PISCATAWAY – Rutgers (14-15, 7-12) fought back from a 20-point deficit to get within one point, but could not tweak the twine on the game's final possession in a 66-65 loss to Penn State (13-17, 6-13) Wednesday night. Eugene Omoruyi scored 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting and Myles Johnson had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds before the fifth sold out crowd at the RAC this season.

"Give Penn State credit, they were just one point better." Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Seeing the growth of this team has been really exciting. We've gotten better and better as the season has gone on. Eugene was outstanding tonight, he really muscled through. The RAC has been loud and a really tough place to play. I'm excited about my team going forward. We have a lot of basketball left to play."

Ron Harper Jr. scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and Caleb McConnell made 4-of-6 field goals to contributed 12 points for Rutgers, which shot 47.4% in the second half after a 25% mark in the first. The Scarlet Knights out-scored the visitors 46-29 over the final 20 minutes after trailing 37-19 at the midpoint.

"We can't spot them that many points, but I am proud of our guys they responded at halftime," said Pikiell. "If we play like that we'll be fine. We have to play like that for 40 minutes."

Defense was the name of the game early, as Penn State took a 13-8 lead halfway through the first frame. After a dunk from McConnell, Rutgers cut its deficit to 17-14, but PSU countered with a 13-0 run to extend its advantage to 30-14. The Scarlet Knights were unable to find their rhythm prior to the break.

Early in the second half, RU gained energy with a 7-0 run, while forcing PSU into a 0-of-6 start from the field. The Scarlet Knights extended that burst to 17-6 to cut the deficit to single-digits.

The visitors sought to repel the Scarlet Knights' charge, hitting a series of three-pointers to keep RU at bay. But the home team continued to push, using a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to five at 60-55 on a long-range three-pointer from Harper with 5:30 to play.

A three-pointer from McConnell reduced the PSU lead to 66-63 with two minutes to play. A put-back layup from Johnson cut the deficit to one-point with 95 seconds to play. Those would be the last points of the game, however, as Penn State escaped with the win. PSU's final field goal of the game, which came at the 2:58 mark, proved to be enough. 

Rutgers travels to Indiana for its regular season finale on Sunday. The contest tips-off at 12 noon (ET) on BTN with Brandon Gaudin and Jess Settles on the call.

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

• Junior Eugene Omoruyi scored 23 points, his 20th game scoring in double figures this season and the 30th of his career.
• Omoruyi reached the 20-point plateau for the fourth time this season.
• He made nine free throws, a new career-high. The nine free throws also tied Rutgers' individual game-high in a Big Ten game. 
• Big Ten Freshman of the Week Ron Harper Jr. scored 14 points, his 10th game in double digits this season and eighth against a Big Ten opponent.​
• Freshman Caleb McConnell scored 12 points, his fifth time in double-figures this season.
• Myles Johnson scored 10 points and had 11 rebounds, notching his third double-double of the season. The 11 rebounds tied his career-high. 
• Rutgers issued eight blocks, its most in a Big Ten game this season.
• PSU entered tonight's game ranked second in the Big Ten in turnovers forced (13.62). Rutgers committed 11.
• Rutgers had eight blocks, tying for its most ever in a Big Ten game. It was Rutgers' most blocks in a game since the win at Miami in November. 
• Prior to tip-off, graduate senior Shaquille Doorson was recognized in a ceremony. The team co-captain has played in 119 career contests. Enrolled in the Graduate School of Education, the Netherlands native is pursuing adult and continuing education after earning a degree in human resource management with a minor in labor studies and employment relations in May.
• Rutgers is now 21-16 at home and 9-8 at the RAC versus Penn State.
• 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: "It was an unbelievable environment. Thank you to everyone for showing up today. This isn't how we wanted to end this last game for Shaq. Shaq Doorson has done a tremendous job for this program. He is one of the greatest kids I have coached in 24 years of coaching. I was proud of our team, especially in the second half. Give Penn State credit, they played really well. Better than us tonight."

On the slow start: "The energy, everything. I don't know if they were reading the press clippings from the other night. We have to play better than that against a really good, hungry team that is playing really well in Penn State. We can't spot them that many points, but I am proud of our guys they responded at halftime. If we play like that we'll be fine. We have to play like that for 40 minutes."

On outside noise around the program: "The phones aren't doing anything for us. We're young and we'll learn from that. We played our tails off in the second half and the crowd was great. We made it a real tough place to play. "

On Shaq Doorson: "Shaq Doorson from day one has brought this in. He has done a really good job. I'm disappointed we couldn't get this win for him. He deserves it. He is good teammate. He is a good captain. He is a great kid. We would've liked that tip in to have gone in for him, but we have more basketball in front of us."

On the growth of the team: "The growth of the team this year is exciting. We have gotten better and better. You see different people. Eugene was outstanding today. He muscled through a leg injury. You know, different guys. Ron Harper second half stepped up. McConnell. The guys are getting better. They are playing with good confidence."

On the crowd at the RAC: "I'm excited about the RAC. It has become a tough place to play. When we go on the road, every place is tough. Every place. And now this place has become a tough place to play. I'm really excited about that and I am really excited about this team moving forward. WE have to play 40 minutes in this league. It's a must."

Penn State Head Coach Patrick Chambers

Opening statement: "I'm proud of my team. A really hostile environment and we came out and played really good the first 20 minutes. And we did just enough in the second 20 to sneak out of here, steal a win. So many opportunities. I've seen Geo (Baker) make that shot all season long. I've seen Myles Johnson tip it in a few times. I've seen it. You're having déjà vu while it's happening. But we were able to get some blocks and Myles (Dread) makes a very smart, heady play by throwing it down to the other end, and we get out of here with a win. (Steve Pikiell) obviously did a great job. I've got so much to say about Steve Pikiell, what a great coach. I've been coaching against him since the America East days. What he's done here is just amazing. What Pat Hobbs has done here is just amazing. That atmosphere you can't beat. That was truly a difficult road challenge. Fortunately, we came out of here with a win."

On the final defensive stand: "It wasn't pretty, but Josh Reaves made some big plays, all game actually. But those blocks were huge at the right time. They were timely and we needed them. They almost scored 50 points (in the second half). We held them to 19 in the first half and then they nearly scored 50 in the second half. I was starting to think it was Iowa all over again. But we started to go back and forth, Josh Reaves made some big-time plays."

On playing at Rutgers: "I've been coming here since my Villanova days. That's why I said what I said about (Steve Pikiell) and Pat (Hobbs). Just phenomenal, this place was electric, was sold out. I'll put it right up there, man. The home court advantage is definitely here."

On the Big Ten standings: "I don't look at the Big Ten standings. I try to steer clear of that stuff because then you start thinking, if we win here or do this, and now you're not focused on just getting your team better. We're just focused on us. It is top-to-bottom ridiculous. It is the hardest it's been. I've been in this league eight years, without question the hardest I've seen it. We've been in every game except maybe two, Michigan State and Wisconsin at home. I feel like that was last year. Every game is a battle, and down to a one-possession game."

On the Penn State-Rutgers matchup: "I would even say at our place when they made the plays down the stretch to beat us, so yeah, this can be good for the Big Ten. It can be good for Rutgers and Penn State to compete the way we've been competing. The fans were yelling at us and the two teams were really getting after it, not giving up an inch. So, it is going to be good to come back here and for them to come to us next year."

On the team's play: "I felt against Wisconsin we had that game. I felt like we had great opportunities in that game and let it slip through our hands. We had some really good opportunities. Josh (Reaves), Lamar (Stevens) missed free throws and then we turned it over when we were really stopping them. They were only 1-for-12 in the last seven or eight minutes I think. We've been playing good, inspired basketball. We are really connected. You can sense and feel that. The guys really like each other. Leadership is at a really good place. Josh (Reaves) and Jamari (Wheeler) are doing a fantastic job."

On defending Geo Baker: "Geo Baker has really impressed me. He had 20 against us the first time around. I've watched a lot of their tapes going into this game, and he's got long arms, got a high release. He's about 6-3 with maybe a half inch in there. He's just really talented. I thought Jamari (Wheeler) and Josh (Reaves) did a really job of speeding him up and making him uncomfortable. I thought the first time around he was very comfortable, got to his spots and the places where he likes to shoot the basketball. We flipped that tonight. But they had other guys step up for them."