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Rutgers didn’t coast, far from it, beating Lehigh in overtime 73-70 in their season opener. A game that many had chalked up as being a “gimme” for the Scarlet Knights saw instead a real battle at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
After the game, head coach Steve Pikiell said “I knew this was going to be a real difficult game.” Most expected Rutgers to roll in this game but Lehigh was tough and balanced, making things difficult on Rutgers with their perimeter defense and outrebounding Rutgers 43:41.
Poor shooting plagued Rutgers, who were just 37.5 percent from the floor and just 1-of-13 from three-point range.
“A lot of obstacles we hit today and I thought getting through them was a good thing. I love the fact that we grinded, we grinded,” Pikiell told reporters after the game. “I kind of like those kind of wins.”
Nine Rutgers players scored in the game led by 16 points from sophomore big man Cliff Omoruyi. Three Rutgers played scored double-digit points in a game that was tied seven times and had eight lead changes.