National Basketball Association
Rutgers 76, Minnesota 72
When: 9:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 4, 2021
Where: Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC), Piscataway, New Jersey
Officials:
# Edwin Young, # Donnie Eppley, # Paul Szelc
Attendance:
N/A
By Field Level Media
Geo Baker scored 11 of his team-high 16 points after halftime and Myles Johnson finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds as host Rutgers won its fourth straight game, knocking off Minnesota 76-72 on Thursday night in Piscataway, N.J.
Rutgers (11-6, 7-6 Big Ten) overcame 13 turnovers to prevail in a game that featured 22 lead changes. Caleb McConnell added 14 points, and Paul Mulcahy had four assists to help the program secure its longest-ever win streak in the Big Ten.
Minnesota led by as many as six points down the stretch but was unable to finish, falling to 0-6 on the road while losing its third straight overall.
The Golden Gophers (11-7, 4-7 Big Ten) stayed afloat behind a game-high 18 points and seven assists from Marcus Carr. Liam Robbins added 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Brandon Johnson and Jamal Mashburn Jr. scored 10 points apiece.
Rutgers took the lead for good at 73-72 on a Baker jumper with 1:01 to go.
Down 58-52 with with 7:33 left in the game, the Scarlet Knights responded to take a 62-60 lead with 4:41 remaining.
Minnesota has lost three straight in the series and fell to 1-4 at Rutgers all-time.
Minnesota missed its first seven shots while surrendering the game's first nine points. The Golden Gophers cracked the scoreboard at last on a Johnson jumper with 14:25 remaining in the first half.
That basket fueled a solid stretch for the Golden Gophers, who made 13 of their next 23 field goals to take a 37-35 lead into halftime. Mashburn led all scorers with 10 points at the break, while Young paced Rutgers with nine points.
While the Scarlet Knights shot 52 percent in the first half, they endured a 4-for-11 slump during one sequence that helped Minnesota get back in the game.
Referees whistled Rutgers for a personal foul and technical foul to end the half, and the Golden Gophers made all four free throws to pull ahead.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
| Minnesota |
|
Rutgers |
|
Marcus Carr 18 |
Scoring |
Geo Baker 16 |
|
Marcus Carr 7 |
Assists |
Paul Mulcahy 4 |
|
Liam Robbins 10 |
Rebounds |
Myles Johnson 12 |
|
Jamal Mashburn Jr. 4 |
Free Throws Made |
Ron Harper Jr. 5 |
|
Liam Robbins 3 |
Steals |
Caleb McConnell 3 |
|
Tre' Williams 1 |
Blocks |
Myles Johnson 3 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Minnesota
|
72 |
40.6 |
6-18 |
14-17 |
14 |
30 |
1 |
7 |
12 |
| Rutgers
|
76 |
53.1 |
6-15 |
18-25 |
13 |
34 |
7 |
8 |
13 |
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