CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Freshman guard Caleb McConnell registered a career-high 25 points on 8-of-10 shooting to help Rutgers (11-12, 4-9) deposit 37-of-73 field goal attempts (50.7%) in a hard-fought 99-94 overtime loss to Illinois (9-15, 5-8) on Saturday at the State Farm Center. With 65 scored by freshmen, the Scarlet Knights reached 90 points for the third time this season, marking the first time in 13 years (four, 2005-06) that RU has accomplished the feat.
 
"I thought we were in attack mode all day," said Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell. "We made a lot of tough shots. They did too. This game just came down to a couple of tough ones. They made a couple down the stretch and we didn't…They were just a few points better."
 
With six first-year RU players competing in their first Big Ten overtime contest, the Scarlet Knights out-rebounded the Illini 43-39 and established a 35-22 advantage in bench points. Eugene Omoruyi's game-high 11 boards and McConnell's career-best nine, boosted RU's output on the glass.
 
Montez Mathis scored 17 points, while fellow freshman Ron Harper Jr. and sophomore Geo Baker both contributed 15. Rookie Myles Johnson provided the visitors four players in double digits, adding eight points on 4-of-4 shooting.
 
"I give a lot of credit to Coach Pikiell and his staff for the team they've put together," said Illinois coach Brad Underwood. "They're tough and they are physical. I didn't expect this high scoring a game because of how good they are defensively. Their young guards are really talented. They are well coached. You know when you play Rutgers that it is going to be a tough, physical game."
 
After an early three-pointer from Mathis, the match-up was tied at seven. A 9-0 run, capped by McConnell three-pointer, gave the Scarlet Knights a 19-17 edge halfway through the frame.
 
Illinois responded with an 11-4 run to assume a 28-23 lead, but Rutgers battled back. Following an old-fashioned three-point play from Baker, McConnell's second triple of the opening frame cut the home team's advantage to 34-33.
 
Overall, Rutgers used a 14-4 run to take its first advantage of the game at 41-38. In that spurt, the Scarlet Knights made six-of-seven from the field.
 
Rutgers shot 54.5 percent in the first half (18-of-33), its best percentage in an opening 20 minutes this season.
 
The teams battled back-and-forth after the break. Halfway through the frame, Illinois held a 67-65 lead.
 
The Scarlet Knights' hit key back-to-back triples, as Baker and Mathis struck from long-range, and RU made it a one-point game with four minutes remaining in regulation.
 
With under three minutes to play, a three-pointer from McConnell evened the score at 80-80.  The Scarlet Knights shot well in the closing stretch, making six-of-eight as Harper converted to tie the game at 82-82. A three-pointer provided Illinois an 85-82 edge with under two minutes to play.
 
McConnell grabbed a key offensive rebound and issued the put-back with 27 seconds remaining, cutting Illinois' lead to 85-84. With 10 seconds on the clock, Harper Jr. made a clutch basket to tie the game at 86-86. The Scarlet Knights' defense held on the other end, forcing an extra session.
 
In the overtime, RU started on a 4-0 run with baskets from Shaq Doorson and Mathis. A jumper from McConnell gave the visitors a 92-91 lead with 3:13 remaining in the extra stanza. Illinois answered with six consecutive points for a 97-92 lead. Rutgers was unable to tweak the twine with regularity in the final minutes, however, to diminish its deficit.
 
"They made a few more plays," said Pikiell. "I love the way my team fought. It was a great college basketball game; we just came up a little bit short."
 
Rutgers remains on the road to meet Northwestern in a 7 p.m. (ET) tip-off on Wednesday at the newly renovated Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. The game will be televised on BTN with Lisa Byington and Stephen Bardo on the call. 
 
Fans can secure single game tickets for the three remaining home games online or by calling 866-445-GORU (4678). Additional information can 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

• Rutgers surpassed 90 points for the third time this season, marking the first time in 13 years (four, 2005-06) that RU has accomplished the feat.
• Rutgers shot 50.7%, its best percentage from the floor in a Big Ten game this season.
• The Scarlet Knights made 37 field goals, their most in a Big Ten game this season and the their second most ever in a Big Ten contest (previous best 39 vs. Illinois in triple overtime game in 2016).  
• Rutgers scored its most points in any conference game this season, as well as his most points on the road.
• Freshman Caleb McConnell scored a career-high 25 points, his third game in double figures this season and second in the past three games. It signaled his first career game with 20 or more points. He also had a career-high nine rebounds.
• The 25 point performance was the highest scoring output this season for a Scarlet Knight.
• Ron Harper Jr. scored 15 points. It was the freshman's sixth time this season reaching double-figures. Four of those six have come against Big Ten opponents.
• Montez Mathis reached double-figure scoring for the 10^th time this season, and eighth occasion against a Big Ten opponent, with 17 points.
• With 15 points, Geo Baker reached double-figures for the 18^th time this season and 38^th time in his career.
• Eugene Omoruyi had 11 rebounds, reaching double-figures on the glass for the seventh time this season.
• Omoruyi took one charge and now leads the team with 20 drawn charges this season.
• Rutgers' 54.5% shooting in the first half represented its highest percentage in any first half this season as well as the second highest field goal percentage in any half (62% versus Fairleigh Dickinson).
• Illinois entered the game leading the Big Ten in turnovers forced (17.09) but Rutgers committed 15 turnovers (while playing an additional five minutes).
• Illinois now leads the all-time series 7-1. This was the second overtime game between the two schools (both times as Big Ten Conference members).
• Rutgers' starting lineup consisted of Geo Baker, Montez Mathis, Ron Harper Jr., Eugene Omoruyi and Shaquille Doorson for the sixth time this season. The Scarlet Knights have utilized six different starting lineups in 2018-19.

POSTGAME QUOTES
 
Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell
Opening Statement: "Great game. Great environment. Great if you weren't coaching the game. They play really hard. I have to give Illinois credit. They made a few more plays.  I love the way my team fought. It was a great college basketball game; we just came up a little bit short."
 
On the matchup defensively: "Giorigi was good, obviously, a career night. We tried a lot of different guys on him too. I like their whole team. They have a lot of different options. I thought we did a good job on their guards. Their guards have been killing people. Obviously our defense needs to be better against a team like that. We're young too, so for us to score that many points, we did some good things. That's a real difficult matchup."
On the pace of the game: "I thought the game was up-and down. They're good defensively, but we scored a lot of points. They played a few good segments, we played a few good segments. They play very different than anyone else. So there was a lot more possessions in this game. You really have to take every one and make the most of it."
 
On the team's offense: "I thought we were in attack mode all day. We made a lot of tough shots. They did too. This game just came down to a couple of tough ones. They made a couple down the stretch and we didn't. But I thought we did a good job taking care of the ball that forces a lot of turnovers. They were just a few points better."
 
Illinois Head Coach Brad Underwood
"I give a lot of credit to Coach Pikiell and his staff for the team they've put together. They're tough and they are physical. I didn't expect this high scoring a game because of how good they are defensively. Their young guards are really talented. They are well coached. You know when you play Rutgers that it is going to be a tough, physical game.