In a season of firsts for Rutgers Basketball and star freshman Dylan Harper, he checked off another box in the Scarlet Knights' 91-64 win over Columbia.
Triple-double.
Harper reached the milestone with 4:52 remaining in the game on a dish to fellow freshman star Ace Bailey, who had a strong game in his own right. Harper finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. After finishing the first half with just three points, he came alive in the second half, controlling the game and becoming a big reason why the Scarlet Knights pulled away.
Harper's triple-double is the first for a Scarlet Knight since Roy Hinson's in March of 1983.
Bailey led all scorers with 24 points, including 17 in the first half. He helped the Scarlet Knights diffuse Columbia's zone with a dazzling array of jumpers, settling in the middle and hitting his signature shot with ease.
The Scarlet Knights' 26 assists on the night was a season-high, surpassing the previous high of 21 set against Monmouth back in November.
The Lions were led by Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, one of two Columbia players in double-figures with 17 points. Kenny Noland finished with 16.
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Rutgers came out ready to shoot to start the game, taking 41 shots and 19 three-pointers, compared to just 28 shots from the floor for Columbia. Another reason for the disparity was the turnover differential, as the Scarlet Knights forced eight Lion turnovers and only committed one.
Rutgers hit five of its first six shots from the floor - with the lone miss being rebounded for a putback jumper by Jeremiah Williams - and gained an early lead, but the Lions continued to fight back and stayed within arm's length.
The Lions were able to stay in the game thanks to their effectiveness from the perimeter, as whenever the Scarlet Knights would begin to go on a big run to increase the gap, Columbia found an open look on the outside.
The Scarlet Knights played with pace and put up plenty of shots in the first half, scoring 44 points and taking 19 three-pointers, hitting five of them.
Rutgers closed the game on a 25-9 run over the final 10 minutes, exorcising the demons of struggling to close out late in games.
The Scarlet Knights also got back their advantage on the boards, outrebounding the Lions 45-31, including 14-3 on the offensive glass. It was a much-needed bounceback performance in defense and rebounding, two areas Rutgers had struggled with so far that are the backbones of the program under head coach Steve Pikiell.
After a nine-day layoff following the team's last-second loss to Princeton, the Scarlet Knights got up and quickly recovered, getting back into their offensive groove led by their two stars.
Another standout performer was sophomore guard Jamichael Davis, who got the start next to Harper at guard. He finished tied for third on the team with 11 points, along with seven assists and no turnovers.
Rutgers' ball movement was fantastic throughout the game, navigating both man and zone defenses from Columbia with ease.
Midway through the first half when the Lions first employed their 2-3 zone, Ace Bailey was left open on three straight possessions for a turnaround midrange jumper, and he drained all three. He also showed a concerted effort of getting to the rim early on, a part of his game he has not used enough this year. Overall, Rutgers' stars showed out once again and the Scarlet Knights got the performence from their depth pieces they desperately needed.
RHOOPS PLAY OF THE DAY
Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey catch the defense sleeping and connect for a big-time alley-oop in the first half.
UP NEXT?
The Scarlet Knights will be back in action to officially kick off Big Ten play on the road on Thursday, January 2nd, against Indiana at Assembly Hall. The game will tip off at 8:30pm and will be broadcast on Peacock.
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