Facing one of the stingiest defenses in the country, Rutgers men’s basketball didn’t back down. The Scarlet Knights battled all night in a 68-62 road loss to Iowa - a game that was far more competitive than the final score might suggest.
This wasn’t a blowout or a collapse. It was a gritty, back-and-forth contest where Rutgers showed they’re still swinging, even as the losses stack up.
Now sitting at 9-10 overall and 2-6 in Big Ten play, Rutgers dropped its sixth straight to the Hawkeyes (14-5, 4-4), but this one had some real fight to it. The Knights never trailed by more than eight, and they had their chances late. Against a top-five defense nationally, that’s saying something.
Rutgers came out of the gates with energy, knocking down their first two shots and jumping to a quick 5-0 lead. But that momentum didn’t last long.
A four-minute scoring drought opened the door for Iowa to go on a 7-0 run. The Knights leaned on free throws to stop the bleeding, but they went nearly seven minutes without a field goal.
Still, they didn’t let the game get away.
Junior guard Tariq Francis gave Rutgers a much-needed jolt midway through the first half, burying back-to-back threes to push them ahead 18-13. But Iowa responded with a strong close to the half, riding an 18-6 run into the break. The Hawkeyes hit 7 of their final 10 shots and turned 12 Rutgers turnovers into 13 points, taking a 31-24 lead into halftime.
Then came Rutgers’ best stretch of the night.
Coming out of the locker room, the Knights flipped the script. In less than three minutes, they ripped off a 9-0 run to reclaim the lead, 33-31.
Freshman guard Kaden Powers hit a big three, redshirt junior Darren Buchanan Jr. knocked down four free throws, and senior center Emmanuel Ogbole threw down a dunk that capped the surge. On the other end, Iowa missed seven straight shots during that stretch - a rare cold spell the Knights capitalized on.
From there, it was a tug-of-war. Iowa regained the lead, but Rutgers kept answering.
The deficit never ballooned beyond six, and with a minute left, Francis stepped to the line and calmly sank two free throws to cut it to 64-62. But Iowa, as veteran teams do, closed the door at the stripe.
Two clutch free throws of their own iced the game.
Buchanan Jr. led Rutgers with 17 points, showing once again why he’s become a go-to scorer in conference play. Francis added 15, including those key second-half shots that kept Rutgers in it. Ogbole chipped in with 8 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, anchoring a Rutgers frontcourt that actually won the battle on the glass, 31-24.
But the turnovers - those were the difference. Nineteen giveaways turned into 19 Iowa points. Against a team that defends like Iowa, that margin is tough to overcome.
“We’ve had games where we’ve had six turnovers in 45 minutes, and tonight we had 19,” head coach Steve Pikiell said postgame. “Our guys fought and they played hard. I thought our defense was good enough to win, but you can’t turn the ball over.”
He’s not wrong. Despite the miscues, Rutgers’ defense held up.
They made Iowa work for everything and kept the game within reach deep into the second half. But in the Big Ten, especially on the road, the margin for error is razor thin - and 19 turnovers is just too many to survive.
Now, Rutgers heads home for a Friday night matchup with Indiana at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on FS1 and 88.7 WRSU-FM. After two straight on the road, the Knights will look to regroup in front of their home crowd - and maybe, just maybe, turn the tide on what’s been a frustrating stretch.
The effort is there. The fight is there. Now it’s about cleaning up the mistakes and finding a way to finish.