Rutgers men’s basketball delivered one of the most entertaining games of the exhibition slate on Sunday afternoon, taking St. John’s to four overtimes before ultimately falling 104-99 at Madison Square Garden.
The Scarlet Knights looked firmly in control early, building an 18-point halftime lead against one of the Big East’s top programs. However, a second-half collapse allowed the Red Storm back into the game, setting the stage for an extended battle that Rutgers ultimately couldn’t finish.
While
the result won’t count toward Rutgers’ regular-season record, the exhibition offered an early look at the potential of the roster against one of the better opponents on its 2026-27 schedule.
First Half: Rutgers Comes Out Firing
Rutgers couldn’t have asked for a much better opening 20 minutes. The Scarlet Knights built a commanding 46-28 halftime lead, shooting 57% from the field while finding success on both ends of the floor.
Tariq Francis led the way with 13 first-half points, giving Rutgers a reliable scoring option as the offense found its rhythm. Christian Gurdak also helped establish an interior presence, giving the Scarlet Knights a productive option inside against a talented St. John’s frontcourt.
After the teams were largely neck-and-neck to start, Rutgers began to separate with the quickness of Lino Mark and strong interior play by Gurdak, leading 32-24 with 4:20 left in the half. But Francis caught fire; Gurdak and Rasheed Jones made tip-ins, and the Knights suffocated the Johnnies on defense to go up 46-28 at halftime.
Of course, there were still 20 minutes to play.
Second Half: St. John’s Storms Back
Whatever momentum Rutgers carried into halftime disappeared almost immediately after the break.
St. John’s opened the second half with a 16-0 run, cutting the Scarlet Knights’ lead to 48-44 and completely changing the complexion of the game. Rutgers struggled to find its offense, going nearly six minutes without a field goal as the Red Storm took advantage of the opportunity to climb back into contention.
What had looked like a comfortable Rutgers victory quickly became a fight to survive. St. John’s eventually took a six-point lead, putting the Scarlet Knights in danger of letting an impressive first half go to waste.
Rutgers, however, found a way to respond.
Darin Smith Jr. knocked down a three-pointer with 57 seconds remaining to tie the game at 69, giving the Scarlet Knights a chance to pull out the win in regulation. Rutgers had another opportunity in the closing moments, but Darren Buchanan Jr.’s layup attempt rimmed out.
After building an 18-point advantage, Rutgers had to settle for overtime.
Four Overtimes: Rutgers Keeps Fighting
Neither team could find a way to put the other away once the game reached overtime.
Rutgers continued to trade blows with St. John’s, with Francis and Gurdak leading the way offensively. The Scarlet Knights showed plenty of fight after losing their halftime advantage, repeatedly giving themselves opportunities to pull out the victory.
Francis finished with a team-high 24 points and six rebounds, while Gurdak recorded a double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Lino Mark added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Buchanan finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Ultimately, though, Rutgers couldn’t make the plays it needed in the final minutes.
The Scarlet Knights trailed 100-96 late in the fourth overtime. Buchanan had an opportunity to tie the game at 100 with 23 seconds remaining, but his shot missed, allowing St. John’s to close out the 104-99 victory.
For Rutgers, the final score was a disappointing conclusion to a game in which it had held a commanding advantage. Still, pushing a talented opponent through four overtimes demonstrated the team’s ability to battle through adversity.
What This Means for Rutgers Basketball
There are many reasons for Rutgers fans to feel encouraged after Sunday’s exhibition, but the game also highlighted some clear areas for improvement before the regular season begins.
The first is the team’s potential. Building an 18-point halftime lead against St. John’s is no small accomplishment, and Rutgers showed it has players capable of producing offensively against high-level competition.
Six different Scarlet Knights finished in double figures (albeit in 60 minutes of action), giving the team multiple scoring options rather than relying on one player to carry the offense. Darin Smith Jr. and Darren Buchanan Jr. showed their scoring ability at the wing positions, while Lino Mark continued to impress with his quickness and ball-handling skills, often being the player the team trusted to reset the offense in the frontcourt.
Gurdak’s performance was particularly encouraging. His 20 points and 15 rebounds provided Rutgers with a productive presence inside, which is something Rutgers has not had since Chris Omouryi rocked rims at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Meanwhile, Francis once again demonstrated his ability to be a bucket-getter and lead the team offensively as he did last year. If those performances translate into the regular season, Rutgers could have a stronger foundation than some might have expected.
However, the second-half collapse cannot be ignored. Allowing a 16-0 run and going nearly six minutes without a field goal erased nearly all the good work Rutgers had done before halftime. Those stretches will be particularly costly in Big Ten play, where opponents will be capable of exploiting extended scoring droughts.
The Scarlet Knights also had opportunities to finish the game in regulation and overtime but couldn’t convert when it mattered most. The ability to close out games will be just as important as the ability to compete with quality opponents.
Sunday’s result ultimately leaves Rutgers fans feeling optimistic about their team. The Scarlet Knights proved they could go toe-to-toe with a quality opponent in St. John’s, who had won the Big East last year as well as making a run to the Sweet Sixteen before falling to top-seeded Duke. However, Rutgers was unable to secure either victory, ultimately falling short against both Villanova and the Red Storm.
The exhibition won’t affect Rutgers’ record, and there is still time for the team to address those issues before the regular season. The challenge now is building on the encouraging stretches while making sure the second-half struggles don’t become a recurring problem.
Rutgers will begin its 2026-27 season at home at Jersey Mike’s Arena, hosting New Haven on Friday, November 6th at 7 PM. The game will be streamable on Big Ten Plus.
But for now, in the words of John Rothstein, this is ONLY October.
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