers will try for its second straight win against a ranked opponent on Wednesday when No. 16 Ohio State comes to Piscataway, N.J.
The Scarlet Knights (13-9, 7-5 Big Ten) never trailed in an 84-63 upset of then-No. 13 Michigan State on Saturday. They shot 61.5 percent (32 of 52), their best showing in a Big Ten game in program history, with six players scoring in double figures. Ron Harper Jr. and Cliff Omoruyi scored 17 points apiece to lead Rutgers, and Paul Mulcahy, one game removed from scoring a career-best 31, had a double-double with 15 points and 12 assists.
Rutgers’ NCAA Tournament team sheet gets more confusing by the week. They own bad early-season losses to Lafayette, UMass and DePaul, as well as more recent Big Ten losses to Minnesota and Northwestern, but they’ve also beaten Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State.
“It is frustrating because we know how good we can be,” Mulcahy said. “We’re figuring it out. We practice really hard. As long as we’re consistent with our intensity, we’re going to be fine.”
After the Scarlet Knights dominated the Spartans in every facet of the game, including a 31-20 rebounding advantage, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo felt they were among the most physical opponents his team had faced.
“I appreciate him saying that,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said in response. “That’s a great team. But you know what life’s like in this league. On to the next one.”
The next one comes against Ohio State (14-5, 7-3), which had a lighter week than usual because its Thursday game against Iowa was postponed due to weather and travel concerns. The rested Buckeyes then beat Maryland 82-67 on Sunday for their fourth win in five games.
E.J. Liddell handled a bit of everything for Ohio State, leading the team in points (24), rebounds (11) and assists (five). Zed Key and Justin Ahrens each scored 14 points. Ahrens broke out of a lengthy shooting slump by going 4-for-7 on 3-pointers.
“Obviously when you’re not making shots, it’s my job,” Ahrens said. “There’s no excuses. Nobody wants to hit those shots more than I do. So just to have my teammates believing in me throughout that stretch when I really couldn’t get anything to fall, I knew my family would help me a lot to help me just stay with it.”
On his radio show Monday, Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann noted Rutgers’ small, loud arena would pose a challenge — the Scarlet Knights are 11-2 at home this season — before turning his attention to their defense.
“They are one of the best defenses in our league,” Holtmann said. “Not just do they turn you over, but they have outstanding length. They’ve got good size across the board. That allows them to be terrific defensively.”
Rutgers allows 64.8 points per game, second-fewest among Big Ten teams. But Ohio State is the second-best shooting team in the Big Ten (48.2 percent) and averages 75.6 points.
–Field Level Media
