PISCATAWAY – Myles Johnson had a double-double with a career-high 18 points and a career-best tying 14 rebounds, as Rutgers (9-3, 1-1) led by as much as 32-points in a convincing 63-44 win over Lafayette (7-3) Sunday afternoon at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights jumped-out to a 17-0 lead and out-rebounded the visitors by a 45-28 margin to remain undefeated at home, while improving to 32-4 in non-conference home games under Steve Pikiell.
"For our guys to come out and play the way they did to start the game was a great sign that we've matured," said Pikiell. "We were locked in. I know they wanted an extra day off, which they got now. And they deserve it."
Johnson was 9-of-11 from the field to help provide the Scarlet Knights a 46-18 scoring advantage in the paint. He was joined in double figures by Geo Baker and Paul Mulcahy, who both contributed 10 points. It marked Baker's 50th career game scoring in double-digits and a career-best output for Mulcahy, who also dished-out five assists and made four steals.
"He's getting better and better," said Pikiell regarding Johnson. "He's making some tough traffic points too, but his rebounding always affects his point total. He's doing a great job of rebounding on both ends of the floor defensively and offensively. I think Geo and Paul do a great job of finding him. He's got those great hands. He will kick it out too, so he's got that great quality being unselfish, yet he can finish."
The Rutgers defense was unforgiving, limiting the Leopards to 13 first half points, a 28.0 percent (7-of-25) mark from behind the arc, 31.5 percent (17-of-54) shooting overall and 11 assists. Lafayette entered the game third nationally in 3-point FG% (42.9), fifth in FG% (51.5) and 24th in assists (16.9).
"They're the best catch and shoot 3-point shooting team the country," said Pikiell. "So, we really tried to do a great job being aggressive and having our hands up as soon as they caught it."
Rutgers made 15 of its initial 22 shots to take a commanding 31-9 lead it would not relinquish. The Scarlet Knights held the Leopards without a 3-pointer and a 25 percent field goal percentage (6-of-24) in the first half to enter the locker room at the midpoint with a 33-13 advantage.
Lafayette was able to reduce its deficit 18 points in the second half, but would get no closer, as Baker and Johnson both provided eight points over the final 20 minutes.
Rutgers returns to the hardwood on Monday, Dec. 30, to host Caldwell at the RAC. The contest will tip-off at 7 p.m. on BTN Plus.
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POSTGAME NOTES
- In its last three games, Rutgers has started with a combined 40-0 score, comprised of today's 17-0 start vs. Lafayette, 14-0 vs. No. 22 Seton Hall and 9-0 against Wisconsin.
- Rutgers is undefeated at home (9-0) and when limiting opponents to less than 60 points (7-0).
- Rutgers has out-rebounded its opponent in 11 of 12 games this season.
- Rutgers is 32-4 in non-conference home games under Steve Pikiell.
- Lafayette entered the game third nationally in 3-point FG% (42.9), fifth in FG% (51.5) and 24th in assists (16.9). Rutgers limited the Leopards to 28.0% (7-of-25) from behind the arc, 31.5% shooting (17-of-54) and 11 assists.
- Rutgers held Lafayette to 13 points in the opening half, the lowest points RU allowed in a half this season. It was the second time this season that RU held an opponent to 15 points or less in a half (Niagara, 15 first half points).
- Myles Johnson had his third double-double this season and the seventh of his career, scoring a career-high 18 points and grabbing a career-high tying 14 rebounds.
- Johnson, who entered the game fifth nationally in FG%, was 9-of-11 shooting to improve to 74.6 (50-of-67) from the field this season.
- Paul Mulcahy had season and career-highs in points (10) and steals (4). It marked his first career game scoring in double digits. He also had a game-high five assists, his third game with five or more helpers this season.
- Johnson (nine) and Mulcahy (five) each set career-highs in field goals made.
- Geo Baker scored 10 points, his eighth game this season and 50th of his career in double digits.
- Rutgers forced 21 turnovers, a season-high and most since forcing 22 against Fairleigh Dickinson in the season opener last season (Nov. 9, 2018)
- Rutgers now leads the all-time series dating back to 1917 with Lafayette 69-47.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell
Opening Statement: "First off, Happy Holidays. Thank you for being here. You could be out shopping, doing some of that stuff… I have to do that next. Thank you always, we had a great crowd today. Dangerous game playing a team like that, these guys had finals all week, we still have guys with finals tomorrow. Had to practice at some crazy times this week and I thought they were focused when we threw the basketball up. Coach O'Hanlon has been there 25 years, his team is well-coached, one of the best offensive teams in the country. They shoot the third best in the country from three, dangerous basketball team. They are really efficient. I thought we got off to a good start and it carried us. These guys did a good job defensively being connected. Myles with a double-double, Paul does a great job getting everybody involved. Geo does his thing, he's got to chase around Jaworski, put a lot of different bodies on Jaworski. Montez, Geo, Jacob Young, wore him down. He's the second best three-point shooter in the country last year. Good win, good way to give these guys a few days off, which they really need and deserve."
On how the team is different this year compared to the past: "We talked a lot about it. We're going to be mature and we're going to have that kind of maturity to come back from a game like that. We had a great crowd today, which was awesome, a little different than the Seton Hall crowd. For our guys to come out and play the way they did to start the game, was a great sign that we've matured. We were locked in, I know they wanted an extra day off, which they got now. And they deserve it."
On defense: "They're the best catch and shoot 3-point shooting team the country. So, we really tried to do a great job being aggressive and having our hands up as soon as they caught it. They start one for 15 from three. They were all highly contested late in the shot clock, create off the dribble kinds of shots. Our guys were locked into the game plan, we were aggressive, we were up to touch on all of our actions, tried to make it a full court game too, to keep them out of the half court sets. Again, that's a team I have a lot of respect for, but we need to play really good defense and a team like that's never out of the game. The way they shoot the ball, even at halftime I told our guys that they're just five threes away from being where they want to be and they can go five straight trips down the court and do that. So, we did a good job of being locked in on that end of the floor."
On Myles Johnson: "He's getting better and better. He's making some tough traffic points too, but his rebounding always affects his point total. He's doing a great job of rebounding on both ends of the floor defensively and offensively. I think Geo and Paul do a great job of finding him. He's got those great hands. He will kick it out too, so he's got that great quality being unselfish, yet he can finish. He's getting better and better. That's what I like, his best basketball is still ahead of him still."
On Myles Johnson's growth: "He's a terrific kid first-of-all, and he's really coachable. He has a great approach and a great attitude. Guys like playing with him and he will share the game, he'll kick it out too, so he's got that great quality where if you give it to him and you're open, he'll give it back to you. We want to build around guys like that are unselfish and share the game and get the basketball to the next guy maybe for a better opportunity. He's growing, he's taking care of his body, he's getting stronger, more athletic. He's really coming into his own so if he continues that, we need him."
On Paul Mulcahy: "Paul's a worker. He's another guy that brings it every day. He devours film and he gets a feel for the other team. He does a really good job for a freshman of getting the scouting report and really understanding the other team. Defensively, he has come leaps and bounds too. It's hard in our system. Playing defense on every pass, it's different responsibilities. He's done a really, really, really good job and you saw some of it with today's passes, he can score too. It's getting better and better and it's a hard adjustment. College is tough, finals are tough, practices and the weight room are tough, all these guys went through it, especially that first go-round. He's done a really good job."
Lafayette Head Coach Fran O'Hanlon
On the start to the game: "I think it was more the moment, playing in front of this many people and the magnitude of the game. We came out, not everybody, but it doesn't take everybody as a couple people more starstruck. You try to warn them that this is how it's going to be. Rutgers is a very good basketball team. We saw what they did to the 22nd-ranked team in the country. We've seen that. Did we come out a little bit intimidated? I don't know. Not everyone. There were a couple (shots) that were in and out that maybe could have changed the complexion. And against a team like this, we're not going to get that many offensive rebounds. That's not the way we're made up."
On shot selection: "Everything against teams at this level are little quicker. The close-outs are quicker. Shots that we get against somebody else are not open. On top of that, they're a really good defensive team. Coach (Steve) Pikiell has them playing great defense. As we know, they've held a number of teams below 60 (points), some team in the 30s. They're an excellent team. I was disappointed in our first half because I think we're better than that. But you have to give them credit. They did a great job and they were focused on us."
On Myles Johnson: "I thought he played great. He's a force down there, so big. Sometimes we put a big on him like Sean Good, who is pretty good against those types of players, can look them in the eye, but he doesn't give us as much offensively. So when you get behind, it's hard to play him because we have to try to get back in the game. It's kind of a double-edged sword there."
On lessons learned: "As a I said, everything is quicker. This is a legit D1 team. Everything is quicker, the execution, the play on the perimeter. I thought we did a better job in the second half of understanding. Hopefully this helps our practice habits. That's what we have to do to compete at this level."
