PISCATAWAY, N.J. — — Ace Bailey scored 24 points, fellow freshman Dylan Harper recorded the first triple-double for Rutgers since 1983 and the Scarlet Knights beat Columbia 91-64 on Monday night.
Harper grabbed his 10th rebound with 5:05 remaining in the second half and he found Bailey for a layup at the other end for his 10th assist to secure the program’s first triple-double since star center Roy Hinson had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks against Rhode Island on March 2, 1983.
Harper finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for Rutgers (8-5), which was coming off an 83-82 loss to Princeton. Harper also made 4 of 7 3-pointers. Jamichael Davis and Lathan Sommerville each scored 11.
Bailey scored 13 points in the opening 12 minutes to help Rutgers build a 27-18 lead. The Scarlet Knights led 44-35 at the break and later took their largest lead of the game in the closing seconds when freshman Peter Noble made a long 3-pointer on his first shot attempt of the season.
Columbia’s first offensive rebound of the game led to a 3-pointer by Kenny Noland to get within 54-46 with 14:07 remaining. But Harper scored the next four points to begin a 10-2 run that he capped with a 3-pointer to make it 64-48. Rutgers led by double digits the rest of the way.
Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa scored 17 points for Columbia (11-2). Noland had 16 points and four 3-pointers
Rutgers, which concluded the nonconference portion of its schedule, returns to Big Ten play against Indiana on Thursday. Columbia hosts Cornell on Jan. 11 in an Ivy League opener for both teams.
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Rutgers Men’s Basketball Dominates Columbia in 91-64 Victory
In their final non-conference game of the season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights put on a dominant performance against the Columbia Lions, coming away with a resounding 91-64 victory.
The Scarlet Knights came out strong from the start, establishing a double-digit lead early in the first half and never looking back. Their offense was firing on all cylinders, shooting an impressive 55% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. Defensively, Rutgers was equally impressive, holding Columbia to just 36% shooting and forcing 15 turnovers.
Senior guard Jacob Young led the way for the Scarlet Knights with a game-high 23 points, while junior forward Cliff Omoruyi added a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. The bench also made a significant impact, with freshman guard Jalen Miller contributing 11 points in just 15 minutes of play.
Head coach Steve Pikiell was pleased with his team’s performance, emphasizing the importance of maintaining their focus and intensity heading into conference play. “We knew we had to come out strong and set the tone early, and that’s exactly what we did today,” said Pikiell. “But we can’t afford to let up now. We have some tough games ahead in the Big Ten, and we need to stay locked in and continue to play at this level.”
With the win, Rutgers improves to 10-3 on the season and looks to carry this momentum into their upcoming conference matchups. The Scarlet Knights will face off against Michigan State in their Big Ten opener, and they will be looking to make a statement as they continue their quest for a postseason berth.
Overall, it was a commanding performance by Rutgers, and they will be looking to build on this win as they enter the heart of their schedule.
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