That was the three-word mantra invoked within the Rutgers locker room after Cliff Omoruyi sprained his knee nine days ago against Illinois, after Jacob Young landed hard and gingerly after a dunk attempt against Ohio State Wednesday. And after the latest unexpected blow to a thin roster hit shortly before tipoff Tuesday night, that rally cry became more important than ever.
With Ron Harper, Jr. suffering a sprained ankle that rendered him unavailable just one hour before Rutgers took the court against Purdue, the next-man-up mentality Geo Baker stressed following Wednesday’s loss manifested itself even stronger Tuesday, taking root in Montez Mathis’ career-high 25 points leading the 14th-ranked Scarlet Knights past the visiting Boilermakers in an 81-76 triumph at the RAC that saw Rutgers surrender a 15-point lead before picking itself up and digging in to prove Baker prophetic when he claimed he and his teammates would bounce back.
“I just thought (it was) a gutty, gritty win today for us,” Steve Pikiell reaffirmed after Rutgers (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten) flushed Wednesday's setback in Columbus with an effort that defined how the program has come to be known since he assumed the reins on the banks in 2016. “I just like the fact that we’re figuring out ways to win. I like the fact that when we need big stops, we’re getting them, and I like the fact that every night, somebody different can step up and do great things. I thought our team responded the way we’re supposed to respond. Geo looked like Geo, Montez was spectacular. It’s a good team win tonight with good toughness.”
“It was really important that we bounced back,” Baker added, doubling down on his belief that the loss to Chris Holtmann’s Buckeyes was merely a pothole in the road. “We felt like we let one go at Ohio State, and for the young guys, we tell them every day how much we believe in them. We all believe in each other. Every guy has the ability to step up and make plays, and you saw it today. They had their numbers called today, and they stepped up. That’s what a great team does.”
Mathis, first and foremost, displayed a quiet confidence that has fueled his evolution into perhaps the most lethal weapon in the Piscataway arsenal when it is sharp and engaged. Lauded as a defensive savant through most of his tenure in the Garden State, the junior guard continued to showcase his burgeoning outside shot, connecting on all five of his 3-point field goal attempts in a 9-of-15 overall effort from the floor.
“I just do whatever it takes to get the win,” a humble Mathis modestly surmised. “I feel like I’ve put a lot of work in my 3-point shot every day, and I just feel confident in myself with makes and misses. As long as I’m putting the work in, I can live with the results.”
“Montez really has been as consistent a guy on our team,” said Pikiell. “He’s had really good, consistent practices, too, and he really improved his jump shot. He really put the time in, he’s in the gym — we’re thankful to have a gym that’s open 24 hours — and he’s certainly taking advantage of that. We need nights like this from Montez. He can score it, he can get to the rim, he can post it. He can do a lot of things, and I think you saw a little bit of everything tonight.”
On a night where Rutgers needed all hands on deck, the added contributions were a revelation. Myles Johnson was not as effective Tuesday as he was against Illinois and Ohio State, but he was picked up by Mamadou Doucoure as the pair attempt to fill the void left by the injured Omoruyi. In addition, freshmen Oskar Palmquist and Dean Reiber — the latter of whom posted a team-best plus-14 efficiency rating — posted career nights at the most opportune of times, an occurrence not lost on one of their sophomore teammates.
“I’ve been waiting to talk about this,” Paul Mulcahy gushed, individually naming each of Rutgers’ reserves, including the scout team. “Our bench has done a phenomenal job. They do everything that no one sees or talks about, but these guys have helped us all year, and then they bring positive energy on the bench. They’ve done an absolutely amazing job. Those guys have set us up and put us in the position that we are now.”
“I think we have a really confident team,” Baker reiterated. “I think that was always there, but we just showed good veteran leadership. I stepped up, JY (Jacob Young) stepped up, and that’s what good teams do, that’s what great teams do, and that’s going to lead to more wins down the road.”
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