PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 25 Rutgers men's basketball is back at Jersey Mikes Arena on Monday game for the second game of the 2024-25 season. The Scarlet Knights welcome fellow New Jersey school St. Peter's at 7 p.m. for a game that will stream on B1G+. Dom Savino and Austin Johnson will have the call for the stream, with Jerry Recco joined by Geo Baker for the radio call on WFAN.
Rutgers opened the season last Wednesday with a 75-52 victory over Wagner.
Dylan Harper led the team with 20 points. That marked the most for a RU freshman in a debut in 52 years since Phil Sellers scored 30 in 1972. Harper had the most points for a RU player under head coach
Steve Pikiell in a season opener. It was the most points for a RU player in a season opener since Kadeem Jack scored 30 versus Florida A&M on November 18, 2013, when Jack was a redshirt junior.
Freshman
Lathan Sommerville impressed in his debut with 11 points and nine rebounds. PJ Hayes chipped in 12 points in his first game in a Scarlet Knight uniform. Overall, seven players saw action in their first game as a Scarlet Knight, including three freshmen (Harper, Sommerville and
Dylan Grant) making their collegiate debut.
With the victory over Wagner, Rutgers improved to 61-7 in non-conference home games under head coach
Steve Pikiell. Rutgers has won 10 straight non-conference home games and is 42-2 in those contests since the start of the 2019-20 season. Dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season, Rutgers is 69-19 at Jersey Mike's Arena.
St. Peter's enters the matchup at 0-2, with tight losses to Seton Hall (57-53) and UMass Lowell (81-74). Senior Marcus Randolph scored 16 points against the River Hawks, and leads the team with 12.5 points per game through two contests. Armoni Ziegler and Mouhamed Sow each average 10.0 through two games. SPU is shooting 40% from the field and outrebounding opponents 72-61.
Under head coach Bashir Mason, the Peacocks won the MAAC Championship last season. The team played in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons, earning a No. 15 seed and falling to Tennessee in the First Round. Entering this year, they were pegged to finish in fifth place in the MAAC. Marcus Randolph and Mouhamed Sow earned preseason all-conference recognition. Sow posted 5.4 points and 4.9 rebounds last season, and Randolph scored 6.5 points per game as a rookie in 2023-24.
Rutgers is 12-4 all-time against Saint Peter's, and 10-3 at home. Last season, in the first meeting between the two schools since 2014, RU earned a dominant 71-40 victory. Rutgers forced 23 turnovers, had 12 steals, and scored 25 points off turnovers in the victory.
- Rutgers would start the season 2-0 for the ninth time over the past 10 seasons
- Rutgers would improve to 13-4 all-time against St. Peter's, 11-3 at home, and have won two straight in the series.
Rutgers has two more games this month at Jersey Mike's Arena. Coming up, RU hosts Monmouth (Friday, November 15) and then Merrimack (Wednesday, November 30).
