PISCATAWAY, NJ – Junior guard Quincy Douby keyed a game-ending 12-2 run as Rutgers (10-3) defeated intra-state rival Princeton, 54-44, before a season-high crowd of 7,391 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon. Douby, the BIG EAST leading scorer (22.8 average), finished with 23 points, including five points over the final 5:14.
The Tigers (2-9), who have lost five straight games, successfully fought back from a 13-point deficit with 12:58 to play (33-20) to forge a 37-37 tie following Noah Savage’s three-point shot with 7:37 left in the game. Savage then hit another three-pointer with 5:14 to play that knotted the score at 42-42, but that’s when Douby went to work. He made one of two free throws to give RU the lead for good, and then hit a jumper in the paint and found freshman point guard Anthony Farmer open for a three-pointer that gave the Scarlet Knights a 48-42 lead with 4:27 remaining. For good measure, Douby added a blocked shot of on a Savage lay up attempt and two free throws in the final minute of play to seal the victory.
Douby scored 20 points or more for the sixth consecutive game and ninth time in the last 10 contests. Although the usually reliable long-range shooter made just one three-pointer, he hit eight-of-11 free throws, grabbed five rebounds and came up with four steals.
Rutgers, which entered the game third in the BIG in free throw shooting percentage, made just 18-of-28 from the line, which helped keep the Tigers in the game. The win avenges a 53-40 loss to the Tigers last year at Jadwin Gym and is the Scarlet Knights’ seventh win in the last nine meetings in the series, which dates back to 1917.
Ahead 24-18 at intermission, Rutgers was able to push its lead to double figures thanks to a 9-2 run over the first 7:02 of the second half. Savage, who finished with 17 points, got hot for Princeton, however, keeping the Tigers in the game by making five-of-seven from three-point range.
Junior swingman Marquis Webb had 10 points and four rebounds while playing all 40 minutes. Farmer added nine points and committed just one turnover in 30 minutes. On the defensive end, Rutgers forced 23 Princeton turnovers and held an opponent to 50 points or fewer for the fifth time this season.
Rutgers returns to action next Saturday, Jan. 7, when it opens BIG EAST play by hosting rival Seton Hall at the RAC for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off.
POSTGAME NOTES
Best 13-game Start Since 1982-83
Rutgers' 10-3 start is the Scarlet Knights' best record after 13 games since 1982-83 when RU went 11-2 en route to a 23-8 record and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
WITH THE WIN…
With its 54-44 victory over Princeton on Saturday afternoon, Rutgers has now won seven of its last nine meetings vs. the Tigers. Prior to last season's 53-40 defeat at the hands of the Tigers, the Scarlet Knights had won five consecutives contests in the series. RU, which improved to 10-3 on the season, has already matched its win total from the entire 2004-05 season.
RUTGERS AT THE RAC
The Scarlet Knights improved to 8-1 at the RAC this season with its win against the Tigers. Rutgers holds a 56-19 (.746) record at the RAC under Gary Waters. The eight wins surpass RU's win total at the RAC all of last season.
GARY WATERS VS. PRINCETON
Gary Waters has a 4-1 record vs. Princeton with all five match-ups coming as the head coach at Rutgers. Waters is 3-0 against the Tigers in games played at the RAC.
DOUBY MOVES INTO TOP-25 IN SCORING
Junior guard Quincy Douby, the BIG EAST’s leading scorer with 22.8 points per game, moved into 24th place on Rutgers all-time scoring list with his 23-point performance against the Tigers. He passed Steve Kaplan (1969-72) and currently has 1,147 career points. It also marks the sixth consecutive game this season that Douby has topped the 20-point mark and ninth time in the past 10 games.
SCARLET KNIGHTS TAME TIGERS IN FIRST HALF
The 18 points Rutgers allowed vs. Princeton are the least amount of points given up by the Scarlet Knights in a first half this season. RU’s stifling defense forced 13 Princeton turnovers resulting in 12 of RU's 24 first half points.
It marks the third time this season that Rutgers has limited an opponent to less than 20 points in a half, as the Scarlet Knights held Delaware State to 19 points in the second half of its 49-42 victory on Nov. 22, while Maryland Eastern Shore managed 18 second half points in a 92-50 defeat.
SEASON-HIGH ATTENDANCE
Rutgers recorded its largest home attendance of the season, as 7,391 fans attended Saturday afternoon's contest against the Princeton Tigers.
RUTGERS HOLDS AN OPPONENT TO FEWER THAN 50 POINTS
Rutgers allowed just 44 points to Princeton on Dec. 31, marking the fifth time this season that the Scarlet Knights have held an opponent to less than 50 points in a contest. On average, RU is limiting its opponents to 56.7 points per game.
RU PRESSES THE ISSUE
In the 54-44 win against Princeton, Rutgers forced the Tigers into 23 turnovers, the second most this season after causing a season-high 25 miscues in a 63-45 victory over South Carolina State. Through 13 games, the Scarlet Knights are forcing an average of 16.5 turnovers per game.
WEBB POSTS BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE DIGIT OUTINGS
Junior guard Marquis Webb finished with 10 points, his second consecutive double-figure game and fourth in the last six contests.
Official Basketball Box Score
Princeton vs Rutgers
12/31/05 2:00 p.m. at Louis Brown Athletic Ctr; Piscataway, NJ
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VISITORS: Princeton 2-9
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
04 KONCZ, Kyle......... f 0-2 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 4 2 0 0 32
35 SAVAGE, Noah........ f 6-12 5-7 0-0 0 3 3 2 17 0 5 0 0 36
22 STRITTMATTER, Mike.. c 2-3 1-1 0-0 1 1 2 1 5 3 1 2 1 30
03 GREENMAN, Scott..... g 3-9 1-5 1-2 0 4 4 2 8 3 3 0 2 39
15 BUFFMIRE, Edwin..... g 2-2 0-0 2-2 0 2 2 4 6 2 2 1 0 17
11 KESTLER, Geoff...... 1-3 0-1 0-0 1 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 0 18
20 OWINGS, Luke........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 3 0 1 3 0 1 12
21 OKAFOR, Alex........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 4
24 STEUERER, Kevin..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
54 SCHAEN, Harrison.... 2-3 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 2 6 0 2 0 0 11
TEAM................ 5 4 9 1
Totals.............. 16-34 9-19 3-4 7 17 24 19 44 13 23 3 4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 7-15 46.7% 2nd Half: 9-19 47.4% Game: 47.1% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-8 37.5% 2nd Half: 6-11 54.5% Game: 47.4% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 1-2 50.0% 2nd Half: 2-2 100 % Game: 75.0% 0
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HOME TEAM: Rutgers 10-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
15 INMAN, JR........... f 0-0 0-0 2-2 1 2 3 1 2 0 2 2 0 28
21 JOYNES, Byron....... c 0-1 0-0 1-4 2 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 13
01 WEBB, Marquis....... g 3-7 2-4 2-2 1 3 4 2 10 1 2 0 1 40
02 FARMER, Anthony..... g 2-5 1-1 4-4 0 2 2 2 9 1 1 1 1 30
05 DOUBY, Quincy....... g 7-17 1-6 8-11 2 3 5 2 23 3 2 1 4 36
04 HILL, Adrian........ 0-0 0-0 0-2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 14
30 GRIFFIN, Jaron...... 1-3 0-2 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 1 1 11
33 KEATING, Shayle..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
40 BAILEY, Ollie....... 2-4 0-0 1-3 1 0 1 2 5 0 1 0 0 19
44 INGLIS, Jimmie...... 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 6
TEAM................ 2 2
Totals.............. 16-39 4-13 18-28 11 12 23 12 54 5 10 5 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-20 50.0% 2nd Half: 6-19 31.6% Game: 41.0% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-8 25.0% 2nd Half: 2-5 40.0% Game: 30.8% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 2-4 50.0% 2nd Half: 16-24 66.7% Game: 64.3% 5
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Officials: Reggie Greenwood, Jim Haney, Michael Stephens
Technical fouls: Princeton-None. Rutgers-None.
Attendance: 7391
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Princeton..................... 18 26 - 44
Rutgers....................... 24 30 - 54
ID-382984
Points in the paint-PRIN 14,RUTGERS 22. Points off turnovers-PRIN 5,RUTGERS 23.
2nd chance points-PRIN 2,RUTGERS 9. Fast break points-PRIN 2,RUTGERS 2.
Bench points-PRIN 8,RUTGERS 9. Score tied-3 times. Lead changed-6 times.
Last FG-PRIN 2nd-01:58, RUTGERS 2nd-04:27.
Largest lead-PRIN by 2 1st-13:55, RUTGERS by 13 2nd-12:58.
