BRONX, N.Y. – Eugene Omoruyi scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to register his fifth double-double of the season, but it was not enough for Rutgers (5-4) to overcome the second half shooting of Fordham (7-2) in a 78-70 loss to the Rams Saturday afternoon at Rose Hill Gymnasium. Paced by point guard Nick Honor's game-high 30 points, the home squad made 53.8% (15-of-28) of its field goal attempts after the break, including 60% (6-of-10) from behind the arc, to secure the comeback victory.

"Fordham was really good today," said Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell. "We have to play better and that's on me. Their point guard was terrific. They played with tremendous confidence. We've had a lot of obstacles. Traveling on the road, coming here into their gym with a tough crowd and great environment. Those are all obstacles and we have to work to get through them."

The contest at the 3,200-seat venue which last hosted a Big Ten Conference opponent in 1935, was the third of four road games for RU over a span of five contests.

Geo Baker added 14 points and six assists to join Omoruyi in double digits, while freshman Ron Harper, Jr. added 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting.

The Scarlet Knights established a 39-34 rebounding advantage which enabled RU to out-score its hosts 21-8 in second chance points and 42-26 in the paint.

Omoruyi did the heavy lifting early, scoring 10 points in his first nine minutes to help RU to a 16-14 lead. Fordham had a brief spurt to take a 19-16 edge, but the Scarlet Knights responded with an 11-0 run to go ahead 27-19.

Shaq Carter pushed the lead into double-digits for the first time via a tip-in to give the visitors a 31-21 advantage. Fordham hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, and the Scarlet Knights entered the locker room at the midpoint leading 31-26.

The home team came out of the halftime locker room with a counterpunch. The Rams used a 16-6 run on 7-of-12 shooting to start the half and enable a 42-37 lead.

The Scarlet Knights worked to cut into their deficit, with the teams exchanging baskets. A hook shot by Omoruyi kept the game within one possession at 54-51 at the under-eight media timeout.

Coming out of that timeout, RU got five quick points from Issa Thiam to retake the lead. A flagrant foul provided RU two free throws and the ball. Thiam made both at the charity stripe, then used the extra possession to knock down a corner three for a 56-54 lead with seven minutes to play.

Honor shot the Rams back in front, hitting consecutive 3-pointers to spark a 10-0 run to put the home squad ahead 64-56 with 4:40 remaining. Harper Jr. knocked down a triple to cut the Rams lead to 69-62 and converted two more layups in the final minutes, reducing the deficit to four with 50 seconds on the clock.

Rutgers could get no closer, however, as the Rams were productive at the free throw line in the final minutes to secure the victory.

Rutgers returns to the hardwood next Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip-off versus Seton Hall at the Prudential Center in the annual Garden State Hardwood Classic. The match-up will be televised on FS1 with Brian Custer and Steve Lavin on the call.

Fans can secure single game tickets for Rutgers home games, as well as flex ticket plans, online or by calling 866-445-GORU (4678). Additional information can obtained by visiting RutgersGameday.com. 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Eugene Omoruyi had 19 points, his 19th career double-digit scoring game and eighth this season. Omoruyi registered his fifth double-double of the season.  
• With 11 rebounds, Omoruyi reached double-figures in rebounding for the fourth time this season and fifth occasion in his career.
• Geo Baker had 14 points, his 28th career double-digit scoring game and eighth this season.
• Baker, who entered the contest ranking fourth in the Big Ten in minutes at 33.3 per game, logged a team-high 37 minutes.
• Ron Harper, Jr. scored in double-digits for the second time in his career, finishing with 10 points.
• Peter Kiss had seven rebounds, his most in a game as a Scarlet Knight.
• Nick Honor entered the contest averaging 17.5 points per game, scoring at least 13 points in every game. He scored 30 points, the first player to score 30 or more points against the Scarlet Knights since All-American Ethan Happ had 32 on Jan. 28 2017.
• Rutgers starting lineup consisted of Geo Baker, Peter Kiss, Montez Mathis, Eugene Omoruyi and Shaquille Doorson for the first time this season. It marked Mathis' first career start.
• The contest was the third of four road games for RU over a span of five contests.
• Rutgers is 27-28 all-time versus Fordham in the series that dates back to 1908.