PISCATAWAY –Rutgers (2-1) out-rebounded St. John's (3-0) and outscored the visitors 28-12 in the paint, but the Red Storm made 16 3-pointers to exit the RAC with an 84-65 victory in the Gavitt Tip-Off on Friday night. Juniors Issa Thiam and Eugene Omoruyi scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, to pace the Scarlet Knights in the scoring column.
 
"If they shoot like that, they will be a tough team to beat, so congratulations to them," said Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell. "Obviously we have to play better. I thought we had a good game plan going into this game, but when the ball goes in like that, there is no plan that you can have that will salvage the game. We will be better as a team."
 
Shaquille Doorson started the evening emphatically for the Scarlet Knights, with a put-back slam on the contest's first possession. St. John's answered with a 9-0 run via a trio of triples, however, and held the advantage for the game's remainder. Rutgers reduced its deficit to a single point, 24-23, but would get no closer. The Red Storm entered the locker room at the midpoint with a 38-27 advantage.
 
St. John's barrage from the behind the arc continued after the break. After depositing seven 3-pointers in the first half, the Red Storm made nine over the final 20 minutes to conclude the contest 16-of-32 (50%) from long range. The Scarlet Knights attempted 26 3-pointers, but were only able to tweak the twine on seven (26.9%).
 
"We will break down the tape and we will figure it out," said Pikiell. "I like my team a lot. Some guys showed some flashes of being very good, so we will learn a little bit of that good stuff and a lot of bad stuff on this tape."
 
Rutgers returns to the hardwood on Monday to host Eastern Michigan in a 7 p.m. tip-off at the RAC as part of the Hub City Classsic. The contest will be televised live on BTN with Jason Horowitz and Jon Crispin on the call.
 
Fans can secure single game tickets and flex ticket plans online, or by calling 866-445-GORU (4678). Additional information can obtained by visiting RutgersGameday.com. 
 
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Postgame Notes

• Eugene Omoruyi reached double-digit points (12) for the third straight game and 14th time in his career.
• Omoruyi also drew a charge, his team leading fifth of the season.
• Issa Thiam scored in double-figures (13) for the third time this season and 13th time in his career.
• It marked Thiam's fourth career game leading the team in scoring.
• Geo Baker had at least five assists for the third time in as many games this season.   
• Rutgers is 6-8 all-time at home versus St. John's with Red Storm holding a 27-14 all-time advantage in the series.
• Rutgers is 20-4 in non-conference home games under Steve Pikiell.
• Rutgers is 13-3 in the month of November under Steve Pikiell.
• Rutgers drops to 1-2 in the Gavitt Tip-Off Games.
• The Big Ten Conference won the 2018 Gavitt Tip-Off Games over the Big East, 5-3. 

 
Post-Game Quotes
 
Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell

Opening Statement: "I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. Tough weather day yesterday but appreciate you being here. I want to thank our fans for showing up and supporting us. Just disappointing result. I want to credit St. John's, they played great. If they continue to shoot like that, they will play for a very long time. Coach Mullin did a great job. I knew they were talented, and we saw that first hand. If they shoot like that, they will be a tough team to beat, so congratulations to them, and obviously we have to play better. I thought we had a good game plan going into this game, but when the ball goes in like that, there is no game plan that you can have that will salvage their game. We will be better as a team. We were uncharacteristic tonight in things we have been doing well, like sharing the ball and moving it around. We will get back to that and we will figure out a way to defend better and that has been an issue and we will defend better."
 
On the defensive play tonight: "We have a lot of work to do, that is what I learned. St. John's shot the ball at the highest rate and that is to their credit, they had to make them, I thought we did a good job and kept them out of the lane which is one of their strengths but when they shoot the ball like that and they have not done that all year, but we played into that too, they did a great job."
 
On message to the team following the game: "We have to get better. We are a young team with six new guys and it was a big game. I thought we came out tentative, but the game plan was to be followed and we did not do a great job of sticking to what we talked about for three days and that is a credit to St. John's. They did a great job stopping what we wanted to do. Coach Mullin did a great job."
 
On poor shooting to start the game: "I say that you win games on the defensive end of the floor. We win by the three and you die by the three. We took way too many threes. That is not what I want this to be. We got off to a great start making a lot of threes in the first two games. That is not who you are going to be every night and tonight certainly was not our night from three. We have to be able to adjust in the middle of that and we need to do a good job getting the ball inside and driving it. When we did that, good things happened for us."
 
On LJ Figueroa's performance: "(Shamorie) Ponds and (Mustapha) Heron, I knew how good they are. I was worried about the other guys. (Marvin) Clark II played great too. I was worried about the other guys, because you can withstand the barrage from those two guys, you expect it. Mustapha, I saw him play a lot, I knew how good he was and being the leading scorer in the Big East is obviously very talented guy to have on your roster, but the other guys really scared me. Figueroa shot 48% from three, coming out of Junior College which is a huge number, he is high flying athlete and he got it going, with the lead it makes it easier and they just continued to bomb away from three."
 
On teaching that can be done from this game: "We will break down the tape, we will figure it out. I like my team a lot, some guys showed some flashes of being very good, so we will learn a little bit that good stuff and a lot of bad stuff in this tape."
 
On Myles Johnson and Shaquille Doorson playing off the switch: "I think they did a great job, that was not an issue, we knew St. John's play five guards and we play a traditional lineup so, I they those two guys did a great job, Shaq Doorson did a great job in setting down low and guarding them, and they made their free throws too. Our inability to make free throws does not help us break those streaks either. We went small at times too with Ron (Harper Jr.) and Eugene (Omoruyi) down there, but that was not an issue for us, our guards need to get out and guard their guards and that was more of an issue, we tried a different lineups, we want to be big and I want to throw the ball inside and take advantage of that size and when we did that, we got some layups, they made more threes than we made layups, we did not make as many shots as you have to against teams like that.
 
On free throw shooting: "I mean the defense is the real issue. Ron Harper Jr. is a great free throw shooter. They all are getting better and so it is hard to look at the numbers that way, but you have to be able to make some free throws and hopefully we will get better. As the season will go on, you guys will see that moving forward. I see that in practice every day, but right guys can get up there and make them, that did not show tonight." 
 
St. John's Head Coach Chris Mullin

On team coming together: "Anytime you get a number of players involved in plays, I think that helps. Of course Mustapha (Heron) and LJ (Figueroa) had two really good games. Justin (Simon) and Shamorie (Ponds) set the tone. They weren't really in a good offensive groove, but they were making plays for their teammates. That rubbed off to the whole team. Marvin (Clark) got into foul trouble and wasn't in rhythm, but when he got back in, our guys made a conscience effort to get him looks. When you play a lineup like this, you have to play that way. When you play against a bigger lineup, you have to dictate tempo and be aggressive but smart on defense and team rebound. I thought we did a really good job putting bodies on people. In the first half it didn't come easy. We had some open-floor turnovers, but I liked the way we were playing. We stuck with it. Nothing like proving it to themselves. I kind of have a vision of what I want this group to look like. When we get Sedee (Keita) back it will be a little different. We worked two days really on this type of game plan. So for them to do this tonight, I think it will give them confidence.
 
On run at end of first half into second half: "I think I called a timeout at 22-20, and actually at the first media break I think at that point we had taken five out of six shots as three-point shots. But they were good shots. They were created by teammates. The ball got a little sticky, we were trying to drive the ball to make something happen. It was not maliciously being selfish. I think the way the game was flowing, and LJ (Figueroa) hit a big three at the end of the clock that put us from two to five. We got a stop and got out. I think making shots cures a lot of mistakes. I think they made a conscience to play with each other. That's the one thing, since we haven't played much together, I haven't really seen that rhythm. I thought it really came together in the second half."
 
On effort on both sides of the court: "As far as aggressiveness, team rebounding, shrinking the floor, helping each other in the post and from a game plan standpoint, I thought it was really good. I think we were really unselfish on both sides on the floor. Defensively, we put bodies in the right spot and guys understood fronting and posting up. They knew the schemes. A lot of good mentally. And physically, it came, wasn't there right away but they had enough confidence to rely on each other. We got some flow on offense."