PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) Mike Williams scored 18 points, and recorded career highs with 11 rebounds and five steals, Friday night to lead Rutgers past Rutgers-Newark 72-59 in the season opener for both teams.
Rutgers-Newark controlled most of the first half before going into the break tied at 33. Rutgers opened up the second half on a 5-0 run and never relinquished the lead.
After sitting the first half due to a violation of team rules, Deshawn Freeman scored 13 points for Rutgers while D.J. Forman added 10.
Jordan McDaniel led Rutgers-Newark with18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. David Azoroh and John Snow were the only other Rutgers-Newark player to score in double figures, finishing with 17 and 14 points, respectively.
The win marks Rutgers' first victory since January 11, 2015, when the Scarlet Knights upset No. 4 Wisconsin. Rutgers had dropped 15 straight.
The Scarlet Knights slowly built a cushion, leading by as many as 22 with 3:18 left, taking a 69-47 lead after a pair of free throws by Justin Goode.
Freeman, a junior transfer, made his presence felt in the second half, helping Rutgers control the paint and bringing the crowd to its feet with a put-back dunk which gave Rutgers a 63-44 lead with 6:48 remaining.
Rutgers-Newark gave Rutgers all they could handle in the first half.
Ibrahima Diallo's layup put the Scarlet Knights up 23-21 with 5:42 left in the first half, but Rutgers-Newark answered the following possession with a 3 from Snow. The New Jersey schools would go back and forth for the remainder of the half before Vik Singh tied it up at 33 with a foul shot with 29 seconds left in the half.
Rutgers is entering its second year in the Big Ten under third-year coach Eddie Jordan and the win marks Rutgers' first victory since January 11, 2015, when it upset No. 4 Wisconsin at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights had dropped 15 straight.
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TIP-INS
Rutgers: Highly-touted recruit Corey Sanders sat out serving a one-game, self-imposed penalty from Rutgers and accepted by the NCAA for participation in a non-sanctioned basketball event over the summer.
Rutgers-Newark: While this game counted for Rutgers, it did not count for Rutgers-Newark. The game was considered an exhibition for the Division III school.
UP NEXT
Rutgers: Rutgers hosts Howard on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Men Who Speak Up Main Event.
Rutgers-Newark: Rutgers-Newark goes on the road to take on Hunter College on Tuesday night.
