Rutgers rebounds, literally and figuratively, to shake off Bryant

Cliff Omoruyi gets putback dunk in second half as Rutgers controlled boards to hold off Bryant. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Steve Pikiell relayed a message to his Rutgers team after its season-opening loss to Princeton last Monday.

The coach stressed the need to lock down in the final minutes of regulation after the Scarlet Knights came up short against the in-state Cinderella, urging his players to do whatever it took to maintain an advantage.

The commitment, and the rebounding prowess of all-Big Ten center Cliff Omoruyi, was manifested on Sunday as Rutgers flirted with disaster against Bryant before pulling away to a 66-57 victory at Jersey Mike’s Arena.

“I told the guys, when it was win time, we got four straight stops,” Pikiell remarked as Rutgers (2-1) allowed Omoruyi to go to work after a foul-plagued first half limited him to two points and two rebounds in the opening stanza. “We grabbed a rebound, we got stops, they didn’t score. I think we learned a little bit from Princeton (where) it was win time, we didn’t get any stops. That’s part of it, and there’s even those games you don’t play great in the whole time, but when it’s win time, you figure out a way to win. I’m proud that these guys did. We did that today. It’s a good learning experience, and it bodes well for us moving forward.”

“I think I’m learning a lot about my team. Guys had to step up. (Derek Simpson) goes 8-for-8 from the free throw line, Cliff ties his career high for rebounds so he bounced back, Aundre (Hyatt)’s become a really good leader for us and a voice. We got tested today, and that’s a good thing for us. Tough win.”

By the time the final buzzer sounded, Omoruyi amassed 13 points and 15 rebounds, the latter having tied a career high for the 6-foot-11 Nigerian. Derek Simpson, who poured in a dozen markers off the bench himself, marveled at Omoruyi’s ability to crash the glass, appearing superhuman at times to the sophomore guard.

“We don’t win the game if he doesn’t grab 15 rebounds,” Simpson said of Omoruyi. “We don’t win the game if Aundre doesn’t score 19. But we got it done, and Cliff, man, he played his butt off today. Very clutch rebounds. He came flying out of nowhere a couple times, I didn’t even know where he came from.”

Omoruyi was not the only major factor on the glass for Rutgers, who registered a 51-34 rebounding advantage against Bryant. Aundre Hyatt pulled down eight caroms on top of his game-best 19 points, with four more Scarlet Knights tallying at least four rebounds of their own.

“After the Princeton game, we really made a concerted effort the last two games,” said Pikiell of the emphasis on the boards. “We’re going to be a really good rebounding team. Obviously, that showed up tonight.”

With Omoruyi sitting for most of the opening stanza by virtue of his two personal fouls, Antwone Woolfolk took advantage of his moment in the sun. The sophomore forward started alongside Omoruyi on Sunday, and despite only playing 17 minutes, contributed seven points and drew five fouls, demonstrating a preternatural ability to attack the basket and get to the line. Pikiell praised Woolfolk in the preseason after having a full offseason with which to work and further develop his burgeoning talent, and was again pleased with what he saw on this day.

“We really like him,” the coach gushed. “We’ve turned our rebounding numbers around by putting him in the mix, and when Cliff has foul trouble, he’s going to get more minutes. But he’s been a really good player for us. He’s going to have a really good year and the more he plays, the more swagger. I want him to play with that swagger because he can really score in the low post. He’ll just keep getting better. Wolf has a good approach and he’s gonna have a really good year for us.”

Still, Bryant did not go away without putting a scare into the Scarlet Knights, taking a 44-41 lead midway through the second half on back-to-back 3-pointers by Rafael Pinzon and Connor Withers. But Rutgers battled right back, scoring the next eight points to take the lead for good. The visiting Bulldogs stayed within earshot even after Tyler Brelsford was whistled for a flagrant-1 foul when making contact with a driving Simpson and taking his legs out from under him, but the hosts were able to sustain their momentum and salt away a second straight victory.

“We didn’t put our heads down,” Simpson reiterated. “We kept going, we kept fighting. Those stretches were very important. We got stops, we locked in on some of their offensive stuff that they ran, and Cliff and Aundre came out of nowhere. Shoutout to them.”