PISCATAWAY, N.J. (March 2, 2010) - Rutgers (15-14, 5-11) hosts Seton Hall (16-11, 7-9) Thursday (March 4) in a 7:00 p.m. tip-off at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in the second meeting in 10 days between the BIG EAST and Garden State foes. The Pirates will travel approximately 27 miles down the New Jersey Turnpike from South Orange for the much anticipated match-up. The Scarlet Knights will be preparing to improve to 6-1 at home since Jan. 30.
A “Senior Night Block Party” for Rutgers students in honor of team co-captain Hamady Ndiaye (Dakar, Senegal), who will be playing his final game on the RAC hardwood, will supplement the evening. Ndiaye leads the BIG EAST and ranks third nationally in blocks with 4.6 rejections-per-contest. He also ranks second among active NCAA players in career blocks with 346, which is nine rejections shy of the Rutgers career mark (355) set by All-American and NBA veteran Roy Hinson (1979-83). Ndiaye will be recognized during pre-game player introductions, which are also slated to include Ndiaye’s parents and Hinson.
The game will be televised live nationally on ESPN and via the web at
www.ESPN360.com. Dave Pasch will serve as play-by-play announcer and Tim Welsh will provide the commentary. On the radio, the contest will be broadcast live on the Rutgers Radio Network, WOR 710 AM in New York City and WCTC 1450 AM in New Brunswick. Chris Carlin will serve as play-by-play announcer and Dick Lloyd will provide commentary. WRSU 88.7 FM will also broadcast the game.
Thursday’s match-up marks the 57th meeting between the schools dating back to 1916, with Seton Hall holding a 32-24 advantage. The last seven meetings under the current coaching staffs have been decided by six points or less or in overtime. Ten of the last 11 meetings between the schools have been decided by six points or less or in overtime. Rutgers is 15-12 all-time at home versus the Pirates and 10-17 in BIG EAST regular season play. On Feb. 23, Seton Hall earned a 76-70 win over RU at the Prudential Center in Newark. Sophomore guard Mike Rosario (Jersey City, N.J.) scored 17 points and Ndiaye and junior forward Jonathan Mitchell (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) both had double-doubles in the loss.
Rutgers is coming off a 71-62 home victory over DePaul Saturday afternoon. Rosario scored 19 of his game-high 24 points in the second half to help RU overcome a 14-point first half deficit. He made eight-of-13 field goal attempts, including a five-of-eight mark from behind the arc, while also grabbing six rebounds. Rosario was joined in double figures by Mitchell and freshman wing Dane Miller (Henrietta, N.Y.), who contributed 18 and 10 points, respectively. The trio’s scoring was aided by the play of junior point guard James Beatty (Wilmington, N.C.), who dished-out a game-high and career-high tying eight assists. The Scarlet Knights shot 52.1 percent (25-48) for the game, including a 57.7 percent (15-26) mark after the break.
Rosario was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Monday for the second time this season, marking the 10th occasion in 2009-10 that a Rutgers Player has been recognized in the weekly awards. Rosario leads the Scarlet Knights and ranks 11th in the BIG EAST in scoring with 16.4 points-per-game. He needs six points versus the Pirates to become the 38th member of the RU 1,000-point club. He would join two-time All-American Phil Sellers (1972-76) as the only sophomores to reach the millennium mark.
Miller was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week three straight weeks, becoming the first league player to do so since Carmelo Anthony. He leads all BIG EAST rookies in scoring (12.6) and rebounding (6.6), while placing second in steals (1.19) and third in both assists (2.75) and blocks (1.1) in conference games. Ndiaye was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll three times this season and Mitchell was also recognized.
Seton Hall, under the leadership of fourth-year head coach Bobby Gonzalez, is coming off an 84-83 overtime loss at home Sunday afternoon to Marquette. The Pirates are led in the scoring column by junior guard Jeremy Hazell, who averages 21.4 points-per-game.
GAME NOTES
