Rutgers University
Cincinnati
Rutgers Falls at Cincinnati
Jan 26 | Men's Basketball
CINCINNATI – Senior forward Jonathan Mitchell (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) shot eight-of-13 to score a game-high 20 points, but it was not enough as Rutgers (12-8, 3-5) dropped a 72-56 decision to Cincinnati (18-3, 5-3) Wednesday evening at Fifth Third Arena. Sophomore wing Dane Miller (Rochester, N.Y.) added 10 points on five-of-10 field goal attempts for the Scarlet Knights in a game that featured eight lead changes.
“I liked the fact that we had some toughness,” said Rutgers head coach Mike Rice. “We just couldn’t seem to get a defensive rebound, make a play…or do the things necessary to take advantage of a team with 17 wins. Cincinnati is deeper and stronger. They have a nice ball club. When we had our opportunities, we just didn’t take advantage of them enough and we didn’t hit a three-point shot, which never helps.”
The teams posted similar shooting percentages, with the Scarlet Knights making 46 percent (23-50) of their field goal attempts and Cincinnati depositing 46.8 percent (22-47) of its shots. The difference came from behind the arc, where the hosts made six (6-18) three pointers and RU tweaked the twine just once on 11 attempts.
The first half was tightly contested. After trailing 11-6, Rutgers responded with a 7-2 spurt to tie the contest at 13 after a Mitchell trey. The Scarlet Knights established their largest lead of the half, and consequently the game, after a Miller layup provided RU a 26-20 advantage with 4:40 on the clock. The Bearcats answered with a 7-0 run before entering the locker room at the midpoint with 31-0 edge.
A James Beatty (Wilmington, N.C.) tip-on returned the lead to RU and marked the only points scored before the first media timeout of the second half. Cincinnati answered with another 7-0 run and never relinquished the advantage thereafter. Rutgers continued to battle, drawing to within two (38-36) points with 12:28 remaining and three (47-44) with 6:55 on the clock, but would get no closer.
The larger Bearcats won the battle on the boards by a 34-24 margin. Despite the deficit, Rutgers managed to out-score its hosts in the paint, 30-24.
The Scarlet Knights return to the hardwood to host No. 2 Pittsburgh in an 8:00 p.m. tip-off this Saturday (Jan. 29) evening at the RAC. The game will be televised live nationally on ESPN2.
Postgame Notes
- The Scarlet Knights move to 3-12 all time against the Bearcats, including 2-5 mark in BIG EAST regular season play and 1-6 at Cincinnati.
- Mitchell scored 20-plus for the fifth time this season and seventh in his career with 20 points. It was also the third time in the last six games the senior reaches the 20-point plateau.
- It marked the 14thtime this season – 37thin his career – Mitchell notched double-digits. It was the 12thtime in the last 15 contests Mitchell has posted 10-plus.
- When Mitchell leads RU, the Scarlet Knights are 6-3.
- It marked the 28thtime in his career, 12ththis season that Miller has scored 10-plus with 11 points.
- Miller led RU in rebounding for the ninth game this season with five boards.
- For just the seventh time this season, RU did not have three players in double-figures. RU is 3-4 when this happens.
- Of the eight Scarlet Knights that saw action, all eight had at least two points with six scoring four-plus.
- For the first time since Princeton on Nov. 12, both teams shot above 50 percent from the field in the first half. RU went 14-for-28 (.500) while UC shot 11-for-21 (.524).
- In the first half, RU won the battle of points off turnovers (7-2) and points in the paint (16-12). The Scarlet Knights outscored the Bearcats in the paint, 30-24, but were beat behind the arc as UC went 6-for-18 and RU shot 1-of-11.
- RU made one more field goal than UC, but the Bearcats went to the line 30 times, making 22 while the Scarlet Knights went to the charity stripe just 14 times, making nine.
- Mike Rice went with the starting lineup of James Beatty, Mike Coburn, Dane Miller, Jonathan Mitchell and Gilvydas Biruta for the 18thtime this season.
