Rutgers University
Fairleigh Dickinson
Mitchell Shoots Rutgers to 79-65 Victory over FDU
Dec 14 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Senior forward Jonathan Mitchell (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) shot 10-of-15 to score 22 points in helping Rutgers (7-2) to a 79-65 win over Fairleigh Dickinson (3-6) Tuesday evening at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. The Scarlet Knights dished out 22 assists in the victory, their most in a contest since Dec. 2005.
On the heels of the 51.9 percent (28-54) shooting performance versus FDU, RU is now a perfect 6-0 at the RAC this season.
Sophomore guard Dane Miller (Rochester, N.Y.) scored 13 points with nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks to fall one board shy of his third consecutive double-double. He was one of three Scarlet Knights with five or more helpers, as senior guards Mike Coburn (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) and James Beatty (Wilmington, N.C.), dished out six and five, respectively.
Freshman forward Gilvydas Biruta (Jonava, Lithuania) joined Mitchell and Miller in double digits with 11 points, helped by six free throws. Fellow big man Austin Johnson (Elkins, Park, Pa.) also performed well, making four-of-five field goal attempts to register eight points. The Scarlet Knights outscored FDU by a 32-12 margin in the paint.
RU’s defense was once again relentless. Fairleigh Dickinson shot just 32.6 percent (15-46) and committed 23 turnovers.
The Scarlet Knights jumped-out to a 14-3 lead before the visitors rattled-off nine straight points to close the gap. RU led by just one (17-16) with 10:15 on the first half clock before a 10-point run definitively swayed the game in the home squad’s favor. Rutgers scored the final five points before the break to take a 40-25 advantage into the locker room at the midpoint.
Rutgers held comfortable, double-digit advantages throughout the second half. Its largest lead was 21 points (62-41) with 10 minutes to play.
The Scarlet Knights return to the hardwood this Saturday (Dec. 18) evening at Monmouth in a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.
Postgame Notes
- The 22 assists dished out by RU were the most since Dec. 15, 2005 when the Scarlet Knights had 26 in a 91-56 win over Maine.
- Jonathan Mitchell’s 17 first half points were the most of his career in a single half. The senior scored a team-high 22 overall – the 29th time in his career he has hit double-digits. The game marked the third time Mitchell has notched 20-plus.
- James Beatty set a career high with five steals.
- With six assists, Coburn moved into a tie for No. 15 on Rutgers' career assist list. He now has 275, matching Tom Brown (1977-79).
- Three RU players scored in double-figures for the sixth time this season with Mitchell, Dane Miller (13) and Gilvydas Biruta (11). Rutgers is 5-1 when that happens.
- RU moves to 6-0 at home and has won four-straight contests.
- Miller was one rebound shy of a double-double with 13 points, nine rebounds, adding a season-high five assists.
- Biruta scored in double-digits for the fifth time in six games. He added six rebounds.
- Rutgers forced a season-high 15 turnovers in the first half. The 23 total turnovers forced were the most since Nov. 25, 2007 at Saint Peter’s, when RU forced the Peacocks into 23 miscues.
- Rutgers assisted on 13 of its 16 field goals in the first half.
- RU dominated points off turnovers (36-12) and points in the paint (32-12).
- The RU defense held its fifth opponent to below 35 percent shooting (32.6) from the floor.
- Rutgers moves to 7-0 when holding opponents under 69 points.
- Of the nine players that saw at least one minute of action, all nine scored at least two points and seven had at least one assist.
- The Scarlet Knights started off the game with a 14-3 run over the first 5:28, forcing the Knights to shoot 1-of-6 from the floor with five turnovers. Over that span, RU shot 6-for-8 (with five assists), turning the ball over just once.
- Head coach Mike Rice went with the starting lineup of James Beatty, Mike Coburn, Dane Miller, Jonathan Mitchell and Gilvydas Biruta for the ninth time this season. The Scarlet Knights have started a freshman in 26-straight contests.
Postgame Quotes
Rutgers Head Coach Mike Rice
Opening Statement:
‘I thought this team played with energy. They played stretches with purpose. (They played) unselfish at times. Anytime you have 22 assists and 13 turnovers – you have to like that. It’s just that when it’s time to put someone away – a knockout punch – this team seems to get in its own way. Whether it is missing the front end of one-and-ones, turnovers, missed defensive assignments, splits. It has happened for the last three games. As a staff, we picked up the energy and intensity because these are tests. The final is an 18-game BIG EAST Conference season. We are passing most of these tests. But are we improving? Are we making it boil? Are we doing everything we need to be doing to be ready for our final? That is what is concerning at times.”
On how to maintain the lead:
“I think it is the matter of fact of playing the same way you did to build the lead. They tend to relax. They tend to play a little looser. I explained to them that they may get away with it now. It’s not going to be like that when we take our final exam – the BIG EAST season. That is the growth I am looking for. Again, JB (James Beatty) and those guys played hard. Even Dane (Miller played hard). Dane’s trying. They have to get better. There is an urgency in the last three-four practices about that. Guys, yes, you are passing the tests, but are you ready for your exam? Are you ready for the season? We have a couple more tests coming up. I’d like to get better.”
On postgame talk:
“We discussed life and the basketball season and the need to improve. We can’t want to be good. We have to need it. There has to be a need to this team. There has to be more of an urgency. Again, they are all wonderful individuals. They are all very respectful, hardworking. What else are they doing? We’ve been picked 15th (in the BIG EAST) for the season. I’d really like to prove a lot of people wrong in that fact. I need to demand more and my staff needs to demand more.”
On not playing with consistency:
“We, as a staff and as a team, would have to figure (how to be consistent) out. I know the last four games I have not been pleased with the consistency. Again, winning is great and I told them, congratulations. But there has to be a bigger need. We’ll get there. I’ve always talked about what the sign of a bad basketball team – the team that makes the same mistakes. What is the sign of a bad basketball player? The guy who makes the same mistakes. We tend to be making too many of the same mistakes on the defensive side and with our formula offensively, whether it is the lack of jump-stops or taking care of the ball.”
On Jonathan Mitchell:
“We face so many teams that play zone, I thought J-Mitch would find his spots and so he is. Our zone attack – because we’ve played so many teams that play zone – he is getting open shots. I wish I could have been more positive with them because our offense was good tonight. We did find the open man the majority of the night. We did attack the paint and we did have a toughness to us. Just on the defensive side, we have to get better.”
Fairleigh Dickinson Head Coach Gregory Vetrone
Thoughts on the game:
“Rutgers played hard. Mike has them playing hard. They’re doing a lot of different things. I tried throwing a few different defenses at them and they recognized them. Jonathan Mitchell played great. In the first half he had 17 points. We knew he was a good player but he really emerged in the first half. I think that’s how they built a lead and then we were just trying to catch up. When you’re on the road you have to make every play and then on top of that Rutgers shot great from the free throw line. I went into the locker room and I said “I don’t know if they missed a free throw.” They shot great from the free throw line.”
On Mike Scott’s play:
“That’s Mike Scott. Night in and night out Mike gives you everything that he has. Whether it’s 14 points and 10 rebounds or 23 points and three boards like he had tonight, he’s just a competitor and when we move into conference play that’s why he’s an all-conference NEC guard. We ask Mike to do a lot and he does a lot of different things for us.”
On how playing a BIG EAST opponent helps his team come conference season:
“It’s great. It’s a great experience for us with the crowd, the physicality of the game and the speed of the game. Anytime you can play a team at a higher level it’s always going to help your team, especially when you can compete. I thought tonight that, regardless of the score, we competed and I think that is the biggest thing when you are a school at our level. When you compete it helps you a lot as you move into conference play.”
