Rutgers basketball fell to Washington 79-72 in a game that had a lot of Big Ten tournament implications. The Scarlet Knights had a poor performance on both ends of the floor, as the Huskies were able to sustain a double-digit lead for a good portion of the game.
The all-around struggles plagued the Knights from the get-go, as they could not break into double-digit scoring until there were just over 11 minutes left to play in the first half. By that time, Washington had already scored 21 points and
had gone on a 10-0 run since Rutgers’ previous bucket. The Knights looked much better defensively down the stretch of the first half, as they held the Huskies scoreless for the last three minutes of the half; however, Rutgers’ offense was unable to capitalize, keeping the Knights’ deficit at seven heading into the second half. The Knights attempted four total shots in the last minute and a half of the first half, missing them all.
Rutgers’ offense would show some improvement coming out of the locker room, scoring six points and cutting Washington’s lead to five. Unfortunately for the Knights, they would be unable to push past this point for the rest of the game as they would go the next four and a half minutes without scoring a point, which allowed the Huskies to push their lead out to 12. Another scoreless minute from Rutgers saw Washington push their lead to 14. The Huskie lead would balloon to as much as 15 before the Knights started to cut into it. A late push would see Rutgers cut Washington’s lead to five, but they could not keep the momentum going, largely due to some poorly timed fouls down the stretch, which the Huskies used to end the Knights’ comeback attempt.
It was an ugly night for Rutgers across the board. They shot 40 percent from the field and 21 percent from three. In comparison, Washington shot 50 percent from the field and 37 percent from three. The Huskies out-rebounded Rutgers 34-29 and crushed them in the paint 40-24. Washington’s passing went a long way into sinking the Knights’ as well, as they totaled 15 assists to Rutgers’ 10.
Bryce Dortch had a tough night, going 0-2 from the field and scoring only two points in 22 minutes before fouling out. The only other player to foul out of the game was Washington’s Lathan Sommerville, which prompted a cheer from the crowd. Sommerville was on the Knights’ roster during their disappointing 2024-2025 campaign.
The top performers for Rutgers in this game were Lino Mark and Darren Buchanan Jr. Mark led the team with 18 points and went a perfect 6 for 6 from the free-throw line. Buchanan was right behind him in terms of scoring, netting 17 points, six of which came off free throws.
The Knights would have gotten a major leg up in getting a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament had they pulled off a win vs Washington. With the loss, Rutgers’ games against Maryland and Penn State become nearly must-win if they hope to avoid a Tuesday night matchup in the tournament.
Rutgers’ game against Maryland is slated for March 1st at noon. Live broadcast for the game will be available on FS1.
