Rutgers Picks Up First Road Win of the Season

Thursday, December 13

Newark, NJ

7:00 PM

Rutgers University

NJIT

Dec 13 | Men's Basketball

NEWARK, N.J. - Freshman Corey Chandler (Newark, N.J.) was a perfect nine for nine from the free throw line en route to 15 points to lead the Scarlet Knights to a 65-55 win over NJIT at the Prudential Center Thursday evening. Rutgers (7-3) picked up its first road win of the season, using an 11-3 run in the second half to pull away from the Highlanders (0-13). Junior forward JR Inman (Pomona, N.Y.) finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

Hamady Ndiaye had four blocks, marking the seventh game this season he has accomplished the feat, and the third consecutive (Photo by Jim O'Connor)

The first half started slowly for the Scarlet Knights. NJIT took a 7-2 advantage at the 15:22 mark, but RU responded with three pointers on consecutive plays, from Jaron Griffin (Manchester, N.J.) and Inman, giving RU the lead 8-7. The Highlanders would eventually even the score at 11, before Chandler scored an old-fashioned three-point basket to give the Scarlet Knights the lead again, 14-11. RU went into the locker room with a 28-22 halftime lead.

In the second half. NJIT hung around early, tying the game at 36 at the 13:34 mark. Rutgers, however, outscored NJIT 29-19 the rest of the way to win by 10.

Coach Fred Hill emptied his bench with 1:16 to play, putting four freshmen on the floor at the same time for the first time this year. Kofi Genfi (Sayreville, N.J.), Charlie Rigoglioso (Wayne, N.J.), Justin Sofman (West Milford, N.J.), and Earl Pettis (Philadelphia, Pa.) shared time on the hardwood. Junior Thomas Askew (Paterson, N.J.) also entered the game at the 1:16 mark and promptly connected from downtown for the first basket of his RU career.

Rutgers next takes to the hardwood this Sunday, Dec. 16, when it hosts No. 1 North Carolina at the RAC at 8:00 p.m. That game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

POSTGAME NOTES

With 14 points and 13 rebounds, junior JR Inman (Pomona, N.Y.) picked up his third double-double of the season and the seventh of his career.
The 13 rebounds for Inman ties his season-high, set previously at St. Peter's on Nov. 25, and is one shy of his career-high of 14, set at Villanova on Feb. 24, 2007.
With 14 points, Inman has passed 700 points for his career. He now has 701.
Freshman Corey Chandler (Newark, N.J.) was a career-best 9-of-9 from the free throw line. That marks the most free throws made since Quincy Douby went 10-of-12 in an 82-78 victory over Seton Hall at the RAC on Jan. 7, 2006.
Chandler scored in double-figures for the eighth time this season and led RU in scoring for the third time this season.
Chandler tied his career-high with a block of Justin Garris at the 17:03 mark of the second half. Chandler has blocked a shot in two consecutive games.
Sophomore Hamady Ndiaye (Dakar, Senegal) had four blocks, marking the seventh game this season he has accomplished the feat, and the third consecutive game. Ndiaye stands in 11^th place on the Rutgers all-time blocked shot list with 87 career blocks, three short of Rashod Kent and 10^th place.
Junior Anthony Farmer (Millville, N.J.) had three steals, tying his season-high. He previously accomplished the feat against North Carolina Central on Nov. 12.