EAST LANSING, Mich. – Rutgers (12-14, 5-11) held an 11-point lead early in the second half, but was unable to hold-off No. 10/11 Michigan State (22-5, 12-4) for the duration in a 71-60 loss Wednesday evening at the Breslin Center. Sophomore guard Geo Baker scored 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and dished-out six assists in the Scarlet Knights' third road game over a span of four contests.

Ron Harper Jr. added 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting to join Baker in double digits against the first place Spartans, who have been ranked as high as No. 2 this season. Eugene Omoruyi grabbed a team-best eight rebounds and had five assists with nine points in an all-around effort.

The Spartans shot 52 percent in the second half to ensure the victory, while establishing a 45-31 rebounding advantage. Rutgers benefited 34-28 in the paint and out-scored MSU 19-2 in bench points. The greatest disparity was at the free throw line, where MSU deposited 20-of-22, while the Scarlet Knights made 9-of-17.

"We have to make more free throws," said Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell. "Scoring points, that wasn't our problem tonight. We can't get out-rebounded like that. And we're one of the best rebounding teams in the country too. That's more of a problem for us. And four out of our top seven are freshmen. We'll keep going and we'll get better and better."

RU charged out to a 7-3 start behind strong defense, as MSU began 1-of-8 from the field. A 12-2 run, however, allowed the Spartans to grab a 15-9 lead.
 
At that point, Rutgers took control of the game. The Scarlet Knights countered with a run of their own, scoring the next 14 points to retake the lead 23-15. Baker extended that run to 19-3, as he knocked down his third triple of the frame to push the advantage into double-digits at 28-18.

Rutgers finished the half on a 23-10 run over the final 12 minutes. Baker scored 13 points in the opening stanza and the visitors held a 32-25 lead at the midpoint.

RU picked up right where it left off to start the second half. Montez Mathis had back-to-back baskets to give the Scarlet Knights their largest lead of the evening at 36-25.

MSU chipped away at the Rutgers lead, using a 7-0 run to tie the game at 40-40 on a three-pointer with 12:35 to play. The Spartans extended that run to 11-0 to take a 44-40 lead. Harper Jr. snapped the RU scoring drought by draining a triple from the corner to make it a one-point game with 11 minutes to play.

The Spartans offense ramped up, using a 9-0 burst to take a 53-43 lead, and later pushed its advantage to 16. Rutgers battled down the stretch, including a late 8-2 run, but was unable to overcome the deficit.

Rutgers returns home to host Minnesota in a 6:30 p.m. tip-off on Sunday. The game will be televised on BTN with Jason Horowitz and Bob Wenzel calling the action.
 
Fans can secure single game tickets for the final two Rutgers home games online or by calling 866-445-GORU (4678). Additional information can be obtained by visiting RutgersGameday.com.
 
Follow Rutgers men's basketball on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersMBB), Twitter (www.twitter.com/RutgersMBB) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/RutgersMBB) for additional news and updates.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Geo Baker (17 points) reached double-figures in scoring for the 21st time this season and 41st time in his career. He also dished-out six assists, his 13th game this season and 17th of his career with five or more helpers.
• Ron Harper Jr. scored 11 points. It marked the freshman's eighth game in double digits this season.
• Michigan State entered tonight's game leading the Big Ten in field goal percent (48.9) and RU held them to 40 percent.
• MSU now holds an 8-0 advantage in the series dating back to 1970. Rutgers is 0-4 on the Spartans home floor.
• Rutgers' starting lineup consisted of Geo Baker, Montez Mathis, Ron Harper Jr., Eugene Omoruyi and Shaquille Doorson. The Scarlet Knights have utilized six different starting lineups this season.'

POSTGAME QUOTES
 
Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell
 
Opening Statement: "Great environment here today. It was a really tough game for us. Michigan State did a great job on the back board. Coach Izzo is the best. I thought we could hang around for a bit. Free throws didn't help us. I think Cassius Winston is the best point guard in the league, and he played like it today."
 
On MSU: "Coach Izzo is the main guy. As long as he is on the sideline, it doesn't matter who they put out there. Michigan State is Michigan State. Their big guys played a lot, they are good players, they rebound the heck of the basketball. Their system is in place. No matter who checks into the game they are going to play hard, they are going to rebound and they will be well coached. They have that culture and the best coach in the country. They play hard and they play the right way."
 
On Cassius Winston: "Winston is a hard guard to stay in front of. He made some plays, he got to the free throw line. We didn't do a great job on screen coverage, so that hurt us. But he broke away and got some open threes. They got some second-chance threes on some kickouts. He really hurt us in a six-minute stretch where we kind of lost it and they did a good job on the back boards. So credit them. That's why they are the best team in the league. And this is a tough place to play."

On MSU's offensive rebounding on one possession: "That's what they do. It's not like we were surprised. They are a great rebounding team. I thought we were a good job getting stops on those first possession, once we didn't give up transition. They got on a bit of a roll."
 
On Rutgers second half: "That's a good basketball team. It's a forty-minute game. They are at home. They made some shots and got to the free throw line. They have good players. It was a two-possession game always, then we went down with 12 minutes left, then they kept grinding us down. We have to make more free throws. Scoring points, that wasn't our problem tonight. We can't get out-rebounded like that. And we're one of the best rebounding teams in the country too. That's more of a problem for us. And four out of our top seven are freshmen. We'll keep going and we'll get better and better."