Rutgers Men’s Basketball Shows Fight Despite 67–54 Loss to Central Connecticut State
Rutgers’ five-game homestand ended on a sour note Friday night, as the Scarlet Knights were upset by Central Connecticut State, 67–54, inside Jersey Mike’s Arena. After opening the season with wins over Rider, Maine, Lehigh, and American, Rutgers now sits at 4–1 and suddenly finds itself searching for solutions.
How the Game Slipped Away
The frustration stemmed not just from the loss but from how quickly momentum turned. Rutgers fell behind midway through the first half and never managed to reclaim control. Every attempted surge was immediately answered by the Blue Devils.
Multiple times in the second half, Rutgers cut the deficit to a single possession, only for CCSU to respond with timely baskets. Their best chance came just over nine minutes into the first half when the Knights trimmed the gap to three, but Central Connecticut quickly regained separation and maintained it the rest of the way.
The stat sheet did little to soften the blow. Rutgers came up short in nearly every key category:
-
CCSU shot 39% from the field; Rutgers managed just 36%.
-
The Blue Devils knocked down 43% of their three-pointers, while Rutgers hit only 26%.
-
Rutgers was outrebounded by four and committed three more turnovers.
-
CCSU also held slight edges in points in the paint, steals, and blocks.
The disparity from three-point range proved especially damaging. Each time Rutgers seemed poised to flip momentum, Central Connecticut drained another perimeter shot, preventing the Knights from ever getting over the hump.
Francis Emerges as a Standout
Tariq Francis was the lone bright spot, delivering an impressive 19-point effort along with two rebounds and three assists. He continues to show growing confidence from long distance, now leading the roster with 10 made threes and reaching double figures in four of the team’s five games.
Dylan Grant still paces Rutgers in overall scoring at 16.6 points per game and has been a force on the glass, averaging 7.2 rebounds—second only to Emmanuel Ogbole’s 7.8.
A Difficult Stretch Ahead
Compounding the sting of the loss is the brutal schedule that now awaits. Rutgers will play five of its next six games away from home, and the one contest at Jersey Mike’s Arena is a heavyweight matchup against No. 1 Purdue on December 2.
Next up is a trip to Las Vegas for the Players Era Tournament, where Rutgers opens against No. 20 Tennessee on Monday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. The Knights will then face Notre Dame, followed by a third opponent based on bracket results, before heading out for road battles with No. 6 Michigan and rival Seton Hall in the Garden State Hardwood Classic.
No Comment! Be the first one.