EVANSTON, ILL. – The Rutgers men's basketball team erased a 24-point deficit to force overtime with a dunk from center Clifford Omoruyi with 1.9 seconds remaining in regulation.

After a first half with 10 turnovers and 25 points, RU outscored Northwestern 45-27 in the second half to send the game to overtime at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Tuesday night.

In overtime, Northwestern made clutch free throws and timely stops to secure a 79-78 victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Point guard Geo Baker had an uncharacteristic night where he did not score and turned the ball over with 28 seconds remaining in overtime with the Scarlet Knights trailing by one point.

Senior forward Ron Harper Jr. had 16 points on (4-14) shooting. Harper Jr. fell just short of a pull up jumper with two seconds on the clock and the Scarlet Knights trailing by one point in overtime.

"We spotted a team 24 points and you've got to use so much energy and every play you've got to make now and you've got to make every open shot," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "It's just a hard way to play."

Junior point guard Paul Mulcahy scored a career-high 31 points and willed the Scarlet Knights back into the game with contested layups around the basket and clutch shots from beyond the arc.

Mulcahy had a career-high of ten field goals on just 13 shots, was (9-11) from the free throw line and (2-3) from three-point range. He played a career-high 44 minutes, grabbed seven boards and had seven assists.

"Paul was spectacular....really spectacular," Pikiell said. "Just grit, will. He was great. He really was. He kept us in it. He got to the free-throw line, he got downhill, he made shots. But I just loved him directing the entire second half and the first half, too, and just kind of willed us back into this basketball game."

Omoruyi had one of his best nights with RU.

Big Cliff scored a career-high 22 points. He scored seven of the first 12 points for the Scarlet Knights. Omoruyi had 11 points in the first half. He was (9-14) from the field and grabbed six rebounds.

Rutgers shot an impressive (22-27) from the free throw line. RU had 11 steals and 28 points off of turnovers.

RU trailed by 18 points heading into the break against the Northwestern. Northwestern shot 59.3 percent in the period. The Wildcats had nine bench points in the first half compared to RU's zero bench points.

"I told my team that you've got to play all 40 minutes," Pikiell said. "This is a big-boy league. Every team is really good especially when you go on the road."

Wildcats guard Boo Buie had 18 points, four assists and four rebounds. Chase Audige scored 15 points and added seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Forward Robbie Beren scored 11 points and forward Pete Nance added 10 to round out the double-digit scorers for Northwestern.

The Wildcats were (10-31) from three-point range. Northwestern and 13 second chance points.

RU will look to rebound against the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at Jersey Mike's Arena.