Men’s Basketball — Seton Hall Dominates in Garden State Hardwood Classic
Rutgers men’s basketball returned to nonconference action at the 76th Garden State Hardwood Classic, falling 81–59 to in‑state rival Seton Hall in Newark. The Pirates jumped out early, taking an 11-0 lead
before leading 35‑21 at halftime, and never relinquished control. Seton Hall shot nearly 55% from the field, dominating inside while Rutgers struggled to find any offensive rhythm.
Every time the Scarlet Knights cut the lead to single digits, the Pirates opened it back up with a scoring run of their own, eventually pulling ahead by over 20 points. Rutgers failed to defend the Hall’s speedy guards, were exposed at the rim by the standout play of center Najai Hines, and allowed open threes by Seton Hall while failing to generate consistent offense to match that. RU looked overmatched from the jump to the final buzzer.
Standout Performers:
- Harun Zrno: 15 points, 4 threes (has become a consistent scoring option from deep last few games)
- Dylan Grant: 12 points, 6 boards (would like to see more out of him, but a decent showing)
- Lino Mark: 10 points (has shown effort and quickness previously, but was able to convert that into points)
Rutgers committed 18 turnovers, which Seton Hall converted into points that sealed the outcome. The problem is that when only three (different) players are in double figures every game, and even that cannot be guaranteed, there is simply not enough offense to win games. The defense (Pikiell’s identity) is very poor, while the offense is nowhere close to being able to make up for that.
Women’s Basketball — Princeton Road Loss Highlights Growth Areas
Rutgers’ women’s team continued its non-conference slate with a road game at Princeton on Dec. 10, falling 81‑63 to the Tigers. Despite flashes of promise, key stretches of the game slipped away as Princeton’s depth and balanced scoring proved decisive.
Game Flow & Key Moments
Rutgers trailed 36‑31 at halftime, keeping it close early, but Princeton’s depth and efficiency in the fourth quarter — where they outscored RU 30‑19 — ultimately created separation.
A key moment came when Rutgers lost Zachara Perkins to injury, which stalled some of the Scarlet Knights’ offensive continuity.
Standout Performers for Rutgers:
Nene Ndiaye: 20 points, scoring efficiently and attacking the basket (has become the number-one option)
Kaylah Ivey: 15 points, all threes (5/12) that helped keep RU within striking distance early
Imani Lester: 14 points off the bench, becoming a reliable paint scorer with her size and strength
Princeton’s Attack:
Fadima Tall: 28 points, combining inside scoring and free-throw accuracy
Ashley Chea and Olivia Hutcherson: 16 points each, spreading the scoring load
Stat Trends & Takeaways
Rutgers finished with 23 turnovers, giving Princeton extra possessions and momentum
The Scarlet Knights shot 49% from the field and 33% from three, showing flashes of offensive efficiency, but their defense struggled to contain Princeton’s balanced attack.
The loss dropped Rutgers to 7‑4 overall and 0‑1 in Big Ten play, underscoring the early challenges of top competition. Despite bouncing back from a lackluster showing against #11 Iowa, the Knights were unable to defeat one of their top opponents in the nonconference slate ahead of the Big Ten gauntlet awaiting them.
Wrestling — Competitive Weekend Showcases Depth and Resilience
Rutgers wrestling had a busy weekend with a couple of home duals, falling to Oklahoma on Saturday night while defeating Drexel on Sunday afternoon.
Dec. 13 — vs. No. 20 Oklahoma (L 19‑14)
Rutgers hosted Oklahoma in a highly competitive dual between ranked opponents on Saturday night. The Scarlet Knights jumped out to a 14‑6 lead through six bouts, but Oklahoma rallied to win the final four matches and take the dual.
Rutgers earned early bonus points and tight decisions, establishing control in the first half of the dual, but Oklahoma’s four consecutive wins highlighted the need for late-game execution and mental toughness.
Rutgers struggled in the final bouts, particularly in the upper weight classes, where Oklahoma leveraged experience and strength.
125: 25/23 Conrad Hendriksen (OU) over 29/31 Ayden Smith (RU) by dec., 3-1; OU leads, 3-0
133: 13/9 Dylan Shawver (RU) over Carter Schmidt (OU) by MD, 13-3; RU leads, 4-3
141: 24/29 Tyler Wells (OU) over Tahir Parkins (RU) by dec., 5-2; OU leads, 6-4
149: 27/24 Andrew Clark (RU) over Hunter Hollingsworth (OU) by dec., 2-1; RU leads, 7-6
157: 26/28 Anthony White (RU) over Layton Schneider (OU) by MD, 8-0; RU leads, 11-6
165: Ryan Ford (RU) over Bryce Burkett (OU) by SV1, 4-1; RU leads, 14-6
174: 7/15 Carter Schubert (OU) over 9/4 Lenny Pinto (RU) by dec., 5-1; RU leads, 14-9
184: 11/11 Brian Soldano (OU) over 15/18 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU) by dec., 9-6; RU leads, 14-12
197: 9/11 DJ Parker (OU) over 18/16 Remy Cotton (RU) by MD, 16-3; OU leads, 16-14
HWT: 25/26 Juan Mora (OU) over 22/19 Hunter Catka (RU) by SV1, 5-2; OU wins, 19-14
Dec. 14- Vs. Drexel (W 28-12)
Coming off a tough loss and facing a quick turnaround, Rutgers was able to bounce back quickly against Drexel University on Sunday at 1 PM.
In a reversal of Saturday night, the Dragons built a 12-6 lead at intermission, but the Scarlet Knights won their final five bouts to secure the victory in the end.
Several of the wrestlers in the lighter categories who had beaten Oklahoma’s wrestlers fell on Sunday, including Dylan Shawver and Anthony White, but many of the heavier wrestlers for the Scarlet Knights avenged their losses to OU with wins over Drexel’s wrestlers, including Lenny Pinto, Shane Cartagena-Walsh, Remy Cotton, and heavyweight Hunter Katka.
125: 29/31 Ayden Smith (RU) over Desmond Pleasant (DREX) by dec., 16-11; RU leads, 3-0
133: Kyle Waterman (DREX) over 13/9 Dylan Shawver (RU by dec., 5-4; match tied, 3-3
141: Jordan Soriano (DREX) over Tahir Parkins (RU) by fall (4:52); DREX leads, 9-3
149: 27/24 Andrew Clark (RU) over Patrick Kelly (DREX) by dec., 4-1; DREX leads, 9-6
157: Luke Nichter (DREX) over 26/28 Anthony White by SV1, 4-1; DREX leads, 12-6
165: Andrew Barbosa (RU) over Cody Walsh (DREX) by dec., 7-2; DREX leads, 12-9
174: 9/4 Lenny Pinto (RU) over 18/13 Jasiah Queen (DREX) by fall (2:29); RU leads, 15-12
184: 15/18 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU) over NR/33 Ethan Wilson by MD, 14-4; RU leads, 19-12
197: 18/16 Remy Cotton (RU) over 31/31 Ibrahim Ameer (DREX) by MD, 15-7; RU leads, 23-12
HWT: 22/19 Hunter Catka (RU) over Dom Petracci (DREX) by TF, 25-5 (3:38); RU wins, 28-12
The Scarlet Knights now sit at 6-2 on the season, with their lone losses coming to #10 NC State and #20 Oklahoma. They will have a long layoff before resuming competition after the New Year, with a dual against the top-ranked Nittany Lions coming on January 10th in Happy Valley.
Other Headlines from Rutgers Athletics
- Rutgers Winter Village Returns: Fans can enjoy the festive event on Dec. 20, paired with the women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader vs. Lafayette and Penn.
Details → - Podcast Reactions: TBMR discussed the men’s basketball performance vs. Seton Hall and wrestling season outlook after the Oklahoma and Drexel duals.
Listen → - Football Awards- Safety Jett Elad and running back Antwan Raymond were announced as two of the five finalists for the Cornish Trophy, which is presented to the top Canadian player in NCAA football.
- Swim & Dive– Katerina Hoffman and Baliee Sturgill of the #6 diving program are in the midst of competing at the 2025 USA Diving Winter Nationals. Saturday is the 1M (Hoffman), Sunday is the 3M (Hoffman/Sturgill), Monday is the synchronized platform (Hoffman/Sturgill), and Tuesday (Sturgill) is the synchronized 3M. Sturgill won the synchronized 3M competition last year, while Hoffman placed fourth in the synchronized 3M, eighth on the 3M, and 11th in the 1M.
Upcoming Schedule
Men’s Basketball
- Dec. 20 vs. Penn – 8:00 PM, Jersey Mike’s Arena, Piscataway
- Dec. 29 vs. Delaware State – 7:00 PM, Jersey Mike’s Arena, Piscataway
Women’s Basketball
- Dec. 20 vs. Lafayette – 12:00 PM, Jersey Mike’s Arena, Piscataway
- Dec. 28 @ #25 Michigan State – 2:00 PM, Breslin Center, East Lansing
A rare JMA doubleheader will see the women’s team host Lafayette before the men’s team hosts Penn in their return to Piscataway. The men will then conclude nonconference play with a home game against Delaware State, while the women’s team will open up Big Ten play on the road against a ranked Michigan State team.
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