Rutgers Basketball fell to No. 9 Alabama 95-90 in each team's second game in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. The Scarlet Knights took the Crimson Tide to the brink with star-studded play from the two freshmen and gave a reigning Final Four team all it could handle on both ends of the floor.
Dylan Harper continued his coming-out party on the national stage, scoring a game-high 37 points, less than 24 hours after scoring 36. He shot an incredible 15-for-16 from the free throw line and 11-for-19 from the floor, constantly getting downhill and attacking the basket. He becomes the first Division I freshman in 20 seasons to score at least 35 points in back-to-back games, according to ESPN's Stats & Info database.
Fellow five-star Ace Bailey had a much-needed strong scoring performance of his own after struggling in the win over Notre Dame. He finished with 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the floor along with three rebounds.
Alabama star guard Mark Sears helped spark the Crimson Tide running away with the game, as he led the team with 24 points, including 18 in the second half.
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Rutgers brought the energy in the first half, including a re-energized Bailey who saw his shot fall more and more as he was active on defense and rebounding. As a team the Scarlet Knights forced 11 Alabama turnovers in the first 20 minutes, matching its season average in just the first half alone.
Bailey and Harper both reached double-figures in the first half, scoring 25 of Rutgers' 41 points in the half. Despite struggling from the perimeter, the Scarlet Knights stayed in the game by forcing turnovers and attacking the rim, as they shot 12-for-16 from the free throw line compared to just 4-for-9 for Alabama in the first half.
The Crimson Tide's scoring distribution was much more balanced to start out the game, as five players went into halftime with at least 6 points, led by Grant Nelson's 8.
Both teams came out fast to start the second half, including Sears putting Alabama on his back early on. He scored 10 points in the first five minutes of the second half to spurt ahead, but the Scarlet Knights refused to quit.
Rutgers eventually battled all the way back to make it a one-possession game late, but the shots just did not fall.
The Scarlet Knights stayed in the game despite some major perimeter struggles, shooting just 2-for-13 from the three-point line, compared to the Crimson Tide's 10-for-25 clip from beyond the arc.
Jeremiah Williams joined Harper and Bailey as the only three Scarlet Knights to score in double-figures, but he fouled out midway through the second half with 10 points in 15 minutes.
Center Emmanuel Ogbole had his best game of the season, scoring nine points and grabbing a season-high eight rebounds in 22 minutes. He even made five of his six free throw attempts as an added bonus, including a situation where Alabama head coach Nate Oats chose to put Ogbole at the free throw line after Harper had to leave the game with a minor injury.
Free throws for the Scarlet Knights were a strength once again, as the team shot 30-for-35 from the charity stripe, led by Harper's 15-for-16 clip. Their 71.1% rate from the free throw line continues to improve.
Rutgers battled and locked down on defense, going on a run after Alabama had taken an 88-80 lead, but ultimately could not hit the big shot to tie or take the lead.
The Crimson Tide sparked run after run by ruling the glass, particularly on the offensive end. They grabbed 11 offensive rebounds for 11 second-chance points, constantly taking extra possessions as the Scarlet Knights could not get into position to take the ball back.
In his first game against Rutgers, Alabama center Cliff Omoruyi scored 6 points and grabbed four rebounds, in addition to committing four fouls in 15 minutes of play.
Despite the close loss, the Scarlet Knights showed up and performed ahead of expectations after an equally-draining win over Notre Dame less than 24 hours before.
They will now play in the third-place or fifth-place game of the Players Era, depending on how the Notre Dame vs Houston matchup plays out.
RHOOPS PLAY OF THE DAY
Ace Bailey gets the steal, runs the floor, and slams it home with a foul to take a first-half lead.
UP NEXT?
The Scarlet Knights will have two days off for Thanksgiving before their third and final game in the Players Era Festival.
Their placement and opponent for Saturday's final round of the tournament will be determined after the results of tonight's Notre Dame vs Houston game become final.
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