It was another tough night for Rutgers as it dropped its third in a row following its 66-61 loss to No. 13 Wisconsin.
Here are three thoughts after the game….
TOO SLOW TO START.....
Despite trailing by nine points at halftime, it was not a good first half for Rutgers (16-12, 10-8 Big Ten) as it went 9-of-24 from the field and missed all six of its 3-point attempts.
“We probably need to make that a little closer at halftime, especially the way they play and the pace that they play at,” head coach Steve Pikiell said. “They’re a tough team to get down to but we fought back and got the lead so credit to our guys. These teams are ranked and every game in our league comes down to a possession or two.”
Although the Scarlet Knights were able to fight back in the second half and even take a 51-50 lead, it was not enough as the Badgers (23-5, 14-4 Big Ten) jumped back on top and kept it that way to secure their fourth straight win.
NOT ENOUGH GEO MAGIC.....
Finishing with a team-high 19 points, Geo Baker needed three more to send this game into a possible overtime as he missed a game-tying 3-pointer with four seconds remaining.
“We really want to get the ball moving a little bit more, wanting to get it downhill,” Pikiell continued. “We got Geo getting us back in the game, he was heading downhill and getting to the free-throw line and being able to change up our defenses.”
While Baker has given Rutgers fans many memorable moments over the years, it was not meant to be on this night despite propelling the comeback with 16 second-half points.
SEASON ON THE BRINK.....
With two regular-season games left, there is not much room for error as the Scarlet Knights find themselves on the bubble, with some projections having them as one of the last four teams in.
“This group has overcome adversity,” Ron Harper Jr. said. “They told us our season was dead so many times now. If we just keep pushing and fighting through adversity there’s no doubt this team can get it done.”
While winning in Bloomington is not easy, it has almost become a necessity if Rutgers wants to keep its March Madness hopes alive. Although they do have the Big Ten Tournament to fall back on if all else fails, the Scarlet Knights would be playing a dangerous game if it came down to that considering they have one of the most uneven resumes in the nation.
Rutgers will look to bounce back when it takes on Indiana at Assembly Hall on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (ET) on BTN.
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