Rutgers University
6-6,0-2Big Ten
Penn
6-5,0-0Ivy League
Francis’ Game-Winnings Three Lifts Rutgers Past Penn, 70–69
Dec 20 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Tariq Francis authored one of the most dramatic finishes this season Saturday night, drilling a pull-up three at the buzzer to give the Scarlet Knights a 70–69 victory over Penn at Jersey Mike's Arena.
After Penn took a two-point lead with just 23 seconds remaining, Rutgers had one final chance. Following a defensive stop and outlet, Francis pushed the ball up the floor in transition. With the clock winding down, the junior guard rose from the top of the arc and released a contested three as time expired, the ball splashing through the net at the horn to ignite a sellout crowd of 8,000.
Francis capped a dominant performance, finishing with a career-high 34 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting from the field. He relentlessly attacked the rim throughout the night, earning 19 free-throw attempts and converting 15 of them. Francis also recorded two steals, including one in the final minute that directly led to points, and played a team-high 28 minutes.
Rutgers (6-6) trailed for much of the first half, falling behind by as many as eight points as Penn capitalized on second-chance opportunities and early three-point shooting. Despite the deficit, Francis kept the Scarlet Knights within striking distance, scoring 14 first-half points, including a pull-up jumper just before the halftime buzzer to trim the deficit to 33–29.
The Scarlet Knights responded after the break with increased defensive pressure and improved ball movement, slowly chipping away at the Quakers' lead. Rutgers tied the game at 39–39 on a Francis fast-break layup following a steal at the 15:55 mark of the second half, sparking a 7–0 run that gave the Scarlet Knights their first lead since the opening minutes.
The final 10 minutes featured relentless back-and-forth action, with nine lead changes and four ties. Penn briefly regained control behind TJ Power, who scored 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, while Dalton Scantlebury added 13 points for the Quakers. Each time Penn threatened to pull away, Francis answered—whether by attacking the paint, drawing fouls, or calmly converting at the line.
In the final minute, Francis scored six consecutive points at the free-throw line to keep Rutgers within one possession. After Penn missed two free throws in the final eight seconds, Rutgers secured the rebound and immediately pushed the pace, setting the stage for Francis' decisive shot.
Rutgers finished with 21 fast-break points and forced 17 Penn turnovers, key factors in overcoming a significant rebounding disadvantage. The Scarlet Knights also received valuable contributions from Darren Buchanan Jr., who added six points and six rebounds, and Dylan Grant, who scored eight points while providing steady ball-handling during critical stretches.
Penn (6-5) shot 43 percent from the field, allowing Rutgers to stay within striking distance despite extended stretches of offensive drought.
Sophomore forward Bryce Dortch had nine rebounds and a career-high five blocks. Sophomore Dylan Grant and junior Jamicahel Davis each added eight points. Junior forward Darren Buchanan Jr. chipped in with six points and six rebounds.
The Scarlet Knights will look to build on the momentum when they return to action next week, carrying with them one of the season's most memorable victories.
Postgame Notes
- First win over Penn since 1975
- Second straight season with a win over an Ivy League school (defeated Columbia 91-64 on December 30, 2025)
- Career-high 34 points for Tariq Francis
- Career-high five blocks for Bryce Dortch
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Steve Pikiell
Opening Statement
"Thanks for being here right before the holidays. What a great crowd. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year. I'm very proud of our guys and knew this would be a tough game. Penn is the 10th-best three-point shooting team in the country. Coach McCaffrey is a great coach—one of the best—and we needed every possession tonight.
"I'm proud of how we bounced back. Bryce Dortch doesn't get a lot of credit, but he had five blocks and nine rebounds and played great. We needed everybody. Penn only made five threes—they average eight or nine per game and have made as many as 12 in a game—so that was a key. But we have to continue to get better and keep fighting."
On the Team's Response
"What a response from the other day. I challenged them, and I'm proud of them. Jamichael Davis had a really good few days of practice. This group wanted to be 1-0, and all we talked about was getting back to winning at home. They bounced back and played good basketball, and we needed that from them."
On His Concerns
"As a coach, you're always concerned. Every game counts the same—you just need to win by one. Penn is the 10th-best three-point shooting team in the country and plays in a league with Harvard and Yale. They have veterans, seniors, and guys who have played against top programs. I'm proud of our guys for bouncing back and winning tonight.
"I appreciate the concern question, but I'm already concerned about the next game. We've got Ohio State coming up and then a ranked opponent. But if we fight like that for a full game, we'll continue to get better. That's the most important thing right now, and we took a big step today."
On Bryce Dortch
"Bryce came out with tremendous energy. He was our leading rebounder at practice yesterday and again tonight. What you do in practice carries over to games. He can block shots and guard multiple positions. I loved the five blocks, and he altered several others. He's taken big steps from last year, and we needed every rebound and every block tonight. He was really good."
On Coach Fran McCaffrey and Penn
"Coach McCaffrey will do a great job with any team—he's a really good coach. They have experienced seniors who've played against great competition. That's a really good basketball team, and I think they'll challenge for the Ivy League title.
"They can really shoot the ball, and our number one priority was not letting them get comfortable from three. That's hard to do, but our ball pressure was really good. Our press is improving, and even when the ball wasn't going in for us from three, we found a way to win."
On Rebounding
"We started 0-for-7 to open the game, and they scored 11 second-chance points in the first half. When a team takes a lot of threes, you get long rebounds, and that's tough. We're working on it. We fixed the turnover issues from the other day and did a better job rebounding in the second half, but they're a good rebounding team."
On Playing Bryce Dortch Over Emmanuel Ogoble
"Bryce was playing great, so we stayed with him. I've done that a lot this year—when guys are rolling, you stick with them. He can guard on the perimeter, and matchups matter. Tariq Francis gave us big minutes tonight. We go with the guys we feel best about in the game."
On Pressuring the Ball
"We're spending more time on it, and our guys are getting more comfortable. When we have Darren Buchanan Jr., Dylan Grant, and Bryce up top, their mobility helps. We've played Lino Mark more for added speed. We need to keep evolving our full-court pressure. I think it wore them down tonight."
On Getting Back in the Win Column
"This was the toughest stretch we've played since I've been here—road games, neutral sites, elite competition. We scheduled Penn because we believed they could win the Ivy League. Coming off that stretch, it was important to see our guys rewarded for their work. The locker room was great. It was a perfect way to send them into Christmas, but we have to get back to work and keep improving."
On the Final Shot
"I loved how we executed down the stretch. We had no timeouts after using one on the challenge, but we stayed composed. Harun Zrno was calm, even on a tough night, and I was glad to see him get the last one up."
On Three-Point Shooting
"I thought we got really good looks against their zone. J-Mike missed a few, Harun got a great look to start the second half. We have a lot of guys who can make threes, but we rushed some tonight. There were also late shot-clock situations. It's nice to win a game when the threes aren't falling."
On the Fans
"The atmosphere was awesome. The band, cheerleaders, and dance team were terrific. It was a late game, but the crowd showed up, and I'm always thankful. They make this a tremendous home-court advantage. I just told them happy holidays and thank you—it was a great environment."
On Dylan Grant
"His game depends on rebounding, and he didn't have any in the first half. He's a sophomore, still young, and now he's at the top of scouting reports. Life changes when you're the number one guy. The good part is others stepped up—Bryce rebounded, Tariq was ready. That's what good teams do."
On the Game-Winning Shot
"You have to play until the end. One coach is going to be miserable, and one isn't. I'm happy we finished the game and I'm looking forward to keeping the streak going."
On Where the Game Turned
"We kept fouling. You can't foul like that. Missed free throws happen, but we kept stopping the clock, and that hurt us."
On Tariq Francis
"He's a good player, but you can't put him on the free-throw line 19 times. Give him credit—he got there—but we have to contain him better."
On the Keys to the Game
"Pikiell's teams always defend and play tough. We felt rebounding would be key, and we did that, but they still won. They got to the line 31 times and forced 11 turnovers in the second half. That was the difference."
On Jay Jones and Alex Massung
"They gave us quality minutes. AJ Levine was in foul trouble, Cam Thrower struggled early, so those guys stepped in. They've earned it in practice and were solid."
On Player Development
"It's rewarding to see Dalton Scantlebury's growth. Cam Thrower has been terrific in extended minutes. Michael Zanoni is consistently solid on both ends. In Ethan's absence, we need those guys to score."
On TJ Power's Injury
"He just had a cut—they stitched it up."
On Second-Half Adjustments
"We fouled too much. Rutgers drove the ball well and spread the floor. When you foul, possessions end at the free-throw line, and they made us pay."
On Ethan Roberts
"There's no timetable yet. He didn't make the trip."
On Scantlebury and Gerhart
"They've been very productive. For a freshman and a sophomore, their work ethic and attention to detail are impressive. Dalton was spectacular tonight."
On Interior Play
"We need to throw the ball inside more when Gerhart is sealing defenders. He uses his body well, and we need to reward that more consistently."
