Men's Hoops Travels to Northwestern Saturday
Feb 16 | Men's Basketball
| Rutgers at Northwestern | |
| Date | Saturday, February 18 |
| Time | 6 p.m. |
| Location | Welsh-Ryan Arena | Evanston, Ill. |
| Video | |
| Radio | Rutgers IMG Sports Radio Network - WCTC 1450 AM & WOR 710 AM (Jerry Recco & Joe Boylan) WRSU (88.7 FM) |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Game Notes | Rutgers | Northwestern |
| Media Guide | Rutgers |
Rutgers Interactive Game Notes
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers (13-14, 2-12) plays its 11th game away from the RAC over 17 contests when it travels to Evanston to meet Northwestern (19-7, 8-5) in a 6 p.m. (ET) tip-off on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights will be working to earn their second league road win this season after going winless in conference play its prior two campaigns. The Wildcats are receiving votes for the sixth consecutive week and have been ranked (No. 25) this season. The contest will mark the 12th time in 17 games that Rutgers meets an opponent that has been ranked or receiving votes. RU, which was last ranked (No. 18) in the final poll of 1978-79, received votes in the AP poll for two weeks earlier this season.
Rutgers is third nationally in offensive rebounds-per-game (14.89), fifth in rebounds (41.19) and 29th field goal percentage defense (40.4). Northwestern is sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.53), 10th in blocks-per-game (5.8), and 15th in both free throw percentage (76.8) and turnovers (10.6).
Seven of Rutgers' last 11 games have been decided in single digits. Last season, 15 of the Scarlet Knights' 17 conference losses were by double digits.
Saturday evening's game will be televised on ESPNU, with Clay Matvick calling the action and Sean Harrington providing the analysis. On the radio, the contest will be broadcast live on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network, WOR 710 AM in New York & WCTC 1450 AM in New Brunswick. 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 game will mark the ninth meeting on the collegiate hardwood, and the second this season, between RU and Northwestern dating back to 1969, with the Wildcats holding a 7-1 advantage. On Jan. 12, Deshawn Freeman had a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, but Rutgers dropped a 69-60 decision to Northwestern at the RAC. Corey Sanders added 18 points for the Scarlet Knights, who led 28-25 at the break. RU is 0-2 on NU's home floor, including a 98-59 decision at Welsh-Ryan last season, when Jonathan Laurent posted 17 points. Three of the six match-ups were played at neutral sites, including an 80-75 Rutgers victory in El Paso on Dec. 27, 2003.
Nigel Johnson was 5-of-6 from behind the arc to post a career-high 23 points, but Rutgers was unable to overcome a 42-18 scoring disparity in the paint in a 74-55 loss at No. 16 Purdue Tuesday. The Scarlet Knights tied their season-high with eight three-pointers. Deshawn Freeman joined Johnson in double digits. He shot 5-of-10 from the field to score 12 points, while grabbing a team-best five rebounds.
Isiah Brown scored a career-high 19 points, but Northwestern could not overcome its slow start in a 74-64 home loss to No. 23/24 Maryland on Wednesday night. NU went on a late run to close a large deficit to single digits, but Maryland's 50 percent shooting propelled it to the win. The Wildcats, under the leadership of fourth-year head coach Chris Collins, have the opportunity to match their program record for victories in a season (20), which was reached three times prior.
