PISCATAWAY, N.J. – There was less than 32 seconds on the clock when Rutgers picked up the ball with the game tied 46-46 at Jersey Mike's Arena on Wednesday night.
Senior forward
Ron Harper Jr. looked to do what he's done already this season, send RU home with a buzzer-beater victory. With 1.9 seconds on the clock Harper Jr. was fouled at the top of the key and sent to the free throw line for two shots.
Harper Jr. sunk both free throws and the Scarlet Knights defended on the other side of the ball to secure the 48-36 win over Iowa.
"We just called a play, we trusted and believed in it," Harper Jr. said. "We got a good call. I feel like he fouled me. For me, going up to the free throw line with the game on the line, this is what I came here to do. My teammates trust me to come through in those moments. To make those foul shots is a credit to them trusting me in those moments of going one-on-one with the game on the line."
Harper Jr. led the way with a team-high 15 points on (5-10) shooting and knocked down all four of his free throws. Harper Jr. led Rutgers in scoring for the 10
th time this season, reaching double-digits for the 14
th time in 17 games. Harper Jr. also played a huge role in limiting the nation's leading-scorer Keegan Murray to just 13 points.
"A great college basketball game," head coach
Steve Pikiell said. "Iowa is really good, a very talented team with the leading scorer in the country. Old fashioned, defensive game. The guys willed us to a win. Great defense from start to finish. I thought we had some makeable shots but we just couldn't seem to find the bottom of the net on some of those possessions. But we figured out a way to win. And you know, that's life here in this league. Just figure out a way to win."
The victory marked the team's third win over Iowa in 12 lifetime meetings. RU now holds a (5-2) record through seven games in Big Ten Conference games to conference play for the second time in the past three seasons.
Rutgers improved to (10-1) at Jersey Mike's Arena this season and (28-2) over its past 30 home games with fans allowed in the building.
Below are four more takeaways from RU's 11
th victory of the season on Wednesday night at Jersey Mike's Arena.
Historic defensive effort
The Rutgers 48-46 win over Iowa checked a lot of boxes on the defensive side of the ball.
Iowa shot just 27.9%, the lowest ever margin against RU in a Big Ten Conference game.
Rutgers held Iowa, the number one scoring offensive in the Big Ten, to a season-low 46 points.
"We blocked shots," Pikiell said. "These guys did a fantastic job with the gameplan. And playing an elite that runs and they get to the free throw line, real proud of them. Just found a way to get stops and really as good a defensive effort as I've seen. The home crowd too was just tremendous. That effort was pretty good. We need to take care of the ball better. But we have more in the tank too defensively. A great effort against a team that can really score. I told the team in timeouts, a real old-fashioned grinder. Cliff made great rebounds in traffic. We made the plays when we had too."
It was the first time Iowa was held under 50 points since March 7, 2019 and the first time this season they were held under 70 points in conference play. Rutgers held Iowa to 19 points in the second half, their lowest in any frame of the season (previous-low was 26)
The Hawkeyes made just four field goals in the final 17 minutes of the contest.
Iowa's 46 points represented the second-lowest points ever against RU in a Big Ten Conference game.
Gallery: (1-19-2022) Men's Basketball Defeats Iowa
Big Cliff's big night
Junior center Cliff Omoruyi had a career-high 14 rebounds in his fourth double-double of the season. Four of his rebounds came on the offensive side of the ball. He reached double-digit rebounds for the fifth time in the last six games.
Big Cliff had seven points, two steals and three blocks in the effort. He played 26 minutes in the game.
Geo Baker, Big Block Maker
Geo Baker had a career-high three blocks for the second consecutive game. Baker played a hard-fought all-around game with eight points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal in his 34 minutes effort.
Baker had a key play in the second half when he leaped at the top of the key on the defensive side of the ball for a rejection and scored a contested fastbreak layup with the finger roll to bring the Scarlet Knights within two points.
Bench production
The Scarlet Knights outscored the Iowa bench 9-0 in the game.
Center
Dean Reiber came in early and gave Pikiell great minutes in the first half with four points early. Center Ralph Gonzales-Agree chipped in with four points of his own. Forward
Aundre Hyatt had five rebounds in his 11 minutes and played a huge part in the momentum of the game.
"Those guys are getting better and better and giving us quality minute," Pikiell said. "
Mawot Mag gave us energy.
Dean Reiber coming in, Ralph at the center spot, they were really good. Aundre got some rebounds and kept plays alive.
Jalen Miller on defense. That bench is really important."
