Rutgers Basketball falls to Ohio State 80-73
It was another tough outing for Rutgers Basketball as it fell to Ohio State 80-73 at Jersey Mike’s Arena to remain winless in Big Ten play.
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CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR
Despite leading by as much as 15 points in the first half, Ohio State (10-3, 2-1 Big Ten) overcame the early deficit and outscored Rutgers 31-8 to take a 55-47 lead with 13:53 left in the second. The game was tight the rest of the way, but John Mobley Jr. hit a 3-pointer with 2:13 remaining to give Ohio State a 76-69 lead.
The Buckeyes used a 6-0 run to take a 73-67 lead with 3:23 remaining, hitting five of their last six field goals. Rutgers (7-7, 0-3 Big Ten) ended the run with a dunk from Bryce Dortch to cut it to a four-point game with 2:43 left.
Rutgers had a tough time stopping Ohio State’s offense when it got going, as the Buckeyes finished 52 percent from the field (27-for-52).
Ohio State had four players finish with double figures as Bruce Thornton led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Devin Royal had 16 points. Brandon Noel added 14 points, while Mobley had 12.
The Scarlet Knights put up some fight of their own offensively, shooting 42 percent from the field (27-for-64), but it was not enough as only two players reached double figures. Tariq Francis led the way with 17 points, while Dylan Grant had 14.
A QUALITY FIRST HALF
Rutgers came out and played arguably its best half of the season, leading 41-37 at halftime, led by Tariq Francis with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting. The Scarlet Knights shot 47 percent from the field (16-for-34), with Dylan Grant adding nine points.
The sides played even early on, with Ohio State cutting it to a 19-18 game following a 3-pointer from Bruce Thornton at the 11:55 mark. However, the Scarlet Knights put their foot on the gas as the half went on and used a 13-2 run to take a 39-24 lead with 3:58 remaining. Their 15-point lead marked the largest in program history against Ohio State.
The Buckeyes answered with a 13-2 run of its own, capped off by a dunk from Brandon Noel, to end the half down by four.
Ohio State finished the first half shooting 52 percent (12-for-23), with Noel recording 14 points.
UP NEXT
Rutgers will return to action on Monday when it faces Oregon at 7 p.m. (ET) on Peacock.
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