Rutgers is among the few major-conference teams who did not travel for a multi-team event.
As a result, the Scarlet Knights will play their first game in nine days and hope not to show any rust when they host Saint Peter’s Monday night in Piscataway, N.J.
Rutgers (4-1) is taking the floor for the first time since Nov. 18 and is seeking a fifth straight win before hosting Illinois ahead of visits to Wake Forest and Seton Hall. Since a seven-point loss in their season opener to Princeton on Nov. 6, the Scarlet Knights have won by an average of 16.5 points.
Before its break, Rutgers cruised to an 85-63 win over Howard. Derek Simpson reached double figures for the third straight game by scoring a career-high 23 points and Clifford Omoruyi posted his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds along with four blocks.
The Scarlet Knights also reached 80 points for the first time thanks to their offense shooting 54.2 percent. Before its best shooting performance of the early weeks, the Scarlet Knights shot 39.9 percent in their first four games.
“I’ve been waiting for us. I really think this is an 80-point team,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “I was thankful that they got to that number tonight because we’ve really been missing some shots in other games that we could have made. We’re starting to jell together.”
Saint Peter’s (1-3) is playing its second power-conference opponent after coach Bashir Mason’s second season started with an 11-point loss at Seton Hall on Nov. 6. The Peacocks are also returning after a lengthy break and playing for the first time since their 69-61 loss to UMass-Lowell last Monday.
Saint Peter’s has yet to shoot higher than 42.3 percent so far. Last week it shot 38.5 percent from the field against UMass-Lowell while allowing a season-high 52.2 percent from the floor.
“I’m very real and honest with my group,” Mason said postgame. “I told them UMass-Lowell is a much more mature version of what we are. The way they play, they can grind the game out like (Monday) was, and if you don’t play and compete they’re gonna blow you out.”
Latrell Reid and Michael Houge both lead the team at 11.5 points per game. Reid scored 14 against Seton Hall and finished 16 against UMass-Lowell, while Houge was held to six points last Monday after getting 19 against Fairleigh Dickinson.
The Scarlet Knights lead the all-time series 11-4, though they lost the previous two meetings in 2014 and 2012.
–Field Level Media