Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.
Pinnacle Bank Arena - (Lincoln, NE)
TV: Big Ten Network (PXP: Kevin Kugler, Color: Andy Katz)
Radio: Rutgers Sports Properties Radio Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM; PXP: Jerry Recco and Color: Austin Johnson)
WRSU 88.7 FM RU Student Radio

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (11-8, 5-4) are back on the road this weekend at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-14, 0-9).

Nebraska enters Saturday's contest on a seven-game losing streak and will look to avenge a 93-65 defeat at Jersey Mike's Arena against RU on Saturday Jan. 8.

Statistics leaders (all games) in Big Ten

The Scarlet Knights are leading in several statistical categories through six conference games played.

Rutgers enters Saturday's game with the second-best scoring defense in the conference (1223 points). RU  is fourth in the conference in team assists (308) and third in the Big Ten in steals (136).
Rutgers is also fourth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.38) and offensive rebounds (214).

Junior guard Paul Mulcahy enters Saturday as being second in the conference in total assists (98) and third in assists-per-game (5.16). Senior guard Caleb McConnell is first in steals by a wide margin (41), as well as first in steals-per-game (2.16). Senior guard Geo Baker is first in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (3.10).

Statistics leaders (conference games) in Big Ten

RU is first in the Big Ten in conference play in three-point percentage (.407), assists (148) and assists-per-game 16.44. Rutgers ranks second in conference play in scoring defense with 65.89 points-per-game and third in conference play in steals (58).

Mulcahy is first in conference play in assists (53) and assists-per-game (6.33). Ron Harper Jr. is first in conference play in three-point percentage (.532). McConnell is second in the league in conference play in steals (1.89). Baker is first in conference play in assist/turnover ratio (4.67).

Scouting Nebraska

The Cornhuskers are led by one of the best freshman in the Big Ten in Bryce McGowens. The guard is leading Nebraska with 16.1 points-per-game this season. He's shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 83.8 percent from the free-throw line.

His partner in the backcourt Alonzo Verge Jr. is averaging 14.1 points-per-game on the season and leads the team with 5.3 dishes per-game.

The leader in the front court for Nebraska is 6-foot-9 junior Derrick Walker. Walker, the junior from Kansas City is averaging 9.5 points-per-game and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds.



History with Nebraska

The Scarlet Knights victory over Nebraska in January was a historic one in the record books.

The Scarlet Knights scored the most points in a Big Ten Conference regulation game in school history in a 93-65 victory over Nebraska. After trailing 14-10 early in the first half, Rutgers responded with a 15-2 run to take a 25-16 lead and never trailed again, en route to a 93-65 victory. Rutgers shot 58.3% from the field, its best mark ever in a Big Ten game. The Scarlet Knights had 23 assists, its most ever in a Big Ten game.

93 points in the game was a season-high for Rutgers and marked a four-game winning streak, the team's longest winning streak of the season. 

The victory was RU's seventh all-time win over Nebraska and fourth win in the past six matchups against Nebraska.


Nebraska last time out

Nebraska fought back from a double-digit second-half deficit, but No. 11 Wisconsin held on to earn a 73-65 win over the Huskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Thursday.
 
The Huskers trailed by as many as 18 in the second half, but rallied to get within 63-55 with 3:17 remaining. Wisconsin put the game away by going 6-of-6 from the line in the last three minutes.
 
Bryce McGowens finished with 23 points and four rebounds in the loss, while Lat Mayen and Alonzo Verge Jr. added 11 points apiece. For Mayen, it was a season-high while he also added five boards.
 
Brad Davison had 21 points and was 5-of-8 from deep to lead four Wisconsin (16-3, 7-2 Big Ten) players in double-figures. Chucky Hepburn had 13 points and three boards while Johnny Davis also added 13 points – all in the second half - and nine rebounds.

Student-Athlete Scarlet Knights

The Scarlet Knights continued to excel in the classroom in 2021-22. The team term GPA was 3.082 and the team cumulative GPA was 3.240. the best in recent history at RU.

Luke Nathan earned a perfect 4.0 in his graduate program courses. Jalen Miller, Oskar Palmquist & Logan Stephens earned Dean's List honors (3.50 term GPA w/12 or more credits). A total of 11 students (73% of roster) earned a term GPA of 3.00 or higher. A total of 12 students (80% of roster) hold a cum GPA of 3.00 or higher.

Road trip

The Scarlet Knights are on the road for multiple days as the team gears up for back-to-back games in the Midwest. Following Saturday's matchup against the Cornhuskers, the team will travel from Nebraska to Chicago to get set for a Tuesday night matchup against Northwestern.