The ebb and flow of the Rutgers men’s basketball season has depended a lot on the performance of Corey Sanders and last night was no different. The junior dropped 31 points, his most ever in a regulation game, and that propelled the team to a near-upset bid of No.3 ranked Purdue.

Rutgers fell by a score of 78-76 and was right in the the things until the very end.

“It just shows where we are at,” Sanders said. “A couple of calls go our way and the game could be changed. But we are always going to work hard and once we put things together, once we fight and work together, we can be in a lot of games.”

Sanders shot 13-of-27 from the field and also added seven rebounds after a stretch of games when he did not play up to his own standards.

“I had a rough last four games,” Sanders said. “So I have just been really trying to get back to playing some basketball. I had some shots fall, which is very satisfying for me. It would have been even better if we got the win, but I just always try to stay aggressive.”

Sanders scored 10 points in the first half, but added 21 in the second half as Rutgers continued to remain neck and neck with Purdue.

“I just felt like I was getting some shots that I wanted. Coach [Steve Pikiell] really stressed ball screening, so I felt like I could come off that ball screen and I was able to attack and get some easy shots,” Sanders said. “I got some easy layups to get me going and my jumpshots started to fall.”

There was some help for Sanders in the backcourt as freshman guard Geo Baker dropped 16 points in the loss.

“It gives everybody confidence,” Baker said of Sanders’ play. “You see him making a lot of shots and it makes you want to make a lot of shots. Obviously, when he is attacking like that, it opens stuff up for the rest of us and we have to step up and make shots.”

Although this game will go down as a loss, Sanders showed once again that when he elevates his game, it allows Rutgers to remain in contention for a full 40 minutes.

“He’s a guy that is very streaky. He can really get it going and carry his team,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said of Sanders. “It is just one of those things that you tip your hat to him. He is a good player.”