Unfinished Business: 4 Thoughts On Rutgers 66-63 Win Over Indiana

Rutgers stepped up down the stretch. Twice they came back from 7 down. Then they ended it. One more for all the marbles.

Four Thoughts

Ron Fire: As Ron Harper Jr. goes, so goes Rutgers. And we had a Ron Party tonight. The senior, on the road opened the game with a bucket and ended the game with a bucket. He had 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. He was dominant and took over the game. Take a bow, Ron Harper. That three to basically end the game was cold blooded. How lucky have we been to watch Harper and Geo Baker be two of the most clutch players we have seen here on the banks. Savor this folks. What a game. What a win.

Cliff Omoruyi at the line: Boy, did the sophomore show up on the road. The big man, after starting 1-4 from the line hit four clutch free throws down the stretch to pull away from Indiana. More cold blooded play. Omoruyi helped bottle up Trayce Jackson Davis to only 8 points in the last 30 minutes of the game. He rebounded the ball, finishing with 12 boards to go with 13 points. He was a force in the middle and is developing into one of the best big men in a conference full of them. Wow.

The Paul Mulca-cident: Okay, the comments should be good on this one. Paul Mulcahy has been frustrated by the lack of foul calls he’s been getting the past four games. You could see it in his body language and it all boiled over tonight in the final 20 seconds. With Rutgers up three, and corralling a rebound, Geo Baker threw a long pass to Paul. All Paul had to do was take the foul, make the free throws and get on the plane. But he did not handle the Xavier Johnson foul well and threw an open hand back at him. It cost Rutgers, nearly dearly. He got a flagrant two. Thankfully, Aundre Hyatt made the one and one (with a smile on his face) and Rutgers survived the Parker Stewart three to tie. I can’t say if Mulcahy will be suspended for Sunday, but I’d be surprised if he was. Either way, it was a boneheaded play of frustration that could have cost the Scarlet Knights.

Step 1: Okay, this was step one of two. Now, we get back to Jersey Mike’s and we say goodbye. Be there to salute Geo Baker, Luke Nathan, Ralph Gonzales-Agee, Ron Harper Jr and Caleb McConnell (yes, the two of them could come back, but let’s not take chances). Then it’s time to be loud and close the season with a win over the pesky Penn State Nittany Lions. There’s still the Big Ten Tournament, sure, but let’s not leave it up to chance. Tonight was one for the ages. Now, let’s talk about Sunday forever. What a season it has been.