The 24th-ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights were able to defeat the St. Peter’s Peacocks 75-65 at home on Monday. The Scarlet Knights were led by guard Dylan Harper, although the team struggled from beyond the arc as a whole.
The Peacocks (0-3), who have some solid players, were trying to figure out how to get their first win of the season as they have been unable to get it all to click. The Scarlet Knights (2-0) are clicking right now with their young team and need to get more consistent when they play tougher opponents.
Let’s take a closer look at the box scores to see how the game went.
Saint Peter's vs. Rutgers box score
Saint Peter's vs. Rutgers box score
Saint Peter's Peacocks box score
Rutgers Scarlet Knights box score
St. Peter’s vs. Rutgers Game Summary
Saint Peter's had a strong showing in the first half. After trailing early, they eventually built up a lead as high as seven points before going into halftime up by five. Marcus Randolph, who led the team with 22 points, scored 16 of those in the first 20 minutes.
The Peacocks were able to keep this game close on the backs of their 3-point shooting as they were 10-of-27 from beyond the arc. They were able to keep the rebounding close as well, with Saint Peter’s 11 offensive rebounds to Rutgers’ nine. They were able to hold the lead at halftime but the second half just did not go their way.
Dylan Harper led Rutgers' resurgence in the second half. He scored five straight points in the opening stages to tie the game up, and the Scarlet Knights went up by as many as nine points midway through the second half.
The Peacocks made things interesting as they took a quick lead with four minutes left, but the Scarlet Knights made a stronger finish to score the victory.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights struggled shooting from distance but were excellent shooting for two as they were 27-of-56 (48.2%) overall. They also were able to draw fouls and head to the free-throw line for 25 attempts. The team just controlled the paint, outscoring the Peacocks 42-22 in that area. The Scarlet Knights were able to just play well and defeat a quality opponent.
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