Men's Hoops Hosts Iowa Tuesday Evening
Jan 29 | Men's Basketball
| Rutgers vs. Iowa | |
| Date | Tuesday, January 31 |
| Time | 7 p.m. |
| Location | The RAC | Piscataway, N.J. |
| Video | Big Ten Network |
| Radio | Rutgers IMG Sports Radio Network - WCTC 1450 AM & WOR 710 AM |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Rutgers | Iowa | Big Ten |
| Media Guide | Rutgers |
Rutgers Interactive Game Notes
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - After playing eight of its last 11 games away from the RAC, which included eight contests versus foes that have been ranked or receiving votes this season, Rutgers (12-10, 1-8) returns home to host Iowa (12-10, 4-5) in a 7 p.m. tip-off on Tuesday. The Scarlet Knights will be working to return to the win column and improve to 10-2 at the RAC this season. The Hawkeyes will be seeking their second straight win and the home-and-home series sweep over RU.
Rutgers is fourth nationally in rebounds-per-game (42.23), 16th in field goal percentage defense (39.1), 17th in blocks (5.5) and 19th in rebound margin (+7.1). Iowa is 17th in assists-per-game (17.1) and 28th in rebounds (39.5).
Tuesday's game will be televised on BTN, with Cory Provus calling the action and Dan Bonner providing the analysis. On the radio, the contest will be broadcast on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network, WOR 710 AM in New York & WCTC 1450 AM in New Brunswick, as well as on Sirius 136 and XM 381. Jerry Recco will serve as play-by-play announcer and Joe Boylan will provide commentary. WRSU (88.7 FM) will also broadcast the game.
The contest will mark the fifth match-up on the collegiate hardwood between RU and Iowa, with the Hawkeyes winning the prior four meetings. On Jan. 8, Rutgers built a nine-point second half lead, but was unable to hold off Iowa in a 68-62 loss at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Deshawn Freeman posted a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. In the only meeting at the RAC, Mike Williams scored 17 points to lead four Scarlet Knights in double figures in a 90-76 loss to No. 9-ranked Iowa last season. In the initial match-up, the No. 14 Hawkeyes captured an 87-73 victory on March 17, 1989 in an NCAA Tournament opening round match-up in Providence, R.I.
Rutgers limited No. 15 Wisconsin to a season-low 33.3 shooting percentage (20-of-60), including 12 percent (3-of-25) from behind the arc, in a hard-fought 61-54 overtime loss to the Badgers Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. UW scored 12 of the final 16 regulation points to force the extra stanza in a contest that featured nine ties and 11 lead changes. Corey Sanders posted 15 points and Nigel Johnson contributed 13 and seven rebounds to help the Scarlet Knights win the battle on the boards 44-41. RU's defensive effort was hampered by missed free throws and turnovers. Rutgers was 13-of-20 (65 percent) from the free throw line and made two of six in the final two minutes before overtime. The Scarlet Knights also committed 19 miscues, which resulted in a 17-8 advantage in points-off-turnovers for Wisconsin.
Sanders has led the Rutgers' scoring attack in six of its past seven games, and is averaging 17.9 points in that span.
Without Big Ten leading scorer Peter Jok (21.0 points-per-game) in the lineup due to a back injury, Iowa defeated Ohio State 85-72 on Saturday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Sophomore Brady Ellingson netted a team-best 17 points in the senior's absence, bolstered by a career-high five three-pointers. Freshman Ryan Kriener tied a personal best with 14 points. Iowa's typical starting lineup of four freshmen (one redshirt) and one senior (Jok) is its youngest consistent lineup in program history. The Hawkeyes are 59-11 when scoring 80 points or more and 63-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points over the last seven seasons.
