1/17/2023 basketball Edit

Defense, rebounding pave way for another Rutgers Hoops win | Notebook

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

All season long, the Rutgers men's basketball team's defense has been top notch. Sunday, the elite level of play on that end of the court was again in full display in the Scarlet Knights' 68-64 overtime triumph over Ohio State.

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Ohio State entered the game averaging 78.9 points per game. Rutgers held the Buckeyes below that mark even with extra minutes being added to the clock. Rutgers (13-5, 5-2) has held all 18 opponents under their scoring average, and OSU was the 14th team RU held at least 10 points below their average. The 64 points Ohio State scored was a season low, and RU has held 12 opponents to a new season low, including 10 of 12 teams that made their way to Jersey Mike's Arena.

Rutgers tallied eight steals (four by Cam Spencer) in the game, eight blocks (six by Cliff Omoruyi, tying a career-high), and forced 13 turnovers. Only Myles Johnson's seven blocks in a Big Ten game against Indiana 2021 was more than what Omoruyi registered against the Buckeyes. Ohio State is fourth in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency. Rutgers is now second in adjusted defensive efficiency.

"What a great college basketball game. Ohio State is terrific," Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said. "They are real physical and well-coached. To be able to come away with a 'W' after 45 minutes, it was a really difficult basketball game. These guys, they all stepped up. It was one of those games – the ball wasn't going in early. We just stayed the course, hung with it. Our defense always gives us a chance. I'm just real proud.

"Ohio State tried to get inside. Cliff gets six blocks. Everyone had some huge steals. Their freshman (Brice Sensabaugh) is really terrific. He made some big shots. They got the ball into the post. We did a lot of good things on the defensive end of the floor. They're the most efficient team offensively in the league and one of the most efficient in the country. (Justice) Sueing is a really good player. Mawot (Mag) and everyone that played him held him to seven points. That was one of our keys today. It takes everybody and everybody was connected."

Every Rutgers defender acted as a fly or a gnat that just wouldn't go away. There was tight defenses on the perimeter, and help defense flocked to the paint. Ohio State had some chances to score buckets, but it couldn't finish. A few shots from different angles fell right off the rim.

"We got our shots a lot late. We got Zed (Key) right where we wanted too twice. Justice had a clean look on the perimeter. I liked Brice shot from the top to win the game. I've got no issue with that. It's hard when you play an elite defense. Steve does a great job. They have great length. They really are terrific defensively."

Another key to the game was Rutgers' rebounding efforts. Ohio State state out-rebounded Rutgers by eight last time in December including 13-6 on the offensive glass. Sunday, Rutgers was only out-rebounded by just two overall and one on the offensive side. The Scarlet Knights seemed to pull down every critical board later in the contest.

"We had team rebounds," Pikiell siad. "Again, everybody chipped in. Cam sticks his nose in there for six, Caleb is my guy – always sticking his nose in there, We needed every single one of them. Aundre (Hyatt) and Mawot does eight. Cliff is Cliff. We need to be team rebounders. Whether one guy was boxing out and the other guy went and got it. We were going after the boards. They understood the game plan."

Spencer finished with game-high 21 points. He also added six assists, four steals and six rebounds. Mag scored 15 points with eight rebounds, Omoruyi recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards, and McConnell posted seven rebounds to go along with his 10 points, four assists, and two steals.

Spencer is the first Big Ten player since 2010 to have that above stat line with one or fewer turnovers in a game. Omoruyi is the first Big Ten player since 2011 to have his above stat line and less than two turnovers. Mag's eight boards is one shy of his career-best.

“We put an emphasis on getting a body and blocking out," Spencer said. "We knew they were a good rebounding team. That was a big focus for us. As a guard I wanted to help our bigger guys out and stick my nose in there.”

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Up 61-60 in overtime, Mag hit a clutch 3-pointer from the left corner to widen the lead. Paul Mulcahy provided the assist as the defense closed in on the senior point guard.

“Coach drew up a play. I was sliding, I went to the corner, Paul passed the ball, I was open, I caught it and trusted myself to make it," Mag said. "I put a lot of work into it. I let it go. It’s cool. Everybody dreams of making big shots. I’m just glad we got the ‘W’. The shot was good and we got stops.”

Mag also calmly sank two free throws moments later.

“I was locked in," he added. "I had to do whatever it takes. Had to make those free throws.”

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Spencer is the first Rutgers player since Ron Harper Jr. on Dec. 14 and Dec. 20, 2020 to go back-to-back games in the B1G and score at least 20 points. He's reached double digits for the fifth straight games and has reached double figures in six of the seven Big Ten contests. He is averaging 14.4 points in the past six games.

In the game, the Loyola-Maryland transfer went 9-of-11 from the free-throw line and is now 44-of-47 (93.6%) on the season.

“I will," Spencer said on if he was going to shoot foul shots after the game after missing two. "I have my routine and you step up and you’re going to miss some eventually. My only thought is to be aggressive and shoot when you’re open or move the ball when you’re not.”

Spencer has been one of the top players in the league so far.

“The more games you play the more games you figure out how you can help your team," Spencer said. "Got to credit Caleb, Mawot, and Cliff, they take on some heavy challenges and allow me some freedom on defense too.”

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Next up, Rutgers goes to East Lansing, MI. to take on Michigan State on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on FS1. Rutgers is 2-1 on the road so far in the Big Ten this season and 6-8 the last two seasons combined after going 9-54 the first six years in the conference.

“You have to fight. You can’t be too high or too low," McConnell said. "This is a crazy conference. You have to take every game day by day.”

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Pikiell himself was called for his first technical foul as a head coach in the game.

"Just fighting for my guys," he said.

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After the game, 2024 forward, 5-star "Ace" Bailey committed in the locker room. In a video posted by assistant coach Brandin Knight, everybody was jumping for job from the coaches, other staff members, and the current players. Bailey's mom was beaming with joy and a smile that couldn't have gotten any wider.

"I want guys that fit our locker room and that are team players, (that come from) great families," Pikiell said about having underrecruited guys on the roster. "All these guys up here are on the Dean's list. That's what I look for. Rankings are some of the last things I look at. I watch players and I evaluate them. My staff does an unbelievable job. Brandon Knight, Karl Hobbs and T.J. (Thompson) do an awesome job getting guys that fit Rutgers basketball. These guys just keep getting better, too, and that's a great sign.