Rutgers Shuts Down Miami 61-45

The name of the game was defense.

The entire week leading up to the game against Miami, all Scarlet Knight fans heard about was how good the 'Canes guards were.  They hung with Memphis.  They have unlimited range.  Malcom Grant scored a ridiculous amount of points against RU before he transferred out of Villanova.

Durand Scott and Malcom Grant scored 8 points.  Combined. 

And zero in the second half.

More after the jump...

It was a total team effort.  Jonathan Mitchell lead the team with 12 points.  Dane Miller scored 11.  No one else was in double figures.  But everyone contributed.

James Beatty hit two clutch threes, including one to basically seal the game late in the second half.  Mike Coburn had a solid all around game with 8 points, 6 assists and 4 steals.  Austin Johnson and Gilvydas Biruta slowed down big man Reggie Jackson by fronting him the entire time; a strategy Mike Rice admitted he doesn't like employing when interviewed on the radio postgame show.

Rutgers looked great yesterday.  They hustled, the dove, they moved the ball, and they played with heart.  Everything they did was something the coach had preached.  And in the end, the Knights played smart and ran away with the game in the second half.

Next up Norfolk State Tuesday at the RAC.