Rutgers University
Florida
Rutgers Falls to Florida in Legends Classic Final
Nov 28 | Men's Basketball
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Sophomore guard Mike Rosario (Jersey City, N.J.) scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed a team-best six rebounds, but it was not enough as Rutgers (3-2) fell to Florida (6-0), 73-58, Saturday evening in the championship game of the 2009 Legends Classic at Boardwalk Hall. Rosario was name to the Classic all-tournament team after averaging 17.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in the four games of the event.
Senior center Hamady Ndiaye (Daker, Senegal) also had a strong performance versus the Gators. The team co-captain added 12 points, four rebounds and a game-high three blocks in just 17 minutes of play. He also threw down several thunderous dunks to spark the Scarlet Knights.
After the two squads split the first four baskets of the contest, Florida went on 9-2 run to take a 13-6 lead at the 14:16 mark.
Dane Miller (Henrietta, N.Y.) sank a trey from the left corner to trim UF’s lead to 13-9. Miller proved clutch again four minutes later when UF was leading 22-15, Miller slammed a tomahawk dunk off a missed three from James Beatty (Wilmington, N.C.) to put the score at 22-17. The momentum carried over on the other end when Ndiaye swatted a floater from UF’s Chandler Parsons into the stands.
After a layup from UF’s Vernon Macklin that extend the Gators’ lead to 24-17, the Scarlet Knights went on a 5-0 run sparked by a layup from Mike Coburn (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) and a layup and free throw from Austin Johnson (Elkins Park, Pa.).
Florida responded with two quick layups to increase its lead to 28-22. Rosario kept the Scarlet Knights in the game by scoring RU’s final seven points of the half, highlighted by a falling-down three form the top of the key, as Florida ended the half with a 34-29 advantage.
The Scarlet Knights could only manage a three from Patrick Jackson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in the first five and half minutes of the second half as the Gators increased their lead to 42-32.
The squads battled back and forth for the next few minutes and after two dunks from Ndiaye, RU cut UF’s lead back to single digits at 50-42 with 11:23 remaining. The Gators began to pull away as they went on a 13-4 run and held a 15-plus lead for the final seven minutes of the game.
Rutgers returns to the hardwood this Thursday (Dec. 3) when it hosts Princeton at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES
• Mike Rosario led the team in points (14) and rebounds (6) for the second straight night. Rosario has led RU in points 24 times and boards three times in his 37 games as a Scarlet Knight.
• Rosario’s 14 points marks the 33th time in his 37 games, including all five games this season, that he has scored in double digits. The six-foot-three guard has scored 10-plus points by halftime in 14 of those games. Rosario has scored at least 12 points in 10 straight non-conference games dating back to last season.
• RU’s starting lineup against Florida of Mike Coburn, Rosario, Patrick Jackson, Jonathan Mitchell and Gregory Echenique have started all five games for Rutgers this season.
• Dane Miller scored a career high nine points on a perfect 4-4 shooting performance.
• Austin Johnson celebrated his 20th birthday by posting career highs in points (5) and rebounds (3).
• Hamady Ndiaye’s three blocks marks the 38th time in his career that he has tallied three-plus deflections. The RU co-captain has swatted three-plus blocks each game this season and has collected 22 blocks in just 81 minutes of play.
• Ndiaye’s 12 points marks the second straight night and sixth time in his career that he has scored in double digits.
• Ndiaye’s four rebounds moves him into 39th place on the school’s career rebounds list with 471.
• Brian Okam pulled down two rebounds in his first action as a Scarlet Knight.
• Mike Kuhn saw his first playing time of the season.
• Florida now leads the all-time series with Rutgers by a 4-1 margin. RU is 4-12 all-time against Southeastern Conference teams.
