QUEENS, N.Y. – Senior forward Jonathan Mitchell (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) shot eight-of-nine, including four-of-five from behind the arc, to score a game-high 21 points for Rutgers (12-10, 3-7) in a hard fought 58-56 loss to St. John’s (13-8, 5-5) Wednesday evening at Carnesecca Arena. Senior forward Robert Lumpkins (Washington, D.C.) deposited three-of-four three pointers to tally a career-best 13 points to spark the Scarlet Knights while enabling a dramatic finish.
Rutgers trailed 54-47 with less than two minutes to play. Three consecutive three pointers by Lumpkins, however, tied the score at 56-56 with 18 seconds on the clock. The Red Storm had the ball for the final possession and did not disappoint the home crowd. Justin Brownlee drove the lane for the game winning layup. A desperation three pointer by Dane Miller (Rochester, N.Y.) as time expired was off the mark and the Johnnies escaped with the victory.
The Scarlet Knights placed themselves in a position to win the game thanks to a tenacious defense that limited the Red Storm to 36.7 percent (18-49) shooting. RU also out-rebounded St. John’s by a 33-27 margin.
Rutgers’ Achilles heel on the evening was turnovers. The Scarlet Knights committed a season-high 23 miscues, including 15 in the opening half. Despite the early giveaways, the game was tied at 31 at the break. RU was unable to take a lead in the 40-minute battle, but knotted the score on four occasions.
Rutgers shot 47.6 percent (20-42), including 43.8 percent (7-16) from behind the arc. Miller made four-of-six field goal to score nine points, while freshman swing man Mike Poole (Rosedale, N.Y.) shot four-of-eight to also post nine points. Miller contributed a game-high six assists.
The Scarlet Knights return to the hardwood Sunday (Feb. 6) for a 12 noon tip-off at No. 9/8 Notre Dame. The game will be televised live on MSG+ and on WPVI-TV in Philadelphia.
Postgame Notes
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For the fourth time in the last seven games, Jonathan Mitchell tallied 20-plus with 21 points, including 12 in the second half. Mitchell has scored 20-plus in eight career games.
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It marked the 16thtime this season – 39thin his career – Mitchell scored in double-digits. It was the 14thtime in the last 17 contests Mitchell has posted 10-plus.
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When Mitchell leads RU, the Scarlet Knights are 6-5.
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For the second-straight game, Robert Lumpkins posted a career high with 13 points, including 11 in the last 2:17.
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It marked the third time this season (second-consecutive) that Lumpkins has tallied 10-plus.
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The Scarlet Knights move to 12-24 all-time against the Red Storm, including 3-11 at St. John’s.
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For just the second time this season, RU outrebounded an opponent and lost. The Scarlet Knights came into the game 8-1 when grabbing more rebounds.
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RU moves to 8-1 when holding opponents to under 59 points.
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The Scarlet Knights drop to 12-3 when outshooting the opponent. Rutgers posted a .476 (20-42) field goal percentage, while holding St. John’s to .367 (18-49).
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After starting the game on a 2-for-8 spurt, RU responded with 6-for-6 shooting over the next 5:38 and finished the half shooting at a 52.4 percent clip (11-for-21).
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The 23 turnovers was a season high and the most since RU played NJIT on Dec. 19, 2009.
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Of the nine players that saw action, six had at least two points with four players notching nine-plus.
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Mike Rice went with the starting lineup of James Beatty, Mike Coburn, Dane Miller, Jonathan Mitchell and Gilvydas Biruta for the 20thtime this season.
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Austin Johnson was the first sub off the bench for the 18thtime this season.
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Mike Rice
Opening statement:
“It was an interesting postgame. For how proud I was on one end of the game - the defensive end - and how angry and disappointed and frustrated I am on the other end – the offensive game. For them not to allow themselves to become frustrated and just quit after being so pathetic on offense, I told them I liked their fight. But eventually, they are going to have to stop getting in their own way and allow themselves to be successful. Give St. John’s credit. They took us out of any pattern that we are strong at and made us play basketball. They made us attack the hoop. They made us have numbers. Time and time again, we seemed to figure it out for a two minute stretch and then we just kept giving them the ball.”
On the last defensive possession:
“(Dwight) Hardy was in the opposite corner, so we couldn’t switch. It was probably my fault. I should have yelled at Dane (Miller). They had (Paris) Horne at half court and I should have just pushed them back to at least the top of the key. You weren’t going to help off of Hardy and they did a tremendous job – Brownlee did – of driving left like he likes to do and hitting the shot.”
On Brownlee going left with a fractured left thumb:
“That’s big time. That is big time toughness.”
On Jonathan Mitchell:
“He is trying to carry it. He is trying to carry us and become a leader. We have really hard workers. We have really good kids. I don’t know if we have any leaders. Leaders sometimes aren’t very nice. Leaders sometimes fight when freshmen aren’t defending the right way in practice. Leaders sometimes take on a nastiness and an edge. J-Mitch is starting to develop that - certainly on the floor. I would like to carry more of that role off the floor. But, when you have zero buckets from four different positions – our fives and our point guard positions – it’s difficult.”
#31 senior captain Mike Coburn
On St. John’s pressure:
“We knew coming in that they were a team that pressures. We knew their front line was going to attack us. It was nothing that we didn’t work on in practice. It was just us making mistakes. We worked on their pressure. It is something we should be able to handle and we didn’t.”
On Coach Mike Rice putting pressure on the team:
“(Coach Rice) definitely tries different things to try to get the team motivated. We use it as a spark to try to get things going, make plays and do the right things.”
