Three Thoughts on Rutgers Basketball's 78-56 win over No. 11 Wisconsin
Rutgers Basketball captured its largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent as it rolled past No. 11 Wisconsin 78-56 to win its third straight.
Here are three thoughts after the game….
Noah the Flame Throwah
Despite having a tough season so far, Noah Fernandes picked a great day to have a career performance as a Scarlet Knight as he finished with 17 points and nailed all five of his 3-point attempts to mark a season-high.
“He did an unbelievable job today,” head coach Steve Pikiell said. “His defense has been really good all year long and today we got that thing going. Every game it takes somebody different and he was a huge lift for us today and he’s going to continue being that for us moving forward.”
Anytime Wisconsin tried to inch a little bit closer, Fernandes was there to snatch back momentum as he sank back-to-back threes to make it a 51-34 game with 12:34 remaining. He also stopped a 6-0 run with five quick points to put his team ahead 59-44 with 8:12 left.
Willing his team to victory
Jeremiah Williams continued to show the type of difference-maker he is for Rutgers as he finished with a season-high 18 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Despite this being just his third game of the season, the junior has scored double-figures in all three games and is averaging 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
“He does a lot of things, he can score, he made 6-for-6 from the foul line, and made his free throws,” Pikiell said. “He sees the floor and is a really good passer. We've been seeing that all season and have been practicing the right way.”
While Williams is showing what he can do on the stat sheet, he has also provided a big boost to Rutgers’ morale with his maturity and leadership. It is no mistake that the Scarlet Knights are 3-0 with him in the lineup and it is hard not to think his addition will make for some interesting basketball as the season wears on.
Cliff Omoruyi’s block party continues
Not to be forgotten amidst this three-game winning streak is the continued turnaround of Cliff Omoruyi’s season. Not only did the big man notch his eighth double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, but he also tied a career-high with eight blocks.
“Cliff Omoruyi had his best practice in four years yesterday,” Pikiell said. “Today he was fantastic, grabbing every rebound. I wanted us to be aggressive to start and they were.”
In his last three games, Omoruyi has totaled 36 points, 29 rebounds, and 12 blocks. So, if he can continue producing at this level the Scarlet Knights’ ceiling will only get higher and they will quickly become a team not many others will want to face down the stretch of the season.
Rutgers will return to action on Thursday when it faces Northwestern at 6:30 p.m. (ET) on BTN at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
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