Clifford Omoruyi totaled 20 points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes as Rutgers cruised to a 90-57 rout of visiting Coppin State on Friday night in Piscataway, N.J.
The Scarlet Knights (9-4) ended their nonconference schedule with a third straight lopsided win and head into Monday’s visit to top-ranked Purdue after outscoring Coppin State, Wake Forest and Bucknell by a combined 92 points.
Omoruyi reached 20 points for the fourth time this season. He posted his second straight double-double and fifth overall. The junior center made 7 of 15 shots, including two more dunks to up his season total to 35, and helped Rutgers control the paint by a 46-24 margin.
Cam Spencer added 17 points and hit a season-high five 3-pointers. Spencer made 6 of 11 shots overall and also handed out a season-high seven assists.
Paul Mulcahy added 13 points as Rutgers shot 45.3 percent. Antwone Woolfolk contributed 10 points and Caleb McConnell posted nine points, eight assists and 11 rebounds as the Scarlet Knights outrebounded Coppin State 53-27.
Sam Sessoms, who faced Rutgers three times while at Penn State, led the Eagles, although he had a season-low 12 points. He entered Friday averaging 22.9 points on 53.1 percent shooting from the floor and made 5 of 11 shots as the Eagles (5-12) made 33.9 percent from the field and lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Sessoms also missed all four of his 3-point tries as Coppin State hit only 6 of 31 from long range.
Rutgers took its first double-digit lead when Aundre Hyatt’s dunk made it 17-6 with 13:29 remaining in the first half, and Spencer’s third 3-pointer capped a 12-0 run for a 24-6 lead a little over a minute later.
The Scarlet Knights took their first 20-point lead at 39-19 on Woolfolk’s basket with 4:23 left, and held a 51-27 lead by halftime after Omoruyi hit a trey from the top of the key with 17 seconds left.
Justin Steers capped a 9-0 run with a layup to get the Eagles within 54-38 at the 16:20 mark of the second half.
Rutgers countered by outscoring the Eagles 21-9 over the next nine minutes and took a 75-47 lead on Derek Simpson’s layup before reaching 80 points for the third straight game when Mulcahy hit a 3 for an 80-48 margin with 6 1/2 minutes left.
–Field Level Media