Rutgers Basketball's surge not enough, comeback falls short
It was a tough afternoon for Rutgers Basketball as it fell to Wisconsin 96-87 at the Kohl Center and remained winless on the road (0-4).
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Rutgers (9-9, 2-5 Big Ten) nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback as it trailed by as much as 26 points in the second half before cutting it to a seven-point game with 4:30 remaining. However, it was not enough as Wisconsin (13-5, 5-2) held on for the nine-point win.
After a nightmarish first half that saw Rutgers turn the ball over seven times, the Scarlet Knights kept it to just three turnovers in the second half and went 20-for-39 from the field (8-for-18 from three).
Rutgers had three players record double figures, as Harun Zrno led the way with a career-high 21 points, with 18 coming in the second half. Jamichael Davis also scored 14 points, while Tariq Fancis had 13, all coming in the second.
The Scarlet Knights had a tough time stopping Nick Boyd, as he recorded 32 points and nine assists. John Blackwell also had 19 points and five rebounds, while Nolan Winter had 18 points and five rebounds.
Rutgers struggled on both ends of the floor in the first half, trailing 51-29 and recording nearly as many turnovers as baskets.
The Scarlet Knights shot just 10-for-24 from the field, with Davis and Powers leading the way with five points. Their seven turnovers led to 14 points for the Badgers.
Rutgers also struggled on the defensive end, allowing Wisconsin to shoot 53 percent (18-for-34) from the field. The Badgers were powered by Boyd with 15 points and six assists, while Winter had 11 points.
Wisconsin won the battle of the boards by out-rebounding Rutgers 19-12, leading to 14 second-chance points. It also tallied 18 points in the paint.
Wisconsin imposed its will as the first half wore on and used an 8-0 run to take a 35-20 lead with 7:11 remaining. The Badgers pushed it to 48-26 following an 8-0 run with 1:18 left.
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Rutgers will return to action on Tuesday when it faces Iowa at 8:30 p.m. (ET) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on BTN.
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