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It was interesting. And then Rutgers woke up.
Maybe it was the short turnaround time. Tryptophan could also be to blame. Perhaps it was the realization that this could be the first game of many with Geo Baker in formal attire. Or, you know, it might just be that playing in an empty arena in front of a sea of cardboard is just weird once the adrenaline of opening day has dried up.
But regardless, the No.24 Scarlet Knights came out flat on Friday at RAC. Fairleigh Dickinson didn’t, and he grabbed an early lead that probably would have booed Rutgers fans if there was a giveaway in the building. But, once again, Rutgers woke up, so it was a night no one will remember on Sunday instead of one that will be fired for months.
Ron Harper Jr. scored a career-high 30 points and Jacob Young added 24 points as Rutgers claimed a 96-75 victory over FDU at Piscataway after trailing for almost 10 minutes in the first half.
FDU (0-2) led by no less than seven points at the start, but the Scarlet Knights started to pull out when Young’s go-ahead at 3 points with 5:20 left in the first half sparked a run of 14-0 which transformed the game. Harper pierced five 3-pointers and showed the offensive consistency Rutgers seeks from him, especially with Baker sidelined indefinitely with a bad ankle sprain. And the Scarlet Knights are now 2-0 ahead of Sunday’s scheduled tilt with Hofstra, another team that had a long-awaited NCAA tournament appearance wiped out by COVID-19 in March.
Montez Mathis scored 15 points for Rutgers. Point guard Paul Mulcahy, starting in place of Baker, had two points and eight rebounds in the lead. Big man Myles Johnson had eight points and rookie Mawot Mag had six points and five tables. Announced rookie Cliff Omoruyi had a quiet night’s sleep after scoring a double brace in his college debut Wednesday against Sacred Heart; he only had five points and three rebounds.
Jahlil Jenkins and Brandon Rush each had 16 points for FDU and Pier-Olivier Racine had a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. Callum Baker was the fourth knight in double digits with 11 points. FDU rallied to come back to less than nine points with 13:42 to go, but Rutgers again dominated him, leading by no less than 26 points on the stretch.
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James Kratch can be reached at [email protected].
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