Rutgers tops No.15 Seton Hall in Garden State Hardwood Classic
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - A sellout crowd at The RAC was as loud as it has been in recent years as there was no quit in the stands and that transcended down onto the court. That amounted to a 71-65 Rutgers win over No.15 Seton Hall, which came on the strength of a 17-2 run to close out the game.
“I am real proud of our guys,” head coach Steve Pikiell said afterward. “We weren’t making shots, we weren’t making free throws. We hung in there, that is what we’ve done and we figured out a way to win. But I am very thankful for the community and the students that came out.”
The RU offense committed just eight turnovers in what will go down as a signature win against the No.15-ranked team in the country.
“This is the first time I thought our schedule, I wouldn’t say wore us down, but I knew all along this was going to be the toughest game we played probably all year,” said Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard. “Coming off the games we have played, going into finals, playing in a tough place against a good, well-coached team, I knew this would be our toughest test.”
Rutgers was forced to play catch up most of the way, although it hung tough and had enough left to put together a dramatic comeback win in the game's final six minutes.
Senior forward Deshawn Freeman finally tied the game at 54-54 on one of two fould shots with 8:58 left in regulation. However, Freeman was showing signs of fatigue.
“That was the longest stretch ever for me,” said Freeman, who finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds. “Corey got a steal and I picked the ball up and I think all of it hit me then. I fumbled the ball before I got fouled. But I needed that break and needed to sit down. I am glad coach saw that.”
As Freeman took a seat on the bench, Rutgers fell into a 63-54 deficit. However, he would return with a renewed effort that seemed to be contagious.
“I give a lot of credit to the crowd and the student section,” Freeman said. “It was loud and we were able to get a lot of stops.”
Junior guard Corey Sanders powered the final run, hitting some tough jumpshots in the face of defenders. He scored eight of his game-high 22 points in the final six minutes, helping Rutgers to a 17-2 run to finish the game.
“I am always trying to stay aggressive and make plays,” Sanders said. “They were leaving some spots on the floor that I love to get to and create my shot. Once I got a couple of buckets to fall, I felt good. My confidence was up.”
Rutgers had answer after answer while Seton Hall had none.
After the last second ticked off the clock, the crowd stormed the court and the players were able to celebrate with the fans who also played a part in the victory.
“It was a surreal moment," senior guard Mike Williams said. "I actually started crying, like tearing up because I worked so hard and fought so hard for this team.”
The win moved Rutgers to 10-3 on the season and marked the first win over ranked opponent under Pikiell’s direction. It was also the first win against a ranked opponent since the Scarlet Knights defeated No.4 Wisconsin in January of 2015.