PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Scarlet Knights men's basketball team is on fire.
A 64-50 victory over the Maryland Terrapins on Thursday night marked the second Big Ten win of the week and the first-consecutive win in a row.
Senior point guard
Paul Mulcahy took over the game in the second half and was a perfect 6-6 from the field with a game-high 15 points. Mulcahy added a pair of steals and was nearly unstoppable on both ends of the floor.
It's the second game in a row that New Jersey's point guard went on a run in the later stages of the game to help propel RU to victory.
"Great environment today," head coach
Steve Pikiell said. "Our crowd was excellent. I have a ton of respect for Maryland. If you put the tapes on they're very good, well coached. Obviously (Julian) Reese, (Donta) Scott, (Jahmir) Young, these are good players. We played well and grinded it out. We're going to play three games in five and a half days so it's a tough stretch. We played well in the second half. We held a team that averages 72 (points) to 50 and 20 turnovers. So, we did a really good job. These guys all chipped in, Paul (Mulcahy) was terrific going six-for-six. In the second half, he did a great job, but you know all these guys chipped in. They do a great job. (I'm) just pleased, but we're on to Iowa, the leading scoring team in our league. So, another challenge is coming up on Sunday."
Rutgers played lockdown defense and held Maryland to 17 points in the first half. That was good for the best defensive first half in the
Steve Pikiell-era against a Big Ten opponent. Rutgers forced 20 turnovers and had 18 points on the fastbreak compared to Maryland's two.
The perimeter defense was again strong for RU limiting the Terrapins to 8-22 from downtown along with 11 team steals.
Rutgers had 28 points in the paint compared to Maryland's 20.
Cam Spencer the Davidsonville, MD. Native scored 13 points and buried three trifectas. Spencer snagged three steals, had five assists and drilled all four of his free throw attempts. Spencer continued his outstanding defense with three steals on the night.
Grad winger
Caleb McConnell was the third Scarlet Knight in double figures with 10 points, two assists and two steals. He held the Terrapins go-to guard Jahmir Young to 13 points.
Junior forward
Aundre Hyatt came off the bench with eight points and sunk a pair of threes. His highlight block in the second half led to a dunk from
Derek Simpson on a fastbreak. Simpson, the true freshman scored six points off the bench.
Junior center
Clifford Omoruyi had a game-high 13 points and four points. Junior forward
Mawot Mag added six points and four rebounds.
The Scarlet Knights have a quick turnaround and host Iowa on Sunday at noon.
Rutgers vs. Maryland Postgame Quotes - 1/5/23
Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell
On team's mindset after Purdue win:
"To hold them to14 points in the first half until that last three went in – you know, this group is mature. I will say that about them. They approach preparation the right way. It was a crazy couple of days, too, that daily fame is fleeting too. So, you have to make sure that you're ready to play when you're playing teams in our league, and two weeks ago, this team was ranked. You have to be ready. Our defense was good. I know it wasn't pretty today, but I kind of liked those kind of games. We just grinded and figured out a way to win and that's a good sign for us."
On Paul Mulcahy:
"We're kind of an equal opportunity offense. Paul – it was his day today. Cam's (Spencer) had days. Obviously, Derek has had days. He took advantage of what he had, he used the size, he got in the lane. Paul does a lot of things for us. You know, he rebounds, he's vocal, he does a lot of winning things. You know, points get all the accolades, but, it's all the stuff that you watch on the film that you love about Paul, and that's why since he's been here we've done nothing but win. It's the winner part of him that I love."
On confidence in being able to press opponents:
"The National Defensive Player of the Year,
Caleb McConnell. These guys are connected. I think Cam is leading our league in steals. Paul can guard the versatility.
Mawot Mag gives us tremendous energy. Aundre (Hyatt), versatility. Cliff (Omoruyi) is a shot blocker. You know, they're connected, and then the guys that come off the bench, too. Wolf (
Antwone Woolfolk) can really defend. Dean can defend. So I'm confident, but it's work. We do a lot of different things. These guys are able to take the coaching and move the prep around because we do a lot of different things. It's work, they watch film – these guys watch more film than anybody in the country. It shows at times. Our versatility really is unique."
On being able to hold a lead
"It wasn't a thing of beauty offensively. When you hold a team 22 points under their average, you can do things and we made some timely shots. We make free throws, and that's a big part of it, we got a lot of different guys and I trust all of them. I only get disappointed when a guy's open – shoot the ball, like if that's what you do, that's what you do. I thought my Mawot had some open looks and he passed up on some things. I tell Cam all the time when you're open, let it go. Derek already feels pretty good about that, because there's not a time that he's not ready to let it go. But I like that trait in him. Our guys have the green light when they play that hard on defense and to do what they do offensively and when we hesitate that's the only time we get into a little bit of a problem."
On what separates this roster defensively from others
"We've got great leadership and the way they prepare. But we have tremendous versatility. I mean, our guys can guard any position, Paul can guard any position, Caleb can really guard any position. Andre, Mawot. And we've added Cam, who's as good an anticipator (as there is) and has got great hands. Caleb led the league in steals and now Cam is doing that for us. We've got good size. Obviously Jersey Mike's Arena gives us a huge advantage, people are loud and it is a great environment, so that helps too."
On Derek's impact on the floor and why he brought him to the press conference
"We want handsome. We brought some handsome to the press conference today. He had the great plus-minus and he brings an element to us coming off the bench and I appreciate it. He started earlier in the year when these guys were hurt. He's come off the bench, accepted what he does and he does a great job. He and
Aundre Hyatt give us a great lift off that bench and they were both starters at one point."
On the current win streak after the Seton Hall loss
"That's just you know the journey of every season. You're not gonna play great every night, it was a one possession game. We just didn't finish that game. You learn from it and that's why I think we finished the Purdue game and these guys are back on track. You learn from film, it's early in the year, our rotations are better now. I think everyone's a little more comfortable in what they do and it's part of the process that you have to go through. Everyone wants to skip all the steps, but these guys know that you have to go through those steps, especially in a league like this, it prepares you for that."
On Derek's improvement on the defensive end
"I trust him. He can guard people. Every day he goes up against Cam, he goes up against different guards, he has to guard bigger guys. He's got elite speed. And he's learning our system too, which isn't easy, and he's done a good job of picking it up and he's a high energy guy. He's got pretty good swagger too, and I like that about him."
Maryland Press Conference - Head Coach Kevin Willard
On Rutgers defense:
"Yeah, I think, the adjustment Steve has made. You know, what the pressure defense says. I think it's made up for a lot of their offensive woes to be perfectly honest. They're a very good basketball team. I think they're not a great half court offensive team. I went back and watched the Seton Hall game and it's one of the better college games I've seen. But seeing the struggle scoring in the half court, the press especially in this building, it just gives them an opportunity, puts a little bit less pressure on their half court defense, it gives them an opportunity to get easy transition points. I think that's the biggest difference I've seen in them from watching them play at Miami, I watch them, and then obviously, the Big Ten games. Paul, Cliff, McConnell, Mag they all work really well as a group.
Cam Spencer is a really smart player out there and kind of knows this game. I just think the pressing has changed them from a half court team that you really knew what was coming at you the whole time and that we were going to have to score to a team that now it's a special preparations unit. In this building it is tough."
On momentum change:
"Yeah, the turnover was big. The flagrant wasn't huge. I love the fact he chased it down and went up and played aggressively. I thought that's the best Julian's looked in a long time. It looks like he's back from those 12 days that he missed. His legs look like they're there. I thought his pick and roll defense was excellent. I thought he battled all night with Cliff. That was the kind of Julian that was playing really well, and then obviously, injury at UCLA kind of derailed a little bit. He just had that look in his eye like he had before he got hurt."
On offense
"We're getting some good looks in the first half. I think Ian making the three kind of relaxed us to a certain effect. I now know why Duke and Maryland are such hated rivals. Duke got down 22 to 4 so they upstaged us by a point. We got down 21 to 4. Duke always messing with Maryland I guess. They're working hard. They're getting good looks. They're good offensive players. This is the first time these guys have gone through this. Being on the road benign on the road battling tough crowds. I think that's what's great about this league is every night there's been a great crowd. Sometimes schedule dictates how you play. Right now. We've had three tough games on the road. We've played well at home. We just haven't been home that much. I have the utmost confidence in these guys. We'll get it going offensively. And I'm not I'm not so worried."
On starting Noah Batchelor:
"Don played really well the last few times he came in off the bench and kind of got lost in the game a little bit and he was able to come in and be a little freer to be honest with you instead of being such a focus on and having one of the best defenders on him. I wanted to try to maybe get one of their subs and just kind of get him going a little bit and just kind of get a little pressure off him. It was nothing big. He knew he was going to play the same amount of minutes. Just trying to get them off so he can kind of have a little bit more relaxed of a defender on him instead of the guys he has been going against. I Noah did great. He didn't have a great stat line. But, for being a freshman in this environment, It's a great experience. It'll pay dividends in the future."
On Paul's play
"I remember watching the last eight games of the Big 10 Play with them. And I thought the difference in this team and their team last year and obviously this year they gave Paul. Paul's a point guard in high school. Played for a great coach taught him how to play the game. He affects the game, he's one of the better passers I've seen in college basketball in a long time. He's unselfish, he has great confidence, but I thought the move to him playing point guard last year was the difference in the way they finished the season last year and obviously the winner this year."
On losing the ball
"They hurt us. I think you gotta give credit to Rutgers. Their pressure defense was really good. And again, I think it's the more we go through these games, the more confidence they're going to get from each other, more confidence you're going to have playing against these type of defenses but I think you have to give Rutgers credit for that."
Gallery: (1-5-2023) Men's Basketball Defeats Maryland
Rutgers Postgame Notes
The win for RU represented:
- A 3-1 start to Big Ten play for the fourth straight season.
- A five-game winning streak
- Four straight home wins, coming by an average margin of victory of 26.5 points (beating Wake Forest, Bucknell, Coppin State and Maryland all by at least 14 points)
- The fourth win in the past six games against Maryland (RU is now 7-13 all-time versus the Terps)
- An 11-4 record through 15 games, the best start to a year since a 12-3 stretch to open the 2019-20 season.
- Rutgers is now 10-1 at home this season, 24-4 at home over the past two seasons, 34-8 at home over the past three seasons and 52-9 at home over the past four seasons at home.
- The 8th win for RU when facing head coach Kevin Willard, who previously coached at Seton Hall.
- Steve Pikiell is now 3-0 against Kevin Willard in matchups in Piscataway.
- Rutgers' 14-point margin of victory was the second most ever against Maryland, and tied for the largest margin since both schools joined the Big Ten.
- The last three wins over Maryland have all come by double-digit points.
Team Defense
- Rutgers held Maryland to just 17 points in the first half, the fewest points allowed in the first half of a Big Ten game under head coach Steve Pikiell.
- The previous low under Pikiell was 18 points against Illinois in the first half of a 2020 contest. RU also held Michigan State to 17 points in the second half of a game in 2021.
- Rutgers' record for points against in a half was when RU held Eastern Michigan to four points in the opening half in 2018.
- Maryland entered averaging 72.6 points per game. They became the 15th consecutive opponent that RU held below their average output, scoring just 50 points.
- That marked their second lowest output this season.
- Maryland had a season-high 20 turnovers compared to 19 made field goals. The Terps entered the game averaging just 11.9 turnovers per game.
- Rutgers has held two of its four Big Ten opponents to 50 or fewer points this season.
Individuals
- Paul Mulcahy scored 15 points following a team-high 16-point performance at Purdue. It was just the second time in his career that Mulcahy scored 15+ points in consecutive games. He has led the team in scoring in two straight games, marking two of the three instances in his career leading the team in scoring.
- Cliff Omoruyi had three blocks, moving past Hollis Copeland and into a tie with Anthony Duckett and Greg Lewis for 17th all-time at RU in blocks.
- Omoruyi reached double-digit rebounds for the third time in the past four games.
- Cam Spencer scored 13 points. He has reached double digits in three of the four Big Ten games and is averaging 10.3 points per game in Big Ten play.
Big Ten Game Records
- Maryland's 50 points scored and 20 turnovers represented the third most turnovers forced and fifth fewest points allowed by RU in a Big Ten game since joining the league. RU also had 11 steals, tied for the 4th most ever by RU in a Big Ten game.
