STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Rutgers men's basketball (7-6, 3-6) dropped a road game to Penn State (4-6, 1-5) by a final score of 75-67. Ron Harper Jr. led the team with a game-high 18 points, while Myles Johnson contributed a season-high 14.

Rutgers used a strong second half effort to push back into the game. The Scarlet Knights used a 28-14 run to push back into the game, but couldn't cut far enough into the margin.

Penn State took an early 15-4 lead, and then would extend that to 28-16 after 15 minutes of action. At halftime, the Nittany Lions led 34-24.

The Scarlet Knights looked to their bench to generate some energy in the second half, as Paul Mulcahy entered and swished two three-pointers.

Rutgers found a spark with a 11-0 run. That included a three-point play from Ron Harper Jr. and Montez Mathis finishing a fast break slam in transition. 

The Scarlet Knights continued to chip away down the stretch with a spirited second half effort, however they came up short.

"We played really hard for the last 16 minutes, but that's not enough in a game like this," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Penn State got off to a good start and we didn't come out with the energy that we needed to on the road. We fought back into it. They clawed back into it, this team didn't quit. But it's a forty-minute game. We have to play better and we'll figure this out. When hard times hit, you see what you're made of. There's still a lot of basketball left to be played. I have confidence that we'll get better."

The game marked the 13^th of the season's schedule, starting the second half of a 24-game slate. RU is back on the road for its next game, Sunday at Indiana. Tipoff is at noon on BTN.

Postgame Notes:

• Ron Harper Jr. scored in double-digits for the 11^th time in 12 games played this season.
  • He posted 14 of his 18 points in the second half.
• Myles Johnson scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season, posting a season-high 14 points.
• Geo Baker passed Jim Valvano for 29^th all-time at Rutgers in points.
• He tied Todd Billett for ninth place all-time in three-pointers.
• Paul Mulcahy had a team-high five assists, his fifth game this season with at least five assists.