On Sunday night, Rutgers men’s basketball dropped their first game of the month to Minnesota 81-70. The Scarlet Knights came into this Big Ten game having won four straight games.
After a solid first half that ended deadlocked at 37-37, Rutgers struggled in the second half to get anything going offensively. With the loss, Rutgers is now 14-11 (6-8 Big Ten).
Minnesota was dominant as they outscored Rutgers 44-31 in the second half and were led by Pharrell Payne. The Cottage Grove, Minnesota, native scored a team-high 21 points and hauled in 11 rebounds. He got some help from Elijah Hawkins, who scored 16 points.
Jamichael Davis is on fire for @RutgersMBB. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/m3fYEFIk4t
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 19, 2024
While Sunday night did not go as planned for Rutgers, there were a few bright spots, such as Clifford Omoruyi. The talented center scored 19 points and added eight rebounds to his resume. Derek Simpson also had a big game, scoring 19 points.
[lawrence-related id=35448,35435]
Minnesota went to the free-throw line 34 times.
In this matchup, Rutgers was unable to get many stops close to the basket. They were outscored in the paint 38-30. Minnesota also fared much better beyond the arc, making eight three-pointers. Rutgers only made four shot and 21.1 percent from three-point range.
Following a disappointing result, Rutgers will turn their attention to Purdue. They are set to go on the road to take on the second-best team in the country on February 22. So far this season, they are 3-6 away from Jersey Mike’s Arena.