NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. – New Jersey's point guard took over the game at the Mecca.

Senior point guard Paul Mulcahy came on in the second half to lead Rutgers to a 61-55 victory over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Mulcahy scored eight of the Scarlet Knights' last 15 points to help secure the win. The guard finished with 17 points, three assists and two rebounds. Mulcahy added three steals and shot 4-for-7 from the field.

"I just loved that we kept hanging in there," Pikiell said after a second half in which Paul Mulcahy, much as he did last month against top-ranked Purdue, put his own stamp on the afternoon and scored all of his 17 points. "I thought in the second half, we started getting downhill and Paul did an unbelievable job. It wasn't a thing of beauty, that's for sure, but it was beautiful to me. We figured out a way to win."

Fifth-year wing Caleb McConnell played lockdown defense and added nine points. The wing had four steals and passed Rashod Kent for third all-time at RU in steals.

"All year, if we're connected on the defensive end, we cause havoc, we cause problems," Caleb McConnell added. "A lot of teams have struggled against our half-court defense and coming into this game, that's something we wanted to do. We wanted to smother them. I feel like if we're connected on the defensive end, we're hard to beat."

"These two guys are special to me," a proud but stoic Pikiell said. "They do a lot of things — again, everyone's into stats, but it's really not about stats with either of those guys. Before the game, Caleb's like, 'who do you want me to guard?' And it doesn't matter who we're playing. If it's a five man, he says, 'let me guard him.' Paul is just about winning, that's what he really cares about, and those two guys are our hardest workers. It's just great to have leadership like that and guys that have been through a lot."

Junior center Clifford Omoruyi was a dominant force in the paint with 15 points and 12 rebounds. It was the ninth double-double of the season for the center.

Junior forward Mawot Mag led the team with seven points in 12 minutes in the first half before exiting with an injury and not returning for the rest of the game. Pikiell commented on Mag's status after the game.

"He's been a very important guy for us, obviously," Pikiell said. "He mixes up our defenses, we can do a lot of things with him, he and Caleb can guard really any position on the floor. I really feel for him right now, but we don't really know anything. He'll see some doctors tomorrow, and we've gotta keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best."

It was a rock fight in the first half with the score being 25-19, Michigan State going into the break. RU held Michigan State to 30 points in the second half to help secure the win. Rutgers will now head to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday night. RU is (6-0) in the last six games against Indiana.

WITH THE WIN

The  victory over Michigan State represented:

• A 10-3 mark in the past 13 games
• RU's eighth Big Ten win, the second most league wins of any team
• 3-1 in the last 4 games vs Spartans
• 54th win all-time at Madison Square Garden (fifth win in the last eight games played there).

 
MILESTONE WATCH

• Caleb McConnell passed Rashod Kent for third all-time at RU.
• Cliff Omoruyi had three blocks to tie Sean Axani for 11th and five behind JR Inman for 10th all-time at RU.
• Cam Spencer has 54 steals this season. With one steal, he tied for 16th most in a season at RU
   

RUTGERS AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Overall record: 54-59
Record at current Madison Square Garden: 48-57
Record at Super Saturday: 1-2
 
Rutgers is now 3-3 at Madison Square Garden under Steve Pikiell, having played twice previously in the Big Ten's Super Saturday event (losses to Wisconsin and Michigan) and three games at the 2018 Big Ten Tournament (2-1 record).