Rutgers University
Richmond
Rutgers Falls to Richmond 58-53 at Cancun Challenge
Nov 23 | Men's Basketball
CANCUN, MEXICO (November 23, 2011) – Trailing by as many as 15 points in the opening stanza, Rutgers (3-3) battled back to within one point in the second half but would get no closer in a 58-53 loss to Richmond (4-2) Wednesday evening at the Triple Crown Cancun Challenge. Sophomore forward Gilvydas Biruta (Jonava, Lithuania) scored 14 points and freshman forward Malick Kone (Conakry, Guinea) added eight points and eight rebounds in the defeat.
The Scarlet Knights limited the Spiders to 38.1 percent (16-42) shooting, but were unable to tweak the twine themselves. RU made 19 of 53 (35.8 percent) field goals and just 22.2 percent (2-9) from behind the arc.
Richmond jumped-out to an early 17-2 lead, courtesy of a 12-0 run, before the second media timeout of the opening half. The Scarlet Knights responded with five consecutive points, but the Spiders utilized effective long range shooting to establish a 25-10 advantage with 4:30 to go before the break.
The Scarlet Knights answered by scoring 12 of the contest’s next 14 points to reduce the deficit to five (27-22). The final bucket of the opening 20 minutes was a three-pointer by the Spiders and Richmond entered the locker room at the midpoint with a 30-22 advantage.
Rutgers scored 10 of the second half’s initial 13 points to draw within one, 33-32, with under 15 minutes remaining. It would be the closest the Scarlet Knights would come, however. Richmond utilized an 11-2 spurt to return its advantage to double digits (44-34).
RU drew to within four points on two occasions in the final minutes, but the Spiders made their free throws down the stretch to ensure the victory.
The Scarlet Knights out-rebounded Richmond by a 34-30 margin to establish a 26-14 advantage in points in the paint.
Sophomore guards Austin Carroll (Bedford, Mass.) and Mike Poole (Rosedale, N.Y.) both contributed off the bench. Carroll shot four-of-six to score nine points in 18 minutes, while Poole made three of six field goals to post nine points in 23 minutes.
Rutgers returns to the hardwood on Monday, Nov. 28 to host UMBC in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off at the RAC. The game will be available live via the web on RVision presented by AT&T.
POST GAME NOTES
• Gilvydas Biruta led the team in scoring for the second time this season and the sixth time in his career. Biruta scored in double figures for the fourth time this season and the 23rd time in his career.
• Malick Kone played a career-high 24 minutes and had a career-best eight rebounds and career-high tying eight points.
• Austin Johnson drew two charges and Biruta drew one. Biruta also had a three-point play and a dunk.
• Rutgers freshmen backcourt trio of Myles Mack, Jerome Seagears and Eli Carter struggled from the field, making two of 16 field goals and one of six from behind the arc.
• Seagears had a career-high three steals.
• Reserve sophomore guards Austin Carroll and Mike Poole both shot the ball well off the bench, with Carroll making four-of-six shots for nine points and Poole depositing three of six field goal attempts for nine points.
• Richmond jumped-out to a 17-2 lead to start the game.
• Rutgers scored 10 of the second half’s initial 13 points to draw within one, 33-32, with under 15 minutes remaining, but would get no closer.
• Rutgers is now 1-2 all-time on Nov. 23.
• Rutgers is 0-1 all-time versus Richmond, as the game marked the first meeting. RU is now 180-169 all-time against current members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Rutgers was a member of the league from 1976-77 until 1994-95 before joining the BIG EAST.
• Head coach Mike Rice went with the starting lineup of Carter, Mack, Dane Miller, Biruta and Johnson for the sixth-straight game.
