2/15/2024 basketball Edit

INSTANT REACTION: Rutgers survives at home vs Northwestern, extends streak

Alec Crouthamel • TheKnightReport

Staff Writer

Beat writer for women's basketball here at TKR, as well as covering all other things Scarlet Knights. Also working as a broadcaster with WRSU student radio and hoping to do more in the future!

Rutgers basketball used another double-digit comeback to extend its winning streak to four games with a 63-60 win over Northwestern at Jersey Mike's Arena. It took every single stop down the stretch, outscoring the Wildcats (17-8, 8-6 Big Ten) 36-26 in the second half. The Scarlet Knights (14-10, 6-7 Big Ten) found a way to pull off the win, keeping its postseason hopes alive. Rutgers has won all four games to start the month of February

Three Scarlet Knights scored in double-figures, led once again by reigning Big Ten Player of the Week Jeremiah Williams. He scored 15 points and hit countless big shots to keep his team in the game, and eventually close it out.

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Both teams started extremely slow from the floor, with Rutgers shooting just 36% from the floor in the first half. Northwestern led by as much as 13 with under four minutes to play in the opening 20 minutes. However, they were led by an unsung hero to close out the first. Oskar Palmquist, who has rarely played since the emergence of Williams, hit three three-pointers in the final minutes to cut the deficit to seven. Without Palmquist's plug-and-play range, who knows if Rutgers wins this game.

Boo Buie, the Wildcats' star guard, created much of his team's offense on his own as Ty Berry was recently lost for the season with a meniscus tear. Northwestern's depth was further tested midway through the first after guard Ryan Langborg was ejected after a Flagrant 2 foul from a low elbow to Jamichael Davis.

In the second half, Rutgers managed to claw back with multiple runs but could not fully take over the game until Derek Simpson hit a jumper with just under 5 minutes to play. The Scarlet Knights would not relinquish the lead after that.

Northwestern had a chance to tie the game down by three in the final seconds, but Boo Buie's last-second jumper could not fall. Buie scored 27 points and was joined by Brooks Barnhizer's 11 points in double-digit scoring.

Rutgers held Northwestern to just 30% shooting from the floor in the second half, and forced Buie to miss his final four shots from the field.

Jamichael Davis and Aundre Hyatt each scored in double-figures for the Scarlet Knights as well, with 11 and 10, respectively. Davis and Derek Simpson did yeoman's work matching up on Buie, and made his life difficult throughout the game.

RHoops Play of the Day: Jeremiah Williams converts a huge fallaway jumper with time winding down to extend Rutgers' lead and ultimately was a deciding bucket in a one-score game.

Up next: Rutgers is back in action on Sunday, as they travel on the road to face off against Minnesota at 6:30 p.m.