PISCATAWAY, N.J. – There's no doubt Rutgers men's basketball started the 2022-23 season on the right track. RU defeated Columbia 75-35, tying the lowest number of points allowed in school history in the shot-clock era.
RU started off the game on a 15-0 run and outscored Columbia 44-14 in the second half to mark the largest win over a division 1 opponent since defeating Fairleigh Dickinson by 38 points in December of 2017.
"I'm excited to get this season started," head coach
Steve Pikiell said. "We're tired of practice, we are ready. I thought we shared the ball well with 20 assists. I thought our defense was at a high level, we really capitalized on that second half. I thank the fans who came two hours early, the cheerleaders, the Riot Squad, everybody. Everyone contributed, so good team win. Onto the next one."
All five starters scored in double digits and the team tallied 20 assists in total.
Rutgers got hot in the second half shooting 56.3 percent following a first half where they shot 32.5 percent. RU only allowed 14 points scored by Columbia in the second half.
"Even when the ball wasn't going in we kept at it," Pikiell said. "We stayed the course and eventually the ball went in. The defense stayed intact so I'm happy with our effort."
Junior guard Cam Spencer led the way with 17 points and six steals. He tallied five assists and shot 7-13 from the field. Spencer hit three thee-pointers and a pair in the second half to send the crowd into a frenzy following a 16-1 RU run.
"He prepares, he's a worker, and he's been a huge addition," Pikiell said. "He adds a whole different dimension to our team."
Spencer, who spent his previous seasons at Loyola Maryland, harped on the impact the crowd of 8,000 fans at Jersey Mike's Arena had on his performance and strong second half.
"I kept the same mentality, if I'm open, I'm going to shoot it," Spencer said. "I was just going in the second. The crowd was a new and great experience for me. I'm having a blast here."
"Cam is a great scorer and he's going to dribble you to sleep," senior forward
Aundre Hyatt said. "He works his way into the paint and seeing him get hot like he did in the second half gives a whole new dimension to our offense and makes us deeper as a team."
Hyatt scored 12 points and grabbed 10 boards marking his first career double-double with the Scarlet Knights. Hyatt had five field goals, a pair of three-pointers and a highlight reel alley-oop in the second half. Hyatt who transferred to returns last season after starting his career at LSU felt more comfortable in his first game of Year 2 with Rutgers.
"It's been a real good experience and I think I am in a better place now," Hyatt said. "I am real excited about this year and feel like I am more comfortable now after hearing what Coach Pikiell is trying to preach to us for one full season."
Junior center
Clifford Omoruyi had ten points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes. As a team RU had 16 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Columbia 46-38.
Omoruyi got the squad off to a quick start with an alley-oop right off of the jump ball to begin the game. Big Cliff hit a three-pointer from the top of the key flexing his improved outside game. Forward
Mawot Mag scored 10 points on four field goals. Senior point guard
Paul Mulcahy had ten points, five assists and three steals in the victory.
"These guys are ready," Pikiell said. "This group really passes the ball, we turned it over a few times which well work on, but this is a good group. These guys get after it. Everybody got into the game which was great."
Three members of the 2021-22 Rutgers Scarlet Knights were in attendance in
Ron Harper Jr.,
Geo Baker and
Luke Nathan. The team unveiled the 2022 NCAA Tournament banner during the first half. Harper Jr. told the media at halftime that he expects the 2022-23 Scarlet Knights to surpass what was done last season as a team.
"What Ron, Geo and Caleb have done here in years past just gives us more confidence as a team going forward," Hyatt said. "The impact that those guys have had on this program in the past gives us all more motivation going forward."
Gallery: (11-7-2022) Men's Basketball Wins Season Opener
Postgame Notes: Rutgers-Columbia
- In the shot clock era, Rutgers has held an opponent under 40 points 12 times. Steve Pikiell has been the head coach in 8 of those contests.
- It tied the fewest points surrendered by RU in the shot clock era, matching the 35 allowed last season versus Merrimack in a 48-35 win.
- It marked the largest margin of victory in a season opener since a 94-38 win over CCNY on November 10, 2017.
- It was Rutgers' largest margin of victory since a 94-49 win over Caldwell on December 30, 2019 and largest margin of victory over a Division I school since Dec. 9. 2017, a 38-point win over FDU.
- All five Rutgers starters scored in double-figures for the first time since Jan. 2, 2021 against No. 10 Iowa (Young, Baker, Harper Jr., Mathis and Johnson)
- Rutgers started the game and the season on an 15-0 run.
- The Scarlet Knights also started the second half on a 19-2 run, which included a 14-0 spurt, and stretched to 27-4.
- The attendance was 8,000, the first sell-out of the season. Five future games have already been called as sellouts (games against Sacred Heart, Rider, Indiana, Seton Hall and Michigan)
- Cam Spencer, Derek Simpson, Antoine Woolfork and Antonio Chol made their Rutgers debut.
- Rutgers used a starting lineup of: Cliff Omoruyi, Paul Mulachy, Cam Spencer, Aundre Hyatt and Mawot Mag.
- Spencer made his first career start at Rutgers, Hyatt his second, and Mag his third. Omoruyi and Mulcahy each started all 32 games last season.
Individuals
- Cam Spencer scored 17 points in his Rutgers' debut.
- Spencer scored 12 of his points in the second half.
- Aundre Hyatt scored 12 points, his third time reaching double-figures in his 33rd career game as a Scarlet Knight (and fifth career game overall).
- He also collected 10 rebounds, tying his career-high and notching his second career double-double
- His previous double-double came in the NCAA Tournament, when he posted 13 points and 10 rebounds for LSU against St. Bonaventure
- Cliff Omoruyi, Mawot Mag and Paul Mulcahy all scored 10 points to join them in double-figures
With the Victory:
- Rutgers improves to 7-0 in season openers under head coach Steve Pikiell and have won eight straight season openers and 9 of their last 10 season openers overall.
- Steve Pikiell improved to 99-91 as head coach at Rutgers and 296-265 all-time, one win away from 100 wins at Rutgers and four wins away from 300 victories in his career.
- Pikiell is seeking to become just the sixth coach in Rutgers history to reach 100 wins ay the helm of the Scarlet Knights (Tom Young: 239 wins, Frank Hill: 223 wins, Bob Wenzel: 128 wins, Bill Foster: 120 wins, Donald White: 105 wins).
- Rutgers has won 10 in a row over Columbia, and 14 of the past 15 matchups. All-time, in 50 games, the series is even at 25-25.
