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Video: Postgame Press Conference

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PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Corey Sanders grabbed his own rebound and deposited a putback with one second remaining to lift Rutgers (12-8, 1-6) to a 65-64 win over Nebraska (9-10, 3-4) Saturday afternoon at the RAC. The sophomore guard shot 11-of-18 en route to a season-high 25 points to provide Steve Pikiell his initial Big Ten victory at the helm.

"We wanted to get the ball in Corey's hands and make something happen," said Pikiell. "I thought we had a couple different options on that play. When he got to the rim, they iced the ball screens, so they did a good job. He attacked like he was supposed to and got the ball up on the rim. We wanted to have a chance and knew we would get a rebound attempt."

The Scarlet Knights limited the Huskers to 34.8 percent (24-of-69) shooting, well below their season average, and established a 39-37 edge on the boards.

Sanders was joined in double figures by Nigel Johnson, C.J. Gettys and Deshawn Freeman. Johnson was a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc to contribute 11 points, while Gettys and Freeman both added 10. Gettys shot 4-of-4 from the field and Freeman grabbed a game-high seven rebounds before a season-high home crowd of 6,294 fans.

"It was a great environment with the student section, the community and the season ticket holders, said Pikiell. "It was awesome. I'm just proud of our guys. It hasn't been an easy road. They've been fighting and clawing and obviously playing terrific teams, Nebraska obviously being one of those teams."

The Scarlet Knights employed a suffocating defense in the opening 20 minutes, limiting Nebraska to a season-low 21 first half points. The Huskers were unable to deposit their final 17 field goal attempts before the break, as Rutgers scored 12 of the final 14 points to enter the locker room with a 31-21 advantage.

Nebraska departed the locker room with energy and imposed its will in the early stages of the second stanza. A trio of three-pointers enabled the visitors to score 18 of the first 25 points in a contest that featured nine ties and 12 lead changes.

The Huskers developed a pair of seven point leads, but the home squad consistently responded.

Facing a 64-59 deficit with 1:31 on the clock after Nebraska's eighth and final three-pointer, Pikiell called timeout. The Scarlet Knights exited the huddle and proceeded to score the game's final six points to secure the come-from-behind win before a raucous crowd.

"We were able to just band together, said Pikiell. "In other games, we've struggled to seal the deal. Today we did and I'm happy for them and our team."

Rutgers returns to the hardwood Tuesday evening at No. 25-ranked Maryland. The contest will tip-off at 7 p.m. on BTN. The Terrapins will be the seventh opponent in nine games for RU that has been ranked or receiving votes this season.

Postgame Notes

The victory was head coach Steve Pikiell's initial Big Ten Conference win.

After limiting Nebraska to 34.8 percent shooting, Rutgers has held five of its seven Big Ten opponents below their season field goal percentage.

Corey Sanders had a season-high 25 points and a career-high three blocks. He scored in double digits for the 13^th time this season and 35^th time in 47 career games. It was the 10^th time in his career with at least 20 points.

Nigel Johnson had 11 points, reaching double figures for the 14^th time this season and 24^th time in his career.

Deshawn Freeman's 10 points was his 10^th time in double-digit scoring this season. He led the team with seven rebounds.

CJ Getty's 10 points put him in double-figures for the ninth time this season.

The Scarlet Knights had four double-digit scorers for the seventh time this season (7-0 record in those games).

Rutgers held Nebraska to 21 points in the opening half - the Huskers lowest output in a single half this season.

The win snapped a five-game losing streak against Nebraska, which now leads the series 5-3.

Postgame Quotes

Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell

Opening Statement: "Thank you, first, for coming. It was a great environment with the student section, the community and the season ticket holders, it was awesome. I'm just proud of our guys. It hasn't been an easy road. They've been fighting and clawing and obviously playing terrific teams, Nebraska obviously being one of those teams with terrific guards and shooters at every position. I was proud of our guys for banding together. They stayed the course, even when times got tough down the stretch. They stayed with it and kept a few balls alive. Corey [Sanders] has been on a tear and not just offensively, but defensively. DeShawn [Freeman] does what he does and kept balls alive and plays with activity and does a great job. I'm just real happy for our guys and real happy for the great environment today."

On the play of Corey Sanders: "In five games now, he's really worked, watched extra film and has been in the gym. He's done a great job in practice. DeShawn, too, came back from a sickness. So these guys are getting it and we're in every game. We're in every game, and we just have to learn to win. Today these guys made sure it happened on the court. [Sanders] got the ball up to the rim and I said 'If we get it to the rim, we're the best rebounding team in the country and I feel like if we can get one up, we could get another one up'. C.J. [Gettys] kept it alive and Corey finished it off again. So offensive rebounds have been huge all year for us and it was a great way to end the game with our biggest strength, which is rebounding.

"We wanted to get the ball in Corey's hands and make something happen. I thought we had a couple different options on that play and when he got to the rim, they iced the ball screens, so they did a good job, but he attacked like he was supposed to, and got the ball up on the rim. We wanted to have a chance and knew we would get a rebound attempt."

On what he told his team when they were down: "We've been saying all year long just to stay the course. We're not the greatest offensive team right now, but we hang in there and believe in our defense, which we do believe in. We're going to have those ups and downs in games. We're up 10 sometimes and down 10 sometimes. So we just have to stay the course and these guys did a great job. They defended down the stretch and our zone action today, I think helped us. We were able to just band together. In other games we've struggled to seal the deal, and today we did and I'm happy for them and our team."

On putting together a full 40 minutes: "Yeah, it's going to take that every time. Again, it isn't about me winning, it's about these guys getting through a war. This is what you have to do in this league to win games. Play 40 minutes and have relentless pursuit of the basketball and outrebounded. We did a good job with no pick-six's. We limited those. Last game, we had seven pick-six's for free baskets for the other team, so we did a good job. Our guard play with Nigel [Johnson] and Mike [Williams] and Corey with the screen coverages our big guys took the two leading scorers in our league and help the to 10 and 12 points under their average. So every point matters. Our defense, again, did a great job for us for 40 minutes to hold a dynamic duo of guards like that to below their averages.

On getting back into the game: "We've been up and we've been down, but I don't think we get too caught up in it. I just want our guys to stay the course. This is a tough journey and a great league. They stayed the course and banded together. We have to continue to grow in that area. Teams like this that are really good offensively are always going to make runs. They have good three-point shooters. They threw punches and we came right back and threw punches and that's what I want this team to do. I want us to get up off the mat and they did that."

On the atmosphere: "I'm happy for the students. The student section and the Riot Squad were awesome. I love it like that and they're getting a little taste. These guys deserve it. You guys have no idea how hard these guys work and the film prep we put into this and the extra shots [Corey] gets in at night and the free throws [DeShawn] takes, so all of those things, so I'm happy for these guys. The people in this arena, it made it loud. When we go on the road, it's loud like that and we need to make this a tough place to play."

Nebraska Head Coach Tim Miles

Opening statement: "Hey, everybody. Well, we have to credit Rutgers and Coach Pikiell. They really stuck with it when we got up seven and then got up five again. They just stayed with it and ended up finding a way to get their first Big Ten win. I credit our guys for hanging in there after a poor first half to fight back and take the lead, but we just made a few errors down the stretch, a couple turnovers and a couple fouls and that was the difference in the game. I thought we did a good job defensively for a long time, but we couldn't get [Corey] Sanders under control. That was probably the story of the game."

On defensive set on final Rutgers possession: "We wanted to keep him [Corey Sanders] on that side of the floor and he kind of went and tied to split it and when he picked the ball up it was low and there were guys coming at him so he just put the ball up and it goes off the backboard. It doesn't hit the rim, and [Tai] Webster is engaged with C.J. Gettys and tips it and Corey's momentum just takes him right there and it's a point-blank layup. You kind of feel like it's rebounding an air ball almost. That probably wasn't what cost us the game. But he's such a good athlete, he made so many other acrobatic plays that were well-contested. He really made a lot of plays tonight."

On dropping another closely contested game: "I think that's my biggest concern is just keeping the spirts of our players up. As a coach, this is part of the business. I've been a head coach a long time. I don't know this is like 21 or 22 years or whatever it is, and you go through seasons and times like this. But at the same time I know we can compete with anybody, and I know we can compete with anybody anywhere. We've just got to keep teaching, keep these guys believing, and come out on top because winning can really energize you. You can't let this define you."

On depth of the Big Ten: "No doubt. Rutgers has been ahead of I think every team they've played. That's what we told our guys - they will be ahead. They are a full-throttle team. They'll pick it up, they'll pick up their pressure, they're going to be all over the glass. Coach [Pikiell] coaches to his personality and they are going to be full-throttle. Our job is to get them off that, and I thought we did when we were scoring the ball and I thought we did even when we were getting some stops. In the first half it felt like we should be down 20, because we hadn't done anything. So we knew we can come back. But Sanders played really well and we did a good job on [Mike] Williams and [Deshawn] Freeman, but they still got us on the glass so you're going to give up some of that any way. But on a day like today, Corey was really the story I think."

On defending Sanders when he gets on a roll: "I think his ability, his body control, his ability to hang in the air, take contact, and still get a shot up. From the time it leaves his hand to whatever angle he wants it looks like it's going in. There were two or three of those plays where our kid comes back and goes 'coach' and I'm just like 'that's what he does, hang in there, stay in front of him.' You have to credit Corey, he really was a playmaker today."

On Rutgers this year compared to last season: "Well we got them three times last year. I think they accounted for about 30 percent of our wins. Not 10, I mean 30. Here's what you see: you see a team that plays very hard, is very well organized, that fits that Calhoun kind of mantra, big physical guys on the glass punishing. That's Big Ten basketball, that's what it looks like to me. That's a Big Ten basketball team. And as they get more skill, they're going to be even tougher."

On Calhoun's influence on the way Rutgers is coached: "Oh yea, definitely. You see the big wings, just the way they're on the glass and the way they're going to put it inside. Steve did a good job assembling what he could for things, and he's got a difference-maker. Williams is a tough player, but Sanders is a guy that can set you apart because he can go and get it against anybody. He got 17 against us at our place the first game last year in the first half, so it wasn't like it was a big surprised, we knew he could go."