Following Rutgers' heartbreaking loss to No. 25 Ohio State, the Scarlet Knights suffered another crushing defeat to Seton Hall 45-43 in the Garden State Hardwood Classic at Jersey Mike's Arena.
Here are three thoughts after the game....
A brutal offensive showing
43 points. 19 turnovers. 33 percent from the field.
Despite Seton Hall not doing much offensively either, shooting 34 percent from the field and 5-21 from three, it is hard to say the Scarlet Knights deserved to win this game. Not only did Rutgers finish the game with more turnovers than field goals, but it did not have one player record double figures as Aundre Hyatt led the team with nine points, all coming via three-pointers.
"Obviously I’m most disappointed in the 19 turnovers," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I thought we really gave up points because of our turnovers. We didn't play with the right energy that we needed to in a game like this. I don't know if it's from the other night a little bit but this group has been great."
This was an all-around poor offensive performance from the Scarlet Knights and one that had a little bit more sting to it considering it came against their in-state rival.
Credit to the Pirates
Although the Rutgers faithful will likely not want to admit it, props need to go to Seton Hall for taking every shot the Scarlet Knights threw and continuing to push forward.
"Our guys knew how athletic they were and they have good size, especially at those wing spots, we just didn't do a great job of reversing the ball and running our sets," Pikiell continued. "The game did get choppy and you're never in a rhythm when you're turning it over every other time down the court."
Following a 14-3 run that gave Rutgers a 26-22 lead going into halftime, the Scarlet Knights came out in the second half and took a 30-23 lead following a layup from Mawot Mag. The Scarlet Knights seemed poised to take the game over but Seton Hall kept fighting back until it found itself leading 34-33 with 9:57 to go. The Pirates also beat Rutgers at its own game as it showed a lot of defensive tenacity and was able to pull down eight offensive rebounds.
Closing Time
Perhaps the biggest concern for Rutgers coming out of this game is the fact it does not seem to have a closer in games like this. Following a layup from Caleb McConnell that put Rutgers up 42-41, the Scarlet Knights went the final four minutes without a field goal.
"In this league, and with the kind of schedule we play, you got to turn the page quickly," Pikiell said. "[The Ohio State loss] was a distraction but there are a lot of distractions during the course of the season. We just kind of tried to move on from that but it was a quick turnaround. I don't like to make any excuses but maybe it played a role in us not playing that way but that's not an excuse."
Although this game might have been different if not for KC Ndefo's block on Cliff Omoruyi or Hyatt's missed layup with three seconds remaining, Rutgers needs to find a player it can rely on in the closing moments of contests considering Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. are not walking through that door. In the end, the officials might have blown a call that would have given the Scarlet Knights one more crack at it but this was one that felt lost even before the final buzzer.
Rutgers will return to action next Saturday when it takes on Wake Forest at noon (ET) at Jersey Mike's Arena on BTN.
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