PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Ron Harper Jr. took the shot from near halfcourt, a desperation heave to try and salvage this game, try to get Rutgers a momentous, signature upset victory.
The ball floated toward the basket as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
The crowd, so raucous all night long, could only watch and hope.
Then it erupted.
The ball swished through the net for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, and just like that, the Scarlet Knights secured a 70-68 victory over No. 1 Purdue at Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday night, stunning the college basketball world in the process and securing the biggest victory in the program's history.
The Boilermakers had won their first eight games — a streak that came to a halt in shocking fashion.
The crowd rushed the court, turning the floor into a sea of red.
A season that looked like it was going off the rails for Rutgers now includes an improbable victory.
Harper, who finished with 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting (5-of-7 from 3-point range) with 10 rebounds, put the team on his back.
This was the first time Rutgers had hosted the No. 1 team in the country since 2007, when North Carolina beat the Scarlet Knights, 93-71, at the then-Louis Brown Athletic Center.
Fourteen years later, this Rutgers team didn't miss a huge opportunity.
It took every ounce of grit to get it done.
Purdue, which just earned the No. 1 ranking in the Ferris Mowers Men's Basketball Coaches Poll for the first time ever earlier this week. couldn't get anything going in the first half. But the Boilermakers started making key shots in the second — they also benefitted from some controversial calls, much to the dismay of the boisterous crowd.
Never miss a moment:Stay up to date with our sports newsletter!
LISTEN:Rutgers radio crew goes wild for buzzer-beating win
Master P:Son Hercy Miller is transferring from Tennessee State due to lack of medical resources
After Purdue's Brandon Newman missed a three, Ethan Morton collected the offensive rebound to extend the possession. That turned out to be crucial, as Jaden Ivey drained a 3-pointer from the right wing to put Purdue up 47-44 with just less than 14 minutes to go.
The Boilermakers extended their lead with an 11-0 run, which Harper snapped with a second-chance basket.
Rutgers kept clawing.
With Purdue up by six, Ralph Gonzales-Agee made a layup and drew the foul but missed the free throw. Harper collected the rebound and was fouled and he tried to put it back.
He made both foul shots to again make it a four-point game.
Caleb McConnell later collected a rebound after a Purdue miss. On the other end, Harper dribbled into the paint when three defenders collapsed on him.
Harper sent a bounce pass to Mawot Mag, who dunked it to make it 66-65 Purdue with 56.5 seconds left.
Rutgers turned the ball over with 23.1 seconds left when Harper passed and it went out of bounds before Purdue traveled and turned it over three seconds later.
A layup by Trevion Williams put Purdue up by one before Harper had a turnaround jumper in the lane.
Williams' basket with two seconds left appeared to seal it for Purdue.
Harper had other ideas.
Stellar first half
Rutgers played about as well as possible before the break while Purdue struggled to knock down shots.
The Scarlet Knights went into halftime with a 36-35 lead after shooting 52.2% from the field and made six of their 10 attempts from 3-point range.
Harper was outstanding, racking up 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 4-of-5 from the perimeter, to go along with five rebounds.
With 3:14 left in the half, Harper drained a long 3-pointer from the right wing and was fouled. He drained the foul shot to convert the four-point play to put Rutgers up 33-26.
The Boilermakers, meanwhile, couldn't make shots — they shot 39.4% from the field, and just 2-of-11 from long distance.
Purdue's bigs, however, gave Rutgers problems, especially when Cliff Omoruyi had to go to the bench with foul trouble.
Williams had 14 points in the first half, while Zach Edey had nine.
Gonzales-Agee had trouble containing them early, and coach Steve Pikiell later tried Dean Reiber and even Luke Nathan but Purdue's frontcourt was tough to stop.
Cliff Omoruyi's toughness
With 6:37 remaining, Omoruyi got tangled up with Edey underneath the basket as they fought for a rebound.
Edey appeared to hit Omoruyi's neck, which sent Rutgers' second-year center to the court in pain while the crowd erupted in boos.
The officials went to the monitor, but elected not to call a foul on Edey — instead Rutgers got called for a foul.
Omoruyi needed help getting back to the locker room. But he soon came back onto the bench and checked into the game to deafening cheers.
Crowd delivered
It's not much of a surprise by this point, but the atmosphere inside Jersey Mike's Arena was electric.
The packed crowd made it plenty unwelcoming for Purdue, which before Thursday had played just two games away from Mackey Arena, and they were on a neutral court in Connecticut as part of the Hall of Fame Tip-off Classic (the Boilermakers beat North Carolina and Villanova).
Jersey Mike's Arena isn't an easy place to play — especially for a team that hasn't played in a true road environment since the end of the 2019-20 season.
Email: [email protected] Twitter: @chrisiseman
Source link
