Rutgers University
Marist
Rutgers Downs Marist 74-67 in Season-Opener
Nov 14 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Gregory Echenique (Guatire, Venezuela) had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Mike Rosario (Jersey City, N.J.) scored 17 points to help Rutgers (1-0) to a 74-67 victory over Marist (0-1) Saturday afternoon in the season-opener at the RAC. Patrick Jackson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 15 points for the Scarlet Knights, who dished-out 19 assists, tying for the most helpers in a game under head coach Fred Hill.
Junior guard Mike Coburn (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) and senior center Hamady Ndiaye (Dakar, Senegal) also had productive afternoons for the home squad. Coburn posted a career-high seven assists, while Ndiaye registered six blocked shots. Ndiaye, who ranks fourth nationally in career blocks, increased his career total in rejections to 219.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair that featured six lead changes and four ties. Trailing 22-20 with 9:47 remaining before the break, Rutgers went on a 10-2 run to take a 30-24 advantage on an Ndiaye dunk. The Scarlet Knights increased its lead to eight points (37-29) on a Jonathan Mitchell (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) three pointer, before taking a 41-35 advantage into the locker room at the midpoint.
After the break, Rutgers imposed its will and extended its lead to 16 points (62-46) on the heels of a Dane Miller (Henrietta, N.Y.) three-point play with 10:15 on the clock. A pesky Marist squad, however, would not go away quietly. The Red Foxes reduced the RU lead to seven points in the final minutes, but would get no closer, as Rutgers won its third straight season opener.
The Scarlet Knights shot 44.3 percent (27-61), including 28 percent (7-25) from behind the arc. Marist made 44.1 percent (26-59) of its field goal attempts and 26.3 percent (5-19) from long range. RU out-rebounded its foe by a 39-36 margin and forced 14 turnovers by the Red Foxes.
Rutgers returns to the hardwood next Friday (Nov. 20) to host Drexel in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. The game is the first of two contests (Nov. 22 vs. Vermont) the Scarlet Knights will host at the RAC as part of the Legends Classic.
POSTGAME NOTES
- The win improves Rutgers all-time record in season openers to 72-26 and 3-1 under head coach Fred Hill. Since opening the doors to the RAC in 1977-78, the Scarlet Knights own an impressive 29-4 mark when beginning its home schedule on their home hardwood.
- RU has now won seven of its last eight season openers.
- Rutgers is 2-0 all-time against Marist and 50-19 against Metro Athletic Atlantic Conference squads.
- Mike Coburn, Greg Echenique, Patrick Jackson, Jonathan Mitchell and Mike Rosario got the start for Rutgers. It was the first RU start for both Jackson and Mitchell.
- James Beatty, Muhamed Hasani Austin Johnson, Dane Miller and Mitchell each competed for the first time as a Scarlet Knight.
- RU’s 19 assists ties for the most in a game under Hill. The Hill-led Scarlet Knights also dished out 19 assists at Rider on Dec. 3, 2008.
- Rosario’s 17 points marks the 29th time in his 33 games at Rutgers that he has scored in double digits. Rosario led the team in scoring for the 21st time in his career.
- Echenique tallied the sixth double-double of his career with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The six-foot-nine center’s 13 points marks the 15th time in his 33 games as a Scarlet Knight that he has scored in double digits. He has pulled down 10-plus rebounds in 10 career games. Echenique led the team in rebounds for the 23rd time in his career.
- Senior Hamady Ndiaye swatted six blocks for his 34th career game with three-plus blocks. Ndiaye’s six blocks maintain his No. 4 spot on the NCAA’s career blocks lost among active players with 219.
- Coburn’s seven assists were a career high. His previous career high was six against SBU on Nov. 23, 2008.
- Jackson’s 15 points and seven rebounds were both career highs.
- Jackson’s three-point basket at the 17:12 mark in the first half was the first of the Brooklyn, N.Y. native’s career. After going for 0-11 from behind the arc during the 2008-09 season, Jackson hit his first two treys to open the game and finished 3-6.
- Echenique’s three blocks marks the 15th time in his 33 games at Rutgers that he has swatted three-plus blocks.
Rutgers Head Coach Fred Hill Post-Game Quotes
“I don’t think the difference was any one person. I think the difference was our team. We really got out and pushed the ball. We controlled the tempo of the game.”
“I thought our defense got better for the first ten minutes of the second half, which helped us stretch the lead out to 16. We kind of relaxed a little bit, but we will learn how to close out games and get better at that as the season goes on.”
“We had 12 assists on 15 baskets in the first half. That’s pretty good. I thought our ball movement was outstanding from everybody.”
“We’ve made a conscious effort. We’re going to run, we’re going to share the ball, we’re going to play fast. What we have to learn how to do is become a good defensive team, and if we can get that down we have a chance to be a pretty good team and a fun team to watch. “
Marist Coach Chuck Martin Post-Game Quotes
“I’m really proud of my team, I thought that we executed really well offensively. We played the way that we wanted to play by spreading them out and getting to the rim. I thought that we were in our rhythm and in our comfort zone.”
“The difference maker is Hamady Ndiaye (# 5), when you have a guy that’s 6 feet 11 inches and is in the top five in blocks nationally, it really makes it difficult for us to score.”
“I have to give Rutgers credit. They’re a good team and much more improved from a year. Coach Hill has done a tremendous job recruiting, and you can tell that Rutgers this year has bigger, stronger, and longer athletes.”
