Piscataway, N.J. - Mike Rosario (Jersey City, N.J.) scored 15 points and Earl Pettis (Philadelphia, Pa.) contributed 11, but it was not enough, as Rutgers (10-14, 1-10) dropped a hard-fought 65-60 decision to rival Seton Hall (13-9, 4-6) Sunday afternoon at the RAC. The Pirates scored the game's final seven points to capture the win in a contest that featured 16 lead changes and ten ties.

Anthony Farmer was honored pre-game for scoring his 1000th career-point.

"We lost the game at the free throw line," said Rutgers head coach Fred Hill. "It's plain and simple, that's the difference in the game. If you look at the statistics, we out-rebounded them. We turned the ball over too much, but we were right in the game. If we make free throws, we could have stretched the lead out…It would have been a different ball game."

The Scarlet Knights entered the game ranked third in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage, making 72.3 percent from the charity stripe. It was a different story versus the Pirates, however, as RU made just 52.9 percent (9-17) from the foul line.

As expected, the game was a back-and-forth affair from start to finish. Seton Hall's largest advantage was six points (13-7) with 13:17 remaining before halftime, while Rutgers' biggest lead was five points (22-17), with 6:49 to go before the break. The teams entered the locker room at the midpoint tied a 32-32.

After intermission, the leads remained low and the tempo stayed high. A JR Inman (Pomona, N.Y.) free throw provided the home squad a 60-58 edge with 2:50 remaining, but the point would be the final of the afternoon for Rutgers. Jeremy Hazell, who posted a game-high 15 points, had a pair of fast break dunks in the final 1:25 to seal the win for the visitors.

The Scarlet Knights shot 42.1 percent (24-57), including 30 percent (3-10) from behind the arc. Seton Hall made 41.1 percent (23-56) of its field goals, including 37.5 percent (6-16) from long range. On the boards, Rutgers held a 42-29 advantage. Inman and Gregory Echenique (Guatire, Venezuela) grabbed 11 and 10 rebounds, respectively, to pace the home squad.

Seton Hall's John Garcia captured the memorial Joe Calabrese Player of the Game Award. Garcia made six of eight field goals to finish with 13 points, while also gathering eight rebounds.

The Scarlet Knights return to the hardwood Saturday evening (Feb. 14) at Providence. The game will be televised live on SNY, with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES

• In the 55th meeting between Garden State rivals Rutgers and Seton Hall, the Pirates (13-9, 4-6 BIG EAST) defeated the Scarlet Knights (10-14, 1-10 BIG EAST) 65-60 Sunday afternoon at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Seton Hall now leads the all-time series 31-24.
• The last six games in the series have been decided by five points or less or in overtime.
• Rutgers is now 15-12 at home vs. the Hall and 10-16 in BIG EAST regular season action.
• Freshman Mike Rosario, the current BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, led RU with 15 points (double-figures in 22-of-24 games)
• RU is fifth nationally in blocks per game and finished Sunday's contest with seven blocks, including a team-high four blocks by freshman Gregory Echenique.
• Two of Echenique's block came on the same possession with just over three minutes remaining.
• Sophomore Earl Pettis started the game 4-for-4 from the field and finished the game with 11 points (5-of-10 shooting). In his last two games, Pettis is 8-of-14 from the field vs. Georgetown and Seton Hall.
• Rutgers shot 50 percent from the field in the first half (15-of-30).
• Senior J.R. Inman pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds. He moved into 13th place in career rebounds with 656 career rebounds at Rutgers.
• Echenique posted his 10th game with three or more blocks this season, which leads the squad.
• Senior Anthony Farmer handed out five assists for the sixth time this season and the 26th time in his career. He is now fourth in school history with 353 career assists, moving past Damon Santiago (350).
• The two teams combined for 16 lead changes and 10 ties in the game.
• Rutgers out-rebounded the Pirates 42-29 for the game, including an 18-9 advantage on the offensive glass. It marked the second time in three games Rutgers has out-rebounded the opposition by 13 rebounds (42-29 advantage in the win vs. DePaul).
• Rutgers received a strong effort from its bench as the Scarlet Knight reserves out-scored the Pirates 17-5. Sophomore Corey Chandler led the way with nine points (4-of-7 shooting) and three assists.

POSTGAME QUOTES

FRED HILL

On RU's offensive possessions in the final minute:
"We had some great looks. We were going inside. We had a timeout left and plenty of time to set up our defense after we score. We got Anthony (Farmer) a great look, we got a rebound and missed a lay-up and we got a kick-out to Earl (Pettis) for a wide open three. I don't think any of that had to do with the game. We lost the game at the free throw line. It's plain and simple, that's the difference in the game. If you look at the statistics, we out-rebounded them. We turned the ball over too much, but we were right in the game. If we make free throws, we could have stretched the lead out. We had a stretch where we missed 3-of-6 free throws and we were up two. We could have stretched the game out to four or six and it would have been a different ball game."

On RU's free throw shooting:
"We've been a very good free throw shooting team. Tonight we picked a bad time not to make them. We've been shooting over 70 percent as a team and tonight we shot 52.9 percent. That's the game. Free throws are free throws and you have to step up and make them. We shoot more free throws, I would imagine, than anybody in the country at practice. As a team we have to make 80 percent, and that's something that's really hard to do, or we run. Almost every day we don't run."

On his assessment of Seton Hall:
"You have to give them (Seton Hall) credit for hanging in there. We executed defensively and offensively. We did everything we needed to do. But we missed nine layups and we missed free throws. They found a way to stay in it and win it and you have to give them credit for that."

On going for a two rather than attempting a three on RU's final offensive possession:
"There was 19 seconds to go, you don't need a three point shot. If we're going to get a good look for Mike Rosario and he's open and he has a good look, he's going to shoot the three. But we had options on that (last) play."

"We wanted to give ourselves two chances. We had a time out; we would have called a time out, set up a press, fouled and sent them down to the free throw line if we didn't get a turnover. Then we would have come down and tried to run something. We would have needed a three if they made both free throws, if they don't we would of went inside and tried to get to the free throw line or score a basket to tie the game up."

SETON HALL COACH BOBBY GONZALEZ

Opening Statement: "Obviously we are thrilled to win. In a rivalry series, it is very difficult to get a sweep. We thought two years ago we should have after we won the game at the Meadowlands but we lost in double overtime here and we won in regulation last year here and we were upset 17 at the half on senior day and we played too tight, playing not to lose instead of to win so it was a big deal to come in here today and get a sweep and we were able to accomplish that. I think it is a great accomplishment for this specific team because I think this team we got picked far back (in the BIG EAST) and we are limited with our bodies and our depth and playing back to back rivalry games, St. John's Thursday night and this one today I was worried about us being a little beat up, physically, mentally, emotionally even tough were at home on Thursday and this is not far from our place. It will be harder on Tuesday night playing our third game in six days because we have to travel to Chicago. But bottom line is I thought we made the plays at the end of the game that we needed to make to win down the stretch we had great defensive stops and I thought we did a great job with (Rutgers guard Mike) Rosario not giving him opening looks and really making him work for everything and especially in the last 15 minutes. I think our defense won and people say we don't defend. If we can win games in the 60's, like we did against Georgetown and we did today on the road. And we can win game in the 90's, which we did against St. John's then we can beat some people. We know it's not easy to beat the elite teams but we have to take care of business with teams that we are equal or close to or picked ahead of us or behind us or close to."

On the defensive last stop of Rutgers: "We thought we had something to do with that. We felt like we deserved some of the credit on that, we pressured their perimeter some much that we forced them to throw it in Inman who I think spun; I don't know if he shot or passed it. I was relieved when that happened and I told our guys that if it gets into the paint don't get sucked in because two years ago when we lost in double overtime, Brian Lang got sucked in and they kicked it out to Inman and he tied the game to put it in the second overtime and that's how we got beat. Today we talked about that and sometimes you learn from your losses."

On the rivalry: "I know that everyone sees me as a lightning rod or lightning bolt. I respect the coaches (in the Metro area). It's not personal for me. It wouldn't matter to me who the coach at St. John's was or who the coach at Rutgers was; when I complete locally, and you know me Hoops, I was the same way when I was at Manhattan and went against Iona and Fordham, John Thompson said a term years ago and he called it competitive hate. It doesn't mean you hate someone or you are not rooting for someone to get cancer or have something bad in their life. It just means you want to win very badly. I am extremely completive and I want to win when we play St. John's, I want to win when we play Rutgers. Some people don't want to talk about it and they say it's the same as any other game, I'm not that type. I am straight up and I say what I feel. In my heart, I am an East Coast guy, I'm a New York guy, I'm in New Jersey, I want to beat St. John's, I want to beat Rutgers I want to get players from the East Coast so these games are very important to me and to our team. We have kids from Brooklyn, New York, New Jersey and I am sure the coaches feel the same way and they want to beat me bad. You want the kids to do it respectively; you don't want fights and stuff like that and any disrespect. You want them to be professional. But it is hard because there is a lot of emotion in these games because you have tough kids. Mike Rosario is not going to back down, neither are our kids. They are going to get tough kids, we are going to get tough kids and I think as we all get better and will hopefully get more and more exciting."