Rutgers
Villanova
Men's Basketball's Rally Falls Just Short in 77-75 Loss to Villanova
Oct 11 | Men's Basketball
Smith Jr. scores 20, Gurdak adds 19 as Scarlet Knights erase 11-point deficit in final 2:27
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Down 11 with under three minutes to play, Rutgers men's basketball stormed all the way back and had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but Villanova held on for a 77-75 win Sunday afternoon in front of 5,930 fans at Jersey Mike's Arena.
Darin Smith Jr. led the Scarlet Knights with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Christian Gurdak was a force inside with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting, eight rebounds (four offensive), two steals and a block. The duo combined for 26 second-half points as Rutgers outscored Villanova 44-43 after the break.
Trailing 74-63 after a Jake Fiegen three with 2:27 left, Rutgers closed on a 12-3 run. Gurdak hit a jumper, Smith Jr. sank a pair of free throws, and Lino Mark's steal set up a Gurdak dunk to make it 74-69 with 1:43 remaining. After two Tyler Perkins free throws, Mark buried back-to-back threes — the second with 36 seconds left — to pull Rutgers within 76-75.
The Scarlet Knights got a defensive stop when Fiegen missed a three, and Jamichael Davis secured the rebound with 13 seconds left. Out of a timeout, Mark's go-ahead layup attempt rimmed out at the horn, and Elijah Crawford's free throw with no time left provided the final margin.
Mark finished with 12 points and a team-high five assists, scoring eight of his points in the second half. Darren Buchanan Jr. added seven points and five rebounds.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring eight lead changes and six ties. Rutgers led by as many as four and held a 26-23 edge after a Mark putback with 4:10 left, but Villanova closed the half on an 11-5 spurt to take a 34-31 lead into the locker room.
The Wildcats opened the second half with three straight threes and built their largest lead at 48-35 with 16:53 left. Rutgers chipped away behind Smith Jr. and Gurdak, cutting the deficit to three at 60-57 after a 7-0 run capped by back-to-back Gurdak buckets at the 8:27 mark, but Villanova answered each time until the final push.
Rutgers won the physical battles, outrebounding Villanova 42-39, including 16 offensive boards that led to a 20-8 edge in second-chance points. The Scarlet Knights also held advantages in points off turnovers (21-5), points in the paint (32-20) and fast-break points (15-4). The difference came from beyond the arc, where Villanova shot 13-of-36 (36.1%) compared to Rutgers' 4-of-17 (23.5%).
Devin Royal led Villanova with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Perkins added 18 points and Fiegen hit five threes for 15 points.
The game marked the first action for associate head coach Brandin Knight filling in for head coach Steve Pikiell as he undergoes his treatment battling cancer.
Up Next
Rutgers returns to action Sunday against St. John's at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on Big Ten Plus.
Rutgers Men's Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Villanova 77, Rutgers 75 | Oct. 11, 2026 | Jersey Mike's Arena
Associate Head Coach Brandin Knight
Opening statement:
"Early in the game, I think we allowed them to get going on the offensive glass. We allowed too many offensive rebounds, and we corrected it, but we were fighting back the entire game, all the way down to the last possession. That's something that will be a focal point of practice this week. It's something we definitely have to fix moving forward.
"It was encouraging to see our guys fight back in the second half. We got down by 10 twice, I think, and those guys showed resilience. Again, we're playing a lot of guys, just trying to figure out some rotations and see what guys are capable of doing early. I was pleased with some of our performances. I think we've got to take some better shots. At times, we rushed some things."
Q: What was today like for you? What was different about this game day compared to any other?
"I said this to the guys earlier: I spent a lot of time in the other building by myself earlier, and I'm used to being an assistant, being with the players. That part was an adjustment. Coach Pikiell has always given me a lot of responsibility to be myself and coach. That was one of the greatest things for me, because as I stepped into this role, it was easy because they've heard my voice before. The players have been accustomed to me all summer, and Coach Pikiell was right there to support me and help coach me through it. So I feel very confident in the decisions I have to make, and from there, we move on."
Q: There are a lot of new faces on this team. What did you see from the group, with many of them playing together for the first time in a real game environment?
"It was good to see them play against somebody in different shirts. We had a little bit of adversity, and we responded. I thought the bench was good.
"It's hard. We have 15 guys on scholarship. Some guys are sacrificing the kind of minutes they had at other places and sacrificing opportunities. We've all sacrificed a little bit of ourselves for the greater good of this team, and so far, it's been good.
"Joe Mazzulla had a great quote. He said when guys don't check into the game, or don't get a touch, or as many touches as they'd like, that's how you see how together your team is. I think our guys did a good job of staying together. Even guys in the second half who would love more minutes or more opportunities cheered on the guy playing in front of them."
Q: With so many new pieces, what progress have you seen from this group over the past three months together?
"We've been piecing it together on both ends because we've had some guys out with injuries. We've had guys arrive at different times, some in July, some in August, some right before school started. So the learning curve for everyone is different. It's also about getting acclimated to the style of play, the physicality, all of those things."
Q: What did you see from Christian [Gurdak]?
"Pretty much what we saw in practice. He's very skilled offensively, and at times, you've got to make sure you give him enough touches. These two guys have a track record of being able to score the ball, so the biggest thing I'm challenging them to do is get more involved on the defensive end. I think they responded at times today, but it can be better. What they do well is put the ball in the basket. But our staple, and how we win games, especially on the road, is going to be on the defensive end."
Q: Villanova is going to be near the top of the Big East. How did your team handle being down double digits and fighting back to have a shot to win at the end?
"I think they showed resilience. The game goes in ebbs and flows. Villanova went on a couple of runs, one to open the half and then another with about five or six minutes left, if I'm not mistaken. But at the end of the day, our guys battled. We were down seven, I think, with two and a half minutes left, and we had a chance to win the game on the last play. That's a testament to our guys for fighting through some adversity. But let's not put ourselves in that predicament moving forward."
Q: Four players didn't play. Can you give updates on Tariq, Will, Dorn and Martin?
"If we had to play a real game tomorrow, all of those guys could be available. My biggest thing right now is making sure that when we enter our first game on Nov. 6, all of those guys are available and ready to go at full strength."
Q: What kind of communication did you have with Coach Pikiell before, during and after the game?
"Coach Pikiell is going to be my coach all year. We have a great relationship, especially because of how he's allowed me to grow into this role. We just started our 11th year together. The message is very consistent. Our message before was play hard and play tough. We try to keep it simple, and I keep telling these guys, 'Just dominate the day.'
"For me, I try to take the focus off me. It's about them. That's how Coach Pikiell has always carried it. It's a players-first program, and hopefully that's the message I'm getting across to them. Coach Pikiell is great in saying, 'Brandin, coach your team. I'm not here. Coach your team.' So he coaches me on how I'm managing the operation, but for the most part, he's showing great confidence in me when it comes to making certain decisions."
