PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers used a dominant second-half surge to remain unbeaten, topping American 80–71 on Tuesday night at Jersey Mike's Arena.

Sophomore forward Dylan Grant led the Scarlet Knights (4–0) with 22 points and 11 rebounds, notching his latest double-double while anchoring a Rutgers frontcourt that took control after halftime. Junior guard Tariq Francis added 19 points and five rebounds, and freshman forward Denis Badalau scored 10 as Rutgers outscored American 47–38 in the second half.

The Scarlet Knights trailed by as many as 11 in the first half before rallying to tie the game 33–33 at the break. Rutgers shot 60.9 percent from the field in the second half and held American to 36.4 percent shooting after halftime.

"We have to become a 40-minute team, and we're not there yet," Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said after the win. "But in the second half our hand activity was elite. We were up to touch, we executed our coverages, and we really established the game in those first four minutes."

American (2–3) hit nine 3-pointers in the opening half and finished 12-for-32 from deep, led by Madden Collins' 16 points and Greg Jones' 11. But Rutgers' defense tightened after halftime, limiting the Eagles to three made 3s the rest of the way.

The Scarlet Knights also controlled the glass, outrebounding American 42–32, including a 16–10 advantage in second-chance points. Rutgers turned defense into offense with 21 fast-break points.

Francis helped spark the comeback, scoring 15 of his 19 points after halftime, including a pair of key buckets during a 10–2 run that pushed Rutgers' lead to double digits.

Badalau continued his efficient start to the season, finishing +17 in just over 25 minutes. "He's an elite shooter and a really good passer," Pikiell said. "He's learning the American game, but good things happen when he's on the floor."

Junior guard Darren Buchanan Jr. added 10 points off the bench, while Jamichael Davis dished out five assists and played a team-high 34 minutes.

Rutgers now turns its attention to Central Connecticut State — the reigning NEC champions — before traveling to Las Vegas for the Player's Era Tournament.

"We've got to get better in a short period of time," Pikiell said. "But this group works. They practice hard. We just have to keep that edge."



Postgame Notes

• Rutgers has scored at least 70 points in every game this season.
• American made as many three-pointers (12) as it did two-point field goals (12)
• Dylan Grant had his second double-double of the season and the sophomore's career with 22 points and a career-high 11 rebounds
• Grant has two 20-plus point games in the first four contests and has scored at least 10 points in every game this season
• Tariq Francis had 19 points, 14 of them in the second half
• Emmanuel Ogbole tied his career-high with three blocks
• After falling down by double-digits in the first half, Rutgers closed the first half on a 22-11 run and then used a 15-6 run over the first nine minutes of the second half, outscoring the Eagles by 20 in a 37-17 stretch over 23 minutes of game time spanning both halves.

• Rutgers starts the season with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2020-2021 and just the second time in the past eight seasons.
• It is the 4th time starting 4-0 under head coach Steve Pikiell and just the fifth time starting the season 4-0 over the past 25 years (2000-01, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2020-21).
• Rutgers win gave the Scarlet Knights a 20-game non-conference home winning streak, dating back to the 2022-23 Garden State Hardwood Classic vs. Seton Hall. That's the second longest active streak among Big Ten schools. 

Postgame Quotes

Rutgers Head Coach Pikiell Opening Statement on Win Against American

"I thought we did not do a great job in the first half at all. I was very disappointed. In the second half, we held them to two 3s, with one being a bank at the end. Tale of two halves, but we got a win against a team that is well-coached, and he has done a really good job.

"Watching the film and the way they zoom it, our actions in zoom were not great. We have to do a better job being up to touch and exit earlier and louder. We have to do a better job defensively for sure, but we are 4-0.

"In the second half, we played so much better, but we have to start heading to being a 40-minute team, and right now we are just not there. In the second, we really got up to touch on everything. Our hand activity was elite. We ex'd at the right time. We have five different screen coverages that we want to be really good at, but they zoom and then flare on the weak side. They've got some really good action that is hard to guard if you are not ready for it. Bryce [Dortch] and Baye [Fall] were better five-man guarding their five-man tonight. Sometimes it is hard when you have to step out at five.

"We just did a much better job in every area in the second half, and we finished the first half the right way too because we had to play from being down and clawed our way back to a tie game at halftime. Then we came out within the first four minutes and established the game. Our coverages have to be elite, and they were not tonight against a team that can really make you pay when you make a mistake."

Coach Pikiell on Where the Team Is Defensively

"Obviously, at certain times in games, we have opened up with a great 20 minutes. We have had some great minutes, but we play in a 40-minute league. We have a chance — and these guys know it too — but we are not there yet. I do not think any coach in the country will tell you he is there yet.

"In the second half, in the first four minutes, we showed you what we can do because we have some elite length. We ex'd on wraps that they had, and on back cuts we did not give up any in the second half. We took away some of that. But obviously, 3-point shots — if teams are making them, then the basket gets bigger, and you cannot give them that kind of confidence.

"I am not happy where we are with anything, but I love these guys' work. They work when no one is watching, and I like that a ton."

Coach Pikiell on Dylan Grant's Performance

"A lot of double-doubles. He is starting to string them together and scores in a lot of different ways. The four guys who have returned to our program have all gotten better, so I am proud of that. That is the work they put in.

"But Dylan, when he rebounds like that, it is a big thing for us. Then he can sit down and guard people. He made a big play at the end defensively. Proud of his progress, and I think he can do more."

Coach Pikiell on Baye Fall's Performance

"I mean, Baye is getting better too. That five-spot has been pretty productive when you look at minutes. E [Emmanuel Ogbole] got in foul trouble too. You have to play through that. But Gevonte [Ware] is working his tail off too. Those guys are a little more mobile and can get out on people.

"Baye can really block shots, but he is coming too, and he is figuring it out. I think those guys are all unique. They are all unique. But it helps when these two guys play the way they played, and it is not so much pressure on some of those other guys."

Coach Pikiell on the Offense Opening Up and the Change From Half to Half

"We were going to the basket soft. You have to attack. They gamble a lot. They [American] play a unique kind of defense that forces you out of your stuff. So we got the ball moving downhill and made some great passes. J-Mike [Jamichael Davis] to Denis [Badalau] — a huge fastball down the stretch there — Denis knocked it home.

"We just shared the game and got it going downhill. Again, another game where we outrebounded the opponent by double digits. And we were not up early — they were up on us. I think we were minus-6 at the 8-minute mark. So we came back to win the battle of the boards by 10. They did better. We moved the ball a little bit. We got some answers. We got four guys in double figures.

"We have to get better. We play a Central Connecticut team who won the league last year in a couple of days, and then we jump on a plane to Vegas. So we have to get better in a short period of time."

Coach Pikiell on Denis Badalau Adjusting to the American Game and His Progress

"He can do a lot of things for us. As you can see, he was plus-17 in the plus-minus category. So when he was on the floor, some good things really happened for us. He is an elite shooter. He is a really good passer as well. But I think they are all learning. They are learning how to play together. They are making the adjustment.

"Harun [Zmo] came off the bench and gave us a good lift too. So they are figuring it out, and we need all of them. That bench is huge and so important to us moving forward."

Coach Pikiell on What He Has Learned About the Team in the First Few Games

"As a coach, you always want more. We did not have a great practice yesterday, and this team practices pretty well. I never said that last year about that team. This team practices well. We have to keep our edge.

"As you start playing game after game, you are trying to worry about their bodies and everything, but this team usually practices well — but not yesterday. So we have to make sure that does not happen because I think how we practice is how we play, and that is what I have learned about this team."