Rutgers University
South Carolina State
Webb Powers Rutgers Past South Carolina State, 75-68
Dec 31 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Senior guard Marquis Webb (Paterson, N.J.) scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Rutgers men's basketball team (7-6) to a 75-68 win over South Carolina State (3-8) on Sunday afternoon at the Louis Brown Athletic Center (RAC).
Webb's career-high 28 points included a 5-of-8 performance from behind the three-point arc and a 7-of-8 effort from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Anthony Farmer (Millville, N.J.) added season bests in points (16) and assists (5), while sophomore forward JR Inman (Pomona, N.Y.) grabbed a team-best nine rebounds and also scored in double figures with 15 points. Junior forward Ollie Bailey (Chicago, Ill.) came off the bench to score seven points, including 5-of-6 from the free throw line, and pulled down four rebounds in 17 minutes of action.
"Marquis Webb was terrific," said Rutgers head coach Fred Hill. "He was unbelievably active today and was played very confident, when he had his looks he buried them. It was nice to see him go out of 2006 with a phenomenal game."
Trailing 7-4 early on, Webb hit a three-pointer from the left wing to tie the game at the 16:28 mark. On RU's next two possessions, Webb came up with another triple and a jumper, for five of his 15 first-half points, to give the Scarlet Knights a 12-9 advantage.
With 7:15 to play in the opening half, sophomore swingman Jaron Griffin (Manchester, N.J.) got a steal at mid-court and gave the Scarlet Knights a 21-17 lead on a dunk at the other end. South Carolina State countered with two-straight buckets to cut the lead to one at the 5:30 mark when Brian Mason hit a jumper.
Two possessions later, Webb hit a triple to give RU a four-point lead and Farmer hit a three-pointer of his own from the top of the key to give Rutgers a seven-point lead (28-21) at the 3:45 mark. In the final minute of the half, Inman collected an offensive rebound off a Webb miss and dunked the ball to power RU to 37-30 lead at the break.
Inman scored three of RU's first four buckets to open the second stanza, hitting a triple and nailing a jumper from the free throw line. His third field goal came off an offensive rebound and extended the Scarlet Knight's lead to 46-32 with 16:09 to play.
Webb hit a triple with 14:33 to play, giving Rutgers a 49-34 lead - its largest of the game. Over the next four minutes, RU traded baskets with the Bulldogs, holding a double-digit lead until the 10:16 mark when South Carolina State's Robert Baker scored his lone field goal of the game.
RU maintained its advantage, leading by nine (58-49) at the 7:40 mark. However, South Carolina State cut the lead to five, scoring on three-straight possessions, capped on a lay-up by Thomas Bookman with 5:51 remaining.
The teams traded baskets over the next two minutes and at the 3:05 mark, Farmer hit a three-pointer to increase the lead to eight. After a South Carolina State turnover, Inman hit a lay-up, as the Scarlet Knights led 67-57 with 2:11 on the clock. Marcus McCants responded for the Bulldogs' on their next trip down the floor, hitting a triple from the left wing to cut the lead to seven.
Over the final 1:10 of the game, the Scarlet Knights went 7-of-8 from the free throw line, including a 6-of-6 effort from Webb, to seal the win.
Rutgers will ring in the new year with a road contest at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., opening BIG EAST play a Seton Hall on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES
WITH THE WIN '?
With the 75-68 defeat of South Carolina State, the Scarlet Knights have now won six of their last seven games and improve to 7-6 on the season. Rutgers also improves to 2-0 all-time against South Carolina State, who has yet to win on the road this season. Rutgers' defeated the Bulldogs, 63-45, in the first meeting between the two teams on Dec. 17, 2005.
CAREER DAY FOR WEBB
Senior guard Marquis Webb's 28 points were acareer-high, as were his five made three-pointers, surpassing his previous highs of 19 points and four three-pointers. It was the first 20-point game of his career.
Webb's six rebounds were also a season-high, eclipsing his previous mark of five rebounds, set against Kansas State on Nov. 15, and his three assists tied his season-high, which he set against North Carolina on Dec. 28.
With his one steal, Webb is now one grab away from cracking the top 20 of Rutgers' career steals list.
DOUBLE-DIGITS FOR INMAN
Sophomore forward JR Inman scored 15 points, and has now reached double figures in 12 of RU's 13 games, the only Scarlet Knight to do so this season.
OTHER CAREER HIGHS
Sophomore guard Anthony Farmer established season-highs in both points and assists, as he scored 16 points and chipped-in five assists against SCSU, surpassing his previous highs of 13 points and four assists.
Senior forward Adrian Hill set a season high in blocks with three against South Carolina, surpassing his previous high of one, which he reached in five games this season.
PERFECTION
Rutgers is now a perfect 7-0 when leading at the half, as they went into the break with a 37-30 lead over the Bulldogs.
The Scarlet Knights also hold a 5-0 record in day games and a 4-0 record in 6-10 point games, as they defeated SCSU by seven points.
Fred Hill Post-Game Quotes
On the play of senior Marquis Webb.
"Marquis Webb was terrific. What I thought he was unbelievably active today. He was played very confident, when he had his looks he buried them. He was on the glass and he is our best free throw shooter. So down the stretch, if you can get the ball in his hands, he will get to the line and make the free throws for you. He shot very well from three which was something we were waiting for. He's one hardest workers and I am not surprised to see him get shots up and get rewarded. It was nice of him to go out of 2006 with a phenomenal game."
On suspensions and the overall play versus South Carolina State.
"It was a simple one game suspension and I would expect them to bounce back and come back hungry to play. I actually didn't think we started off the game like that. I thought we started off a little sluggish without the defensive intensity that I anticipated us having. Once we got to 10 minute mark, the defense started to pick up and we got some easy baskets. And the first seven minutes of the second half, we were at our best defensively. Fortunately tonight, we scored 78 points and Marquis was able to carry us and J.R. Inman was one rebound shot of a double-double and Anthony Farmer had a wonderful, efficient night, going 6-of-9, 2-of-3 from three with five assists."
On the team.
"I love our guys, our team and their work ethic. Our practices are spirited. Everything you would want as a head coach in your team to be. I believe these guys are getting there. It's a process. They are the right guys. We need experience and shoot better. There are things we need to work on but when you have a group of guys that come out every day and work and work hard that makes a difference. We are building a foundation for the future and again, we don't ever look ahead. We will just go out and play every game. We grind it out. Never give up. I thought even at Carolina, we did a great job in the first half before the avalanche came. They never stopped playing, diving on loose balls no matter the situation. Earlier in the year we didn't have much success then we had some, we went down to Carolina and got beat. We came back today and grinded out another win. We go into BIG EAST part of schedule, looking to do the same thing - grind out games and win some."
Next game, Seton Hall.
Honestly, its something we haven't addressed yet. To me it's the beginning of the BIG EAST. It's one of the reasons we scheduled Carolina. I just got telling the kids to prepare them to go on the road in the BIG EAST. The reason we scheduled one of the best teams in the country was to be able to go out and play on the road in the BIG EAST. To me, right now we are just building. It's the first BIG EAST game. Tomorrow we come to practice, we are going to focus on practice. The next day, we prepare for Seton Hall. And then we will go and play. We have to get our guys ready to win in the conference on the road (with the first two games on the road)."
