Rutgers men's basketball rolls past Saint Peter's
The Rutgers men's basketball team defeated Saint Peter's 71-40 on Monday. The Scarlet Knights (5-1, 0-0) struggled on offense in the first half but found their form in the second half to get the comfortable win over the Peacocks (1-4, 0-0).
The game started as a defensive battle. Both teams struggled to find open shots, missing their first eight shots combined.
Mouhamed Sow scored the first two points of the contest with a floater approximately 3 minutes into the game. Sophomore guard Derek Simpson would get Rutgers' first points approximately 4 minutes into the contest, blowing by his defender and finishing with an easy layup.
Despite both teams getting on the scoreboard, the offensive struggles continued, and 11 minutes into the first half, the Knights had scored just 14 points and had a 5-point lead. Simpson proved to be Rutgers' only reliable shooter early on, scoring 8 of the team's first 14 points.
The final 9 minutes of the first half continued to be an offensive slog for both teams as the Knights failed to generate any offensive momentum in their half-court sets. On defense, though, Rutgers remained stout, forcing multiple backcourt and shot clock violations to help keep its lead.
At halftime, the Knights led Saint Peter's 27-17. Rutgers shot 37 percent from the field, 30 percent from three-point range and 50 percent from the free throw line in the first half. The Peacocks shot a putrid 23.3 percent from the field, 14.3 percent from beyond the arc and 25 percent from the free-throw line in the first half.
What kept Saint Peter's in the game was its defense and rebounding. The Peacocks played stifling defense throughout the first half and grabbed 10 more offensive rebounds and 17 more total rebounds than the Knights. Despite the dominance on the boards, Saint Peter's was only able to convert those 13 offensive rebounds into 4 second-chance points.
Rutgers started the second half better offensively and went on a 22-7 scoring run in approximately the first 9 minutes of the half to put the game out of reach. The Knights relied on fifth-year guard Noah Fernandes and senior center Clifford Omoruyi on both ends of the floor during the run.
With 10 minutes remaining in the game and holding a 26-point lead, Rutgers was able to coast to an easy 31-point victory.
Fernandes led the Knights with 19 points, going a perfect 9-9 from the charity stripe. Omoruyi stuffed the stat sheet again with 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
"I thought (Fernandes) was fantastic in practice (and was) locked in this week," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "(He) held their leading scorer to 0 points."
Rutgers had its best defensive game of the season. The Knights forced 23 turnovers and scored 25 points off of those turnovers. Rutgers also kept the Peacocks uncomfortable on offense, as Saint Peter's shot only 23.6 percent from the floor and 15.8 percent from beyond the arc throughout the contest. It was a vintage defensive win for the Knights.
Beyond the box score
Fernandes played strong on-ball defense throughout the game. He made himself into a pest for the Peacocks.
"Getting under Coach Pike and him having that heavy emphasis on defense and wanting to press a lot definitely brings that mentality, and he wants me to bring that energy for the team," Fernandes said.
Senior forward Aundre Hyatt struggled offensively against Saint Peter's. He was indecisive on the offensive end and could not find his shooting form, hitting the side of the backboard twice and shooting 2-11 from the field. Rutgers will need him to improve when it takes on Illinois at the end of the week.
The team should utilize sophomore forward Antwone Woolfolk more as a transition facilitator. He is shockingly fast, has good footwork, can dribble the ball and has good court vision for a 6-foot-9 forward. Woolfolk also made his first collegiate three-point shot in this game.
Graduate student guard Austin Williams returned after missing the last two games due to an undisclosed injury. He only played 12 minutes and scored 4 points.
The Knights will face their first Big Ten test when they match up against the Fighting Illini (5-1, 0-0) on Saturday. The game will tip off at 4 p.m. and be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
"I tell our guys our non-conference prepares us for a lot of games," Pikiell said. "You got to guard Wisconsin's actions for 30 seconds. This game will help us for those kinds of games."
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