Rutgers Basketball desperately needed to find a way to pick itself up off the mat after two straight losses away from home, and with a road game at Welsh-Ryan Arena against Northwestern, it looked to be no small task.
Thankfully for the Scarlet Knights (11-10, 4-6), someone named Ace Bailey dons the scarlet and white.
Rutgers outlasted the Wildcats (12-9, 3-7) 79-72 on the road thanks to hot shooting in the first half and a rejuvenated defense in the second. Bailey carried the offense for stretches over the game, scoring 35 points on even more incredible efficiency, shooting 13-for-20 from the floor and 5-for-8 from the three-point line.
Even without Dylan Harper - who was ruled out before the game dealing with his ankle injury suffered against Penn State - Bailey led the way and sparked a bounce-back performance on both ends of the floor. The Scarlet Knights shot 57% from the floor for the game, their best mark in a Big Ten game this season and the best since November’s win over Monmouth.
JOIN TODAY AND GET 30 DAYS FREE! | THE ROUND TABLE FORUM | RUTGERS FOOTBALL 2025 RECRUITING CLASS | RUTGERS HOOPS RECRUITING
Jalen Leach - formerly coached by Scarlet Knights assistant Jay Young at Fairfield - helped Northwestern stay in the game. He came close to a season-high with 21 points on an efficient 7-for-11 shooting. Nick Martinelli kept up his breakout season with 15 points.
In a road game Rutgers had to have after losing two straight to Penn State and No. 7 Michigan State, the Scarlet Knights got a key victory in the Big Ten Tournament race and the race to salvage the season.
The Scarlet Knights played one of their best offensive halves in recent memory, going into the locker room shooting 67% from the floor (16-for-24 FG). Bailey carried the offense in stretches, finishing the first half with a game-high 24 points on 9-for-10 shooting, including nine straight field goals made after missing his first.
Rutgers also got contributions elsewhere, as Dylan Grant continued his strong stretch of play with 6 points on 3-for-4 shooting, getting easy looks cutting to the basket. Without Harper, Bailey took on the scoring load and executed at one of his highest levels.
The second half turned into more of a slugfest, with fouls and turnovers mounting.
Amid a stretch of games where Rutgers' defense struggled to close games and get key stops, the second half served as a reprieve to what Steve Pikiell had built defensively. The Wildcats went on a five-minute stretch without scoring, and shot just 4-for-22 from the floor in the opening 13 minutes of the second half.
The pace in the second half ground to a halt, but the Scarlet Knights made enough plays to salt the game away late despite a Northwestern run in the final minutes.
Tyson Acuff had a strong second half in place of Harper, scoring 9 points and hitting key buckets late in the shot clock to inch Rutgers' offense forward.
Jamichael Davis also had a solid half, even with some shot selection that left a bit to be desired. He helped ice the game with a long steal that led to a fast break dunk late in the game.
The Scarlet Knights got back in the win column ahead of some its best competition moving forward with home matchups against Michigan and No. 18 Illinois.
RHOOPS PLAY OF THE GAME
Ace Bailey and Jamichael Davis connect for the alley-oop slam in the first half.
UP NEXT?
Rutgers returns to Jersey Mike's Arena for the first time in 19 days on Saturday, as the Scarlet Knights host Michigan.
The game will tip off at 3:30pm EST and will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
