The Big Ten regular season is over as Rutgers men’s basketball falls to Ohio State

Rutgers men’s basketball lost their Big Ten regular season finale.

On Sunday afternoon, Rutgers men’s basketball could not get much going offensively in their regular-season finale against Ohio State. After a strong start, Rutgers fell apart in the second half as Ohio State left New Jersey with a 73-51 win.

Rutgers finished the regular season 15-16 (7-13 Big Ten). They lost their last three games including six of their last seven.

As Ohio State outscored Rutgers 43-23 in the second half, they got impressive performances from Roddy Gayle Jr. and Bruce Thornton. Gayle Jr. led Ohio State in scoring with 14 points. Thornton added 11 points to his resume and was tied for second on the team in rebounds with five.

While Sunday ended in disappointing fashion, there were still a few bright spots for Rutgers. That list includes Aundre Hyatt and Clifford Omoruyi. Hyatt led the team in scoring with 11 points in 28 minutes of action. Omoruyi continued to make an impact on the board with a team-high seven rebounds.

 

 

In this matchup, Ohio State was able to build its lead partly due to its success from beyond the arc. The Buckeyes shot 45 percent from three-point range, while Rutgers shot 22.2 percent. They also had success close to the basket, outscoring Rutgers 28-20 in the paint.

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Although Rutgers regular season is over, the last few months have provided optimism for the future, with prospects like Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper months away from starting their college careers.

Oh, and there is the upcoming Big Ten Tournament as well.