PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Scarlet Knights got back on track at home on Tuesday night.
RU featured a strong defensive performance and held Rider to 25 percent shooting from the field to propel a 76-46 victory over the Broncs at Jersey Mike's Arena.
"The defense today was great, and we played against a very dangerous team," head coach
Steve Pikiell said. "I was concerned with this game, but our approach was good. These guys all got opportunities to play. Cam (Spencer) continues to do good things for us and (Antwone Woolfolk) is getting better and better. There were a lot of great plays from all of the guys, and I liked our energy for 40 minutes."
RU had 26 points off of turnovers and held Rider to 15 percent shooting from long range. The team collected ten steals and seven blocked shots. RU has 65 total steals through five games and is averaging 12.6 steals-per-game. Both totals are in the top five in the country as of Tuesday night.
Junior guard Cam Spencer is currently tied for the lead in the country in steals (20) and is second in steals-per-game (4.0). Spencer made all three of his three-pointers in the first half and finished with 19 points and a pair of assists on the offensive end. His 19 points were a Rutgers-high through his first five games in Scarlet.
Spencer broke down how he has been able to collect 20 steals in his first five games as a Scarlet Knight.
"I am just trying to be active with my hands, and being in the right position to help my teammates off the ball or on the ball," Spencer said. "I am just being wide with my hand and being in the right position down the floor is what I attribute it to.
"The coaches have really helped me," Spencer added. Through watching film and just being in the right positions, and being quiet and active with my hands. They call them gap steals, pretty much the ball will come to you if you're in the right position and get a hand on the ball. That's really what the focus is."
Freshman Antwone Woolfolk had a career-high in points (eight) and rebounds (nine). Woolfolk played his most minutes thus far (19) and four of his rebounds came on the offensive end. "Wolf" looked calm, cool and collective in just his fifth-career game. Woolfolk finished on a dish from fellow freshman Derek Simpson on a fastbreak exciting the crowd early on.
"It's been amazing for me here at Jersey Mike's," Woolfolk said. "The fans are so loud and all you hear is noise when you get on the floor. Every second you are out there you hear them. I have been putting the work in and preparing for this."
"He's a good player and we're really excited about him," Pikiell said of Woolfolk. "He's a worker and very coachable. He can guard anybody and he's got great hands. If he keeps on doing what he's doing he's going to be very important to us in the future."
"Since day one he's been one of our most improved guys," Spencer said. "Since the summer, he's just been working very hard and expanding his game. First time, I think, for him being all in on basketball as his only sport. Unbelievable offensive rebounder, and probably one of our best guys in the pick and roll coverages, just communicating and being active with his hands. I'm very proud of him."
Tuesday night's outcome was welcomed following the Scarlet Knights first loss of the season at Mohegan Sun on Friday night to Temple 72-66. Rutgers had 15 team assists compared to Rider's five on the night and nine different players scorer for RU in a balanced scoring attack.
"These players were locked in on both ends and were really passing the ball," Pikiell said. "You learn a lot from the games you don't play well in. We played a great 20 minutes in the second half versus Temple but it's a 40-minute game so today we played hard until the end. We're getting the guys a lot of minutes and some guys are having roles they never had before. There's a lot more to learn and we can keep getting better."
Junior center
Clifford Omoruyi had a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds marking his third double-double of the season. "Big Cliff" had four blocked shots and two steals on the night. Omoruyi had several unstoppable dunks that got the crowd going in the second half.
Pikiell said one of the keys heading into the game was stopping senior guard Dwight Murray Jr., who scored 17 points on (5-13) shooting from the field.
"He's really good (Murray) and he was a huge emphasis for us," Pikiell said. "He's really efficient. He had30 in his last game and he's playing at a high level. They're an older group of guys, been through a lot together. I thought we were locked in, I thought we did a good job defending the threes. I thought we made these touches hard. Murray still scored 17 points and really had to work at it and for him to have four turnovers is not usual. Our length showed up, we played physical, we were well prepared."
Junior forward
Mawot Mag was a perfect (3-3) from the field and finished with nine points, eight rebounds and a pair off assists. Junior forward
Aundre Hyatt added seven points and five rebounds on the night. Hyatt slammed down a highlight-reel alley-oop on a fastbreak for one of the best finishes of the night. Freshman Derek Simpson had eight points and four assists. Walk-on guard
Aiden Terry provided one of the best moments of the game when scored the first basket of his career in the final minutes on a fastbreak.
Rutgers now has an 108 point differential in wins this season marking a 27.0 point differential average in victories this year through four games.
RU will remain at home for a Saturday matchup against Central Connecticut State at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Jersey Mike's Arena.
