PISCATAWAY – This was just type of win Rutgers needed at just the right time.
The Scarlet Knights got off to a strong start and never relented on the way to a 78-56 victory over No. 11 Wisconsin Saturday at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
It's the largest margin of victory that Rutgers has ever had against a ranked opponent.
Steve Pikiell’s team played stellar defense from start to finish, but it also had one of its better offensive performances of the season against the Badgers, who have now dropped four in a row.
"We got contributions from everybody," Pikiell said. "Just a great team win today."
The Scarlet Knights have now won three straight games with another home contest against Northwestern coming up on Thursday.
They’ll go into that game with plenty of momentum after throttling Wisconsin.
Rutgers, who had five players in double figures, shot 44.8 percent from the field and went 10-of-17 from the perimeter.
Meanwhile the Scarlet Knights held Wisconsin to a paltry 32.8 percent from the field and 5-of-21 from beyond the arc.
Rutgers took a 15-point lead just more than five minutes into the second half when Aundre Hyatt swished a triple from the right corner that elicited a roar from the crowd. Not long after, Noah Fernandes brought the crowd to its feet once again with a deep three of his own to put the Scarlet Knights up 48-32.
Fernandes didn’t stop there – after Rutgers’ bench was assessed a technical foul that led to two made free throws for Wisconsin, Fernandes made a three and 30 seconds later a layup to push the Scarlet Knights’ lead back to 15 with eight minutes to go.
The game was never in doubt after that.
"We wanted to be aggressive," Pikiell said. "And they were."
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
1. Wisconsin’s first-half turnovers
Rutgers forced the Badgers into 11 turnovers in the first half, which led to 12 points for the Scarlet Knights, who carried a 37-28 lead into the break.
That level of defensive intensity proved pivotal for the Scarlet Knights to get off to a good start and maintain it.
"I thought they were aggressive than we were, specifically early," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. "We allowed them to get some confidence going and then you’re climbing uphill. They’re going to dialup the pressure more when you’re not handling it well."
2. The Noah Fernandes Game
What a game for the UMass transfer guard.
Fernandes finished with 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting, including 5-of-5 from three-point range, in an outstanding performance that the Scarlet Knights needed.
"Noah came off the bench and gave us an unbelievable lift," Pikiell said.
But really, so did Fernandes, who had been struggling offensively lately. It was the first time Fernandes scored in double figures since he had 11 against Illinois on Jan. 21, and just the second time since he had 17 against Ohio State on Jan. 3.
Fernandes received a nice ovation from the crowd when he was subbed out with about six minutes to play.
"Obviously this year I've been struggling," Fernandes said. "I haven't really made anything at all. That's the challenge is what do you do when you aren't making any shots. Are you going to keep shooting or are you just going to keep shooting it because you made some? I feel like that's the difference between a real player, not even just a shooter, and a real person versus someone else who's just trying to get by and take the achievements and smile for the cameras. That's now how I am. Even if I'm not making shots, if I'm open I'm still going to step up and shoot that."
3. Jeremiah Williams continues to make an impact
Pikiell brought Williams into the program for a reason, and Williams has now backed up that decision in the three games since returning from his NCAA gambling-related suspension.
The Iowa State transfer finished with 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting to go along with five rebounds and seven assists.
Williams had 10 points against Michigan in his first game back, then had 14 against Maryland on Tuesday.
It isn’t a coincidence that all three games have been victories for Rutgers.
Between the Achilles injury he suffered before coming to Rutgers and the suspension, it's been a long ride for Williams.
But he's stepped up in the three games he's been back.
"It means everything," Williams said. "When you first have an injury, especially tearing your Achilles, it's devastating. A lot of people doubt if you're able to come back the same player. A lot of people doubt if anything will go right for after. I always told myself it's going to be the best Achilles comeback you've ever seen. I'm just proud of how resilient I was throughout that. It's a relief to be able to come back and play my game."
4. Double-double for Cliff Omoruyi
The Rutgers centered turned in another solid showing, finishing with 11 points on 6-of-11 shooting with 13 rebounds and eight blocks and one steal.
"Cliff had his best practice in four years (Friday)," Pikiell said. "He was 11-of-12 from the floor in our practice. Just fantastic. Grabbed every big rebound."
5. What it means
This was a Quad 1 win for Rutgers, which is now 2-8 against such opponents.
While the NCAA Tournament is likely out of the picture for the Scarlet Knights, the NIT is still a very real possibility.
Saturday’s win over Wisconsin could definitely go a long way.
