Rutgers roundup

Junior forward JR Inman (Pomona, N.Y.) posted his second double-digit game against Princeton in as many years, totaling 16 points to lead the Scarlet Knights to a 54-50 comeback win over the Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the RAC. RU improves to 5-2 and a perfect 5-0 at home with the victory, while Princeton drops to 2-5.

“I thought we were able to execute our game plan better in the second half,” said head coach Fred Hill. “There were a lot of freshmen out there and we’re playing Princeton. They play a very unique style of basketball in which you need great discipline to be able to defend them. Offensively, I thought JR was very efficient. He did a great job of passing the ball and finding guys that were open. He did more than just make shots, he made plays.”

Princeton used the three-point shot to build its lead in the first half, with five different players connecting on at least one three-pointer. The Tigers shot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc to head into the locker room with a 30-25 halftime lead.

Inman fueled Rutgers’ second-half surge by netting the team’s first six points of the half. The run pulled the Scarlet Knights back to a 31-31 tie with 16:26 to go in the game, after trailing Princeton by as many as eight in the first. Inman also grabbed eight rebounds on the day and tied his career-high in steals with three.

Junior Jaron Griffin (Manchester) joined Inman in double figures, netting 13. For the Tigers, guard Lincoln Gunn led the way with 13 points, followed by forward Noah Savage with nine.

Inman was fouled on a dunk and made the following free throw to convert the three-point play with 12:21 remaining, giving Rutgers a 37-36 advantage, their first lead since early in the opening stanza. Sophomore center Hamady Ndiaye (Dakar, Senegal) came up with a big block on defense and drew a charge the next time down to swing the momentum in the Scarlet Knights’ favor.

The Scarlet Knights led by their largest margin of five after a jumper by freshman Mike Coburn (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) at the 5:48 mark. But Princeton came charging back, using a three-pointer from Kyle Koncz and a lay-up by Marcus Schroeder to tie the score again at 48 with 3:09 to play.

With 30 seconds remaining and Rutgers up only two, junior guard Anthony Farmer (Millville) forced a Princeton turnover. Freshman Corey Chandler (Newark) was fouled on the next play and missed both free throws, but was able to grab the offensive rebound and was sent back to the stripe where he converted both to extend the lead. Farmer chipped in a pair of late free throws to secure the 54-50 win.

The contest was the 114th meeting between the New Jersey rivals, dating back to 1917. The Tigers and Scarlet Knights have faced off in each of last 11 seasons and in all but one since 1945. Princeton holds a 72-42 edge in the all-time series, but Rutgers has won three in a row and eight of the last nine meetings.

The game also marked the first collegiate action seen by freshman Justin Sofman (West Milford), who logged 13 minutes in his debut and made a threepointer on the first shot of his career.

The Scarlet Knights will hit the floor next against Lafayette on Dec. 5, at the RAC.

The Rutgers University Swim team concluded competition at the Big Al Princeton Invitational Sunday with a fifth place finish in the 13 team field. The women scored a total of 283 points, setting team and pool records in the process.

The competition got off to a good start Friday in the 200 Individual Medley as sophomore Shayna Longacre (Borto, Pa.) placed third with a personal best and NCAA “B” qualifying time of 2:03.06. Junior Kasey Kesses (Woodbridge, Conn.) followed her teammate with another top performance, posting a time of 23.71 in the 50-yard freestyle to place fourth. The 400 Individual Medley team of Longacre, Kesses, Kirstin Fontana (San Diego, Calif.) and Gina Middleton (Walnut Creek, Calif.) closed the night with a time of 3:49:75, good enough for a fifth place finish.

The Scarlet Knights used the momentum from the first night of finals to carry them into another big night of competition. The Medley Relay team from the night before came back for the 200 Medley Relay and placed third with a time of 1:44.86, netting 32 points for the team. Kesses continued the stellar night for RU as she left the 100 butterfly field in her wake with a first place finish and NCAA “B” time of 54.27. The time was both a personal best and a Princeton University pool record. Longacre followed with a third place finish in a deep field of breaststroke competition, breaking a team record and posting a NCAA “B” qualifying time of 1:02.58.

There was no slowing down for the team in the last night of finals, with another NCAA “B” cut and numerous top-16 performances. Fontana displayed her ability as she battled in the finals of the 200 backstroke with a seventh place finish of 2:05.83. Kesses added another top-eight performance to her weekend with a sixth place finish in the 100 freestyle, clocking in at 51.33. The stage was set for a tough race when Longacre dove in for the 200 breaststroke and was able to touch out five girls to finish third. Her time of 2:15.66 was another career best and NCAA “B” cut.

The performances of Rutgers Alum Kelly Harrigan added to the team’s excitement by winning four events. She championed the 100 (53.79) and 200 (1:54.09) backstroke, as well as the 100 freestyle with a personal best time of 49.97. She had another personal best in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:46.68.

Rutgers will return to competition Saturday, Jan. 12 when the Scarlet Knights compete against North Carolina and Clemson in Chapel Hill, N.C. at 4 p.m.

The Rutgers wrestling program, under the guidance of first-year head coach Scott Goodale, competed in the Nittany Lion Open Sunday in State College, Pa, in a non-team scoring event. The Scarlet Knights were led by junior Matt Pletcher (Easthampton), who took third place in the 165-pound class. The other RU wrestler to place was freshman Tyler Milonas (Oak Ridge), who finished sixth in the 133-pound class.

The hosts of the event, the No. 6 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, claimed half of the champions with five and had ten total placers.

Rutgers (0-2) next takes to the mat on Saturday, Dec. 8, when they face No. 24 Maryland at 2:00 p.m. in College Park, Md.