Rutgers hoops secures another ranked win vs. No. 12 Illinois
The Rutgers men's basketball team defeated No. 12 Illinois, 70-59, on Wednesday night at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway.
It is Rutgers fourth-consecutive win and fourth in a row against ranked teams. Rutgers is now 16-9 overall, 10-5 in Big Ten play, 13-2 at home,
If the Scarlet Knights weren't in the NCAA picture, they are now.
Oh, and they are a game out of FIRST PLACE in the Big Ten Conference (Purdue plays Northwestern at 9:00 p.m.).
The Scarlet Knights got out to a quick start on both ends of the floor, withstood a burst to open the second half by Illinois, and ballooned their advantage to as many as 23 points with 6:45 to go.
Check out how the game unfolded below.
THE GOOD
The start: Rutgers, aided by the crowd at the jump, got out to as good of a start as it hoped. Rutgers made four of its first five shots and seven of nine and four free throws to take a 17-7 lead. Rutgers switched up its defenses and held the Illini to nine points until the 11:00 mark of the opening half.
Rebounding: Illinois is the Big Ten's best rebounding tea, but Rutgers made an effort to control the backboards. It was a team effort. The Scarlet Knights outrebounded the Illini on the glass in the first half 28-15, and demolished them the whole game, 46-28.
3-point D: Illinois entered the fourth in the league shooting from behind the arc, but was 0-for-13 before it made its first triple with 35.8 seconds to go prior to the break. At least two of the attempts were air balls. Rutgers played air-tight defense as it closed out on shooters.
Contained Cockburn: Kofi Cockburn is a menace in the paint. He can score, block shots, and rebound. But Rutgers threw the kitchen sink at him and disguised looks.
Shared the game: Head coach Steve Pikiell always talks about sharing the game. While it didn't have a season-high assists, Rutgers played unselfishly and moved the ball around.
THE BAD
Turnovers: After Rutgers gained a decent advantage in the opening half, it got a little too flashy at times and sped itself up. That led to a handful of turnovers.
Cool ending to first half and cold steak in second: A lot of things went Rutgers' way in the initial 20 minutes of the game, but the Scarlet Knights ended the first half 2-of-10 shooting with their last points coming at 2:44. After Rutgers took a 23-point lead, Illinois went on a 14-2 to cut it to 62-51 with 3:28 remaining. The Illini got to the foul line and used a full court press to stymie Rutgers' offense.
TURNING POINT: Caleb McConnell's steal and fastbreak layup in the second half.
Illinois had some momentum early in the second half. It hit a 3-pointer and had the ball. But the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year candidate came up a key steal and took it the other way for two-points to put Rutgers back up by eight points.
RHOOPS PLAY OF THE GAME: Cliff Omoruyi's block of Kofi Cockburn.
RUTGERS PLAYER OF THE GAME: C Cliff Omoruyi
Omoruyi was tasked in helping to guard the paint, and he did just that and then some. Omoruyi was effective on both sides of the court
ONE THING: The crowd
The RAC...*ahem*...Jersey Mike's Arena has been plenty loud in the past, which you know, but TKR isn't quite sure it has ever been as loud before tonight. The energy at tip-off was tremendous, and it only was highlighted further thanks to the blackout. The raucous atmosphere lasted the entire contest.
**Ron Harper Jr. appeared to injure his finger with a couple of minutes left**
UP NEXT: Rutgers travels to No. 5 Purdue on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 5:30 p.m. You can watch on FS1.
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisNalwasky.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel