Late 'Knight' drama in Vegas: Dylan Harper masterclass leads Rutgers to overtime win against Notre Dame in day 1 of Players Era Festival
Rutgers fans may be heading to work feeling a bit groggy on Thanksgiving Eve, as it wasn't until nearly 2 a.m. EST when the men's basketball team finally finished off Notre Dame in its first Players Era Festival matchup in Las Vegas. The Scarlet Knights (5-1, 0-0) desperately needed a bounce-back win following Sunday's loss to Kennesaw State, and they got it in dramatic fashion by a score of 85-84 over the Fighting Irish (4-2, 0-0).
It was a rocky start for Rutgers, trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half. Through more than 14 minutes of game time, freshmen guard Dylan Harper and center Lathan Sommerville had all but 1 of the Knights’ points. Down 10, freshman forward Ace Bailey finally got on the board when he converted a second-chance and-one in the post.
Bailey’s layup was the jolt Rutgers needed as it looked out of sync offensively until Bailey started a 19-10 run to close the half down 35-34. Harper and junior guard Jordan Derkack led the way for the Knights with 13 and 9 points, respectively. For Notre Dame, Braeden Shrewsberry and Matt Allocco were hot to start, as the pair combined for 20 points through the opening 20 minutes.
Coming off an ugly loss, Rutgers’ defense showed much more promise but was still far from perfect, particularly at defending three, as the Fighting Irish had seven threes in the half. While the three-point defense was still sloppy, the defensive intensity was miles better than in recent games.
Things heated up in the second half as no team led by more than 6 at any point.
That 6-point lead came in the snap of a finger for Notre Dame when it knocked down back-to-back threes with under 8 minutes remaining.
The Knights fired right back, though, stringing together a quick 9-0 run. They led the rest of the way until the final seconds when Allocco launched a three to tie the game with 7 seconds left. Harper had the chance to win it at the buzzer the following possession but missed.
In overtime, Rutgers jumped out to a 6-point lead thanks to an 8-0 run, and it looked like the game was sealed at that point. But Allocco proceeded to nail three straight threes, scoring 9 points in less than 30 seconds and tying the game with 15 seconds to go.
It looked as though the Knights would hold possession for the final shot until freshman Cole Certa made a boneheaded play for the Fighting Irish and intentionally fouled Harper in the tie game. Harper missed the front end of the pair but nailed the second.
Trailing by 1, Notre Dame had the chance to win it in the game’s final possession. Who else do the Irish go to but Allocco?
“Contest the shot and pray he misses,” Harper said was the mindset heading into Allocco’s final shot.
Fortunately for Rutgers, Allocco missed what seemed like for the first time ever. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, all team-highs.
Allocco and Harper were the stars of the show all night, and ultimately, the latter got the better of the former. Harper finished with 36 points on 12-22 shooting with six rebounds, six assists and just a single turnover. Harper looked like an NBA veteran as just a freshman. He controlled the game with ease and made incredibly tough plays look easy—especially his tough finishes.
Harper’s 36 points were the most any freshman has scored in a game this year in college basketball and were the most scored by a Knights freshman since Corey Sanders scored 39 in 2016.
Derkack and redshirt senior guard Jeremiah Williams were the unsung heroes for Rutgers.
Neither are known as three-point shooters, but they knocked down two threes apiece. Williams racked up 10 points on the night, all coming in the second half and overtime, and played tremendous defense all night long. Williams was tasked with guarding Shrewsberry for most of the second half and held him to just 4 points in the half. Derkack finished with 16 points, and while it was a bit up-and-down watching him, there were certainly more ups than downs.
Bailey struggled with just 10 points on 12 shots, though he made some timely plays down the stretch. Bailey’s otherworldly tough-shot-making ability is clear, but he has not played within the offense in the last two games, and it has hurt him and the Knights.
Rutgers' rebounding woes continued in this game but, strangely enough, were minimized when the Knights went to a small-ball lineup late-game with Williams, Bailey, and graduate student guard Tyson Acuff stepping up to grab some big-time boards.
Fans on the East Coast may need an afternoon nap on Wednesday as the team is slated for a quick turnaround and another late game. Rutgers takes on No. 9 Alabama at 10 p.m. in a battle with former Knight Clifford Omoruyi.
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