Three Thoughts on Rutgers Basketball's 87-82 OT victory over Nebraska
It was a thrilling night in Jersey Mike’s Arena as Rutgers knocked off Nebraska 87-82 in overtime.
Here are three thoughts after the game….
A gutsy performance
While Rutgers (10-7, 2-4 Big Ten) has some work to do to get its season back on track, this was a game it needed to win considering it now stares down two of the top teams in the Big Ten, Illinois and Purdue. Despite going 16-for-30 from the free throw line and 12-for-28 on layups, the Scarlet Knights were able to dig down deep and overcome multiple double-digit deficits to secure the victory. Rutgers also recorded 56 rebounds (25 offensive), marking its most in a Big Ten game in program history.
“We were locked in and didn't have a lot of time to prepare, they are a hard team with hard sets,” head coach Steve Pikiell said. “The backboards really were the key in getting us where we needed to be, we got a lot of second opportunities.”
Going up against a high-powered offense like Nebraska (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten), Rutgers was able to match it shot-for-shot as each team went 38 percent from the field. The Scarlet Knights’ defense stepped up when it mattered most as they held the Cornhuskers without a field goal for the final 9:39 of the second half. Rutgers also went into halftime without allowing a field goal for the final 6:24.
Hyatt comes up huge
In a season that has had its share of ups and downs, Aundre Hyatt has been one of Rutgers’ more reliable players averaging 12.3 ppg and shooting 39 percent from the field. This game was no different for the Bronx native as he finished with a team-high 17 points and sank a crucial free throw that sent the game into overtime.
“It's always a challenging season and this league is challenging,” Pikiell continued. “We have to keep doing what we're doing. I tell these guys games aren't won on computers, they're won with the work and preparation you do.”
Hyatt put the Scarlet Knights up for good when he nailed a 3-pointer that gave them a 74-71 lead with 4:04 remaining in OT. He also aided Rutgers’ struggling night from the charity stripe by sinking two more free throws to give it an 83-79 lead with 33 seconds left.
Cool Hand Cliff
In what has been a mostly tough season for Cliff Omoruyi, this game showed some signs of the All-Big Ten selection Rutgers has come to know as he finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds, including back-to-back dunks to make it 67-64 with 3:09 left in the second half. Omoruyi also made a crucial layup to cut it to a one-point game with 52 seconds remaining.
“Every night Cliff goes up against different defenses that do different things against them so he has to soak in whatever the game plan is quickly,” Pikiell said. “Teams mark him down first on the scouting report so he always has to be better than the scouting report and tonight he was just so active.”
Omoruyi added to his stellar blocking season as he picked up four more to bring his average to 3.4 per game. So if the big man can continue building off this type of performance, there is reason to believe there will be more finger-waving and tongue-sticking-out in the near future.
Rutgers will return to action on Sunday when it faces No. 14 Illinois at 1 p.m. (ET) at the State Farm Center on BTN.
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