Rutgers basketball defeats Penn State in Big Ten home opener

PISCATAWAY – A young college basketball team, no matter how talented, must learn how to win.

Rutgers took a big step forward in that regard on Tuesday.

The Scarlet Knights jumped out to a big lead and then beat Penn State 80-76 in their Big Ten home opener. As you’ll see in mid-December, this was almost a must-win as it was their last chance to claim an elusive Quad 1 victory before the calendar turns to 2025.

“You have to learn to win; “You can’t just come to college and do it,” said junior guard Jordan Derkack, who did a lot of it in his first two years at Merrimack. “These guys learn quickly.”

Dec 10, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) blocks a shot by Penn State Nittany Lions guard Freddie Dilione V (4) during the second half at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory attribution: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Scarlet Knights (6-4 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) got 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists from freshman sensation Dylan Harper, the Don Bosco Prep graduate who continues to play like an All-American. Fellow freshman Ace Bailey posted 15 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in his most comprehensive effort yet.

Harper said three straight losses, culminating in Saturday’s bombing at Ohio State, caught everyone’s attention.

“The last two practices have been about competing and playing hard,” he said. “It was a physical man, people were trying to grab rebounds with their elbows, everything.”

Penn State (8-2, 1-1) opened the league with an impressive 81-70 win over No. 8 Purdue at home and landed at No. 18 in the NCAA NET rankings on Tuesday. This was the Nittany Lions’ first road game. They were led with 20 points and six rebounds by senior forward Zach Hicks, a graduate of Camden Catholic High School.

Rutgers chose a good time for its best defensive half of the season, holding the Nittany Lions to 33 points on 36 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes. They came to Piscataway leading the Big Ten with 90.1 points per game, a mark that ranked fourth nationally, behind only Kentucky (92.6), Samford (90.5) and Gonzaga (90.2) .

“This is the type of defense we have to play all year,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said.

The Scarlet Knights also dominated the boards throughout the contest, scoring a plus-14 overall, a plus-6 on offense and earning a 22-8 advantage in second-chance points.

“We weren’t tough enough,” Penn State coach Mike Rhoades said of the rebound disparity. “It’s one thing for them to get a rebound, you can reset your defense – you don’t like it, but you can live with it.” . But they had four tip-ins. You can’t defend them.”

Penn State leads the all-time series 45-38, but Rutgers has won four of its last five. The Scarlet Knights are now 6-1 in their last seven Big Ten home openers.

5 takeaways

1. RU needs this version of Ace Bailey

There was an important sign early on: Bailey wrestled a defensive rebound from two Penn State defenders. That’s the kind of energy Rutgers needs from its 6-foot unicorn, and it was there from the tip to the buzzer.

This team needs Bailey to use his amazing rebounding and defense skills more than he needs to shine on the scoreboard.

“He found out he was 6-10 for the first time today,” Derkack said with a laugh. “Seriously, Pikes was on our side (to get a better rebound). It’s crazy because we have some really good rebounders. I don’t know what the problem was, but it’s all coming together. You’d better get us now.

For Bailey, this was a thoroughly mature performance. He took good shots – mostly at the rim or outside the arc – and made plays deep enough to dominate the glass. He also played his best defensive game and showed promise as a rim protector.

“He showed everything today,” Harper said.

2. Offensive adjustments

Pikiell clearly instructed his charges to stop making long two-point throws, and they largely followed the instruction. Overall, 48 of Rutgers’ 60 field goal attempts were layups or 3-pointers.

It helped that the Scarlet Knights spread the court as well as they have all season and worked to find the open man. The 3-point specialist PJ Hayes was able to make good use of it, as he had four free chances in the first half alone and took advantage of two of them (Hayes finished the game with a team-best plus/minus of plus-8).

One scene was particularly telling: Derkack pushed the ball to the top of the key, drew defenders and hit a pass left to an open Tyson Acuff. Acuff deflected the ball just inside the arc, pumped his defender out of the way, then stepped behind the line and made his three-pointer.

“We really passed the ball – we shared the game,” Pikiell said. “They learn the value of every possession.”

We all knew Rutgers could score, but this was a highly efficient scoring drive rather than relying on Harper to sweep past defenders on every possession or Bailey to make tough fade shots. It will pay off in the long run.

3. The line-up change worked

As he often does after a defeat, Pikiell changed the starting lineup. He inserted sophomore Jamichael Davis at guard for Derkack and directed the Davis to come out of the gate and defend Baldwin.

The change proved effective. Baldwin started slowly and never really let himself be fazed. He scored eight points on 3 of 14 shots. Rutgers took a 13-9 lead before the first subs came on about 13 minutes into the game. Davis played within himself on offense, sharing the ball well and helping to push the tempo. And Derkack filled his super sub role with nine points and three assists.

“(Pikiell) is trying to win and if that means I have to come off the bench, if that means I play 40 minutes, if that means I play zero minutes, then I trust him,” Derkack said. “That’s why I decided to come here. I’m tied to what he wants to do.”

For the first time this season, postgraduate forward and co-captain Zach Martini did not report. That was a coach’s decision based on the matches.

4. Large audience

It had been 20 long days since Rutgers played at home, the longest such stretch of Pikiell’s tenure. Fans responded to the magnitude of the moment and rose to the occasion. The place was filled to the rafters, 8,000 people, and the students stood the entire game. They were almost as loud during stops as they were during basket shots, which is important because this team needs the positive reinforcement on that side.

“It’s nice to be back,” Pikiell said. “Our students got here early and were great…The place was rocking the entire time. We really appreciated that.”

As we saw in the early stages of the Big Ten, any team with March aspirations must defend its home field. Rutgers accomplished this with the great support of its fans.

“You were like a sixth man to us,” Bailey said.

“Great college atmosphere,” Rhoades said. “We have a few guys who haven’t played in the Big Ten along the way, you can tell them until you’re blue, but until you experience it….”

As an addendum: It is highly unlikely that Pikiell will ever allow such a gap between home games again. He was not happy with the result.

5. The needle is at rest

This game was crucial as Rutgers’ next move to boost its resume doesn’t come until a trip to Indiana on Jan. 2.

That doesn’t mean Saturday’s Garden State Hardwood Classic (3 p.m., Fox) against struggling Seton Hall (5-5) is unimportant. The rivalry has been full of surprises – the away team has excelled in each of the last two seasons, and the Scarlet Knights can’t afford a defeat that hurts their metrics. But beating Seton Hall, Princeton and Columbia won’t matter in March.

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