Three Thoughts on Rutgers Basketball's 69-59 win over Michigan
Rutgers pulled victory from the jaws of defeat as it beat Michigan 69-59 to earn its first win at the Crisler Center.
Here are three thoughts after the game….
“17 minutes for the rest of our lives…”
Trailing by 15 points with 17 minutes left, it appeared as though the wheels were about to fully come off Rutgers' season. However, the Scarlet Knights (11-10, 3-7 Big Ten) turned things around by closing the game on a 37-12 run and sending Michigan’s nightmare season even further into the abyss.
“I told them to keep fighting,” associate head coach Brandin Knight said. “Yesterday at practice we just kept competing, so everything we did was aimed at getting after each other. When we got down, the resilience that the guys showed was tremendous.”
While Rutgers’ offensive efficiency might not blow one away (shooting 40 percent from the floor and 2-for-13 from three) it outworked Michigan (7-15, 2-9 Big Ten) with 15 offensive rebounds. The Scarlet Knights also doubled the Wolverines in points in the paint (40-20) and forced 19 turnovers resulting in 19 points.
Welcome back Williams
Appearing in his first game since 2022, Jeremiah Williams made a profound impact for Rutgers as he accumulated 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one block in 29 minutes. The Chicago native also provided hard-nosed defense and tenacity the Scarlet Knights have become accustomed to over the years.
“Jeremiah was huge for us with his intensity, toughness, and downhill mentality getting in the paint,” Knight said. “That’s what made us get through the tough stretch.”
While it is hard to envision Williams’ presence turning Rutgers into a postseason team, his effort and maturity could result in a couple more wins and turn what seemed to be a lost season into a transition one.
A huge performance from Derek Simpson
In a time when Rutgers needed it most, Derek Simpson stepped up big as he finished with a game-high 19 points along with six assists, five rebounds, and two steals. Simpson also sparked the 37-12 run with a layup at the 16:37 mark to make it a 47-34 game.
“Derek is going to get the big pat on the back, but I know Derek would say that we got help from all of our guys, whether it was Cliff [Omoruyi] freeing us up or Mawot [Mag] cutting,” Knight continued. “There’s some things you don’t see on the stat sheet and the guys did a great job at clearing areas to make lanes for Derek so he could get downhill and make the plays that he did.”
In addition, Simpson scored 14 of his points in the second half and nailed a 3-pointer to cut it to a 57-54 game with seven minutes remaining. From there, the Scarlet Knights closed on a 15-2 run to secure one of their more improbable wins.
Rutgers will return to action on Tuesday when it faces Maryland at the XFINITY Center on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. (ET) on BTN.
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