2/8/2021 basketball Edit

Big shot maker, ISO Geo Baker returns for Rutgers

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

Down the stretch in Rutgers basketball's 76-72 win on Thursday night, many players stepped up for the Scarlet Knights including Geo Baker.

The senior guard scored 11 of hits team-high 16 points in the second half and didn't miss a shot, going 4-for-4 from the floor, 1-1 from deep, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.

Baker netted eight points in the last 3:51 of the game, driving to the hoop and hitting a clutch step-back jump shot he's so accustomed to doing to give Rutgers the lead for good with 1:01 to go at 73-72.

Minnesota also missed its last four field goal attempts.

"I have great teammates great coaches who trust me with the ball in that situation," Baker said. "Down the stretch I was feeling good. I was feeling confident and luckily the ball was going in, but it was really about the stops. We got a couple of stops at the end. Four minutes left, we’re kind of going back and forth, but those last couple positions we dug deep and got a couple stops and that was really what mattered."

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After the game, one reporter compared Baker to the likes of Brooklyn Nets and former New Jersey high schools star and NBA champion, Kyrie Irving, in a way for being clutch and making plays in crunch time.

"First of all, I appreciate the comparison," Baker said with a smile and a laugh. "It's not even taking pride in being clutch, I think it's just taking pride in being a winning player being a winning team. I just really want to win. "I hate losing more than I enjoy winning. When we had that five game stretch we all remember what we felt like after every single loss. When I see my team's down and they trust me with the ball in that situation, just to make a play not even just to score but just to make a play. And I feel like I can make winning plays down the stretch, and that's what I did today."

Baker fought through his four fouls and has been his usual self the last four games as he's scored in double digits all four times.

"He was confident," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Made big free throws and he got the big rebound to kind of ice it there at the end, but he had a little foul trouble he had to play through today, some obstacles, but he made some big plays and thankful for that down the stretch especially and made some tough ones and got a few looks for other people. So, I'm real pleased, Geo does a great job, and I couldn't take him out of the game other than the foul trouble today because he was locked in."

The game wasn't all smooth despite the Scarlet Knights jumping out to an early 9-0 to start, but they ended on a 10-2 run and all that matters is they came out top with a win.

"We just always talk about having one agenda, and that's to win the game," Baker said. "There was adversity. There was some plays where it was ugly. We just stuck together, and we're trying to win the game that's our, that's our one goal every single game and we came out with it."

The win is Rutgers' fourth in a row, and it is the first time its had a four-game winning streak against Big Ten competition. Rutgers is now 11-6 overall and 7-6 within the league.

"We were talking about it practice," Baker said of trying to stretch the streak to four. "Every single game, every single day we're trying to make a new piece of history. We did that today. That’s all we think about is making history. That’s what we all came here for. Now we're all veterans and this is what we expected and now we're doing it."

The Scarlet Knights are now 8-3 at home and have won two straight at the RAC after falling in their previous three home contests.

"I think we've had good energy throughout the year, honestly. I feel like our bench is always really into it," Baker said. "Shout out to all those guys who aren't getting minutes but are coming to practice every single day and they just work hard. And then once we get to the game they're just bringing a whole lot of energy. You can make any game a home game either here at the RAC or when we're away like we've done."