For all that has gone wrong for Rutgers Basketball over the recent weeks, the one strength they still had was winning at Jersey Mike's Arena.
That is, until Wisconsin and its red-hot shooting stroke came to town.
The Badgers (12-3, 2-2) battled through some offensive struggles late in the game but rode a torrid scoring pace late in the first half for a 75-63 victory over the Scarlet Knights (8-7, 1-3), as an opponent won on the C. Vivian Stringer Court for the first time.
Tyson Acuff had his best game as a Scarlet Knight in the loss, scoring a team-high 17 points and hitting three triples, with Dylan Harper limited.
Rutgers was unable to get much production from its two star freshman, as Ace Bailey fouled out after a 9-point. seven-rebound performance where he shot 3-for-16 from the floor. Harper did not play the last 16 minutes of the game after appearing to be physically off after recovering from an illness that caused him to miss Thursday's loss to Indiana.
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Rutgers' defense was overmatched in the opening half, as Wisconsin shot 58% from the floor and 5-for-13 from the three-point line.
Both teams on offense started relatively slow, but in the final minutes the offenses - particularly the Badgers - woke up in a big way. In the final 10:07 of the first half, Wisconsin shot 11-for-12 from the floor, with the lone miss coming on a three from Nolan Winter with 39 seconds remaining.
Rutgers' defense stepped up in the second half, however, and slowly led the Scarlet Knights to claw back into the game. They got as close as three points, but the Badgers immediately closed the door with a quick run to get back up by three possessions.
Rutgers struggled to shoot from the floor all night, taking 72 shots but only converting at a 33% clip. The shooting woes extended to the free throw line as well, as the Scarlet Knights only shot 6-for-13 from the charity stripe.
The Badgers went 36 and a half minutes without taking a free throw, when John Tonje drew a shooting foul before the under-4 media timeout. Wisconsin finished the game making all six of its attempts at the line.
One bright spot for Rutgers was the play of freshman Dylan Grant, who tied for the team lead in plus-minus and scored 8 points off the bench. He made hustle plays throughout the game and finished with three offensive rebounds and two blocks.
RHOOPS PLAY OF THE DAY
Tyson Acuff gets the big-time shooter's bounce with the shot clock winding down.
UP NEXT?
Rutgers will play the second of a three-game homestand on Thursday against No. 20 Purdue at Jersey Mike's Arena. The game will tip off at 6pm EST and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.
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