Rutgers had a week to prepare for No. 11 Louisville, a week to figure out how to end its four-game losing streak and a week to visualize its marquee win of the season.
But the preparation was only procrastination to the inevitable.
After Louisville’s lackluster, lackadaisical first half left it up just two at halftime, the Cardinals did everything short of making the Scarlet Knights say “uncle,” opening the second half on a 23-2 run, on their way to a 68-48 win over Rutgers last night at the RAC.
After blowing a 10-point lead at Cincinnati last Wednesday, Rutgers (12-9, 3-7) never led in the game and fell to 1-11 all-time against Louisville (19-4, 7-3).
“I thought it was a tale of two different halves, where one was a patient, disciplined Rutgers team that was involved and had a purpose and the second half we just got too rushed and too quick,” coach Mike Rice said. “When you’re not playing well and you’re losing some games, that’s when some of the leadership and some of the toughness has to show.”
After taking an early 9-2 lead, Louisville began to look like a team on its way to a letdown. Rutgers was a step quicker and far more desperate. The Cardinals were careless, looking like a team that thought it could flip a switch at any time.
Rutgers tied the game on multiple occasions, with leading-scorer Eli Carter inserted back into the starting lineup. Carter had been struggling, averaging 10.9 points on 29.2 percent shooting from the field over his past seven games, but the sophomore guard was the early catalyst, scoring nine of the team’s first 19 points and ending the half with 11 of his 13 points, as the team trailed 28-26.
“If you asked me, I’d have thought we’d have gone on the run that they went on,” Rutgers guard Jerome Seagears said. “They turned it up so high in the second half it seemed like it was the plan.”
Forty one seconds into the second half, the RAC was rocking after Wally Judge soared across the paint for a putback dunk to tie the game at 28, but the energy woke a Louisville team that had been lulled into a slow pace by Rutgers’ long possessions.
Wayne Blackshear, who led the Cardinals with 19 points, and Peyton Siva hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark the near-eight minute stretch of utter domination, while the team’s vaunted press helped grow the lead as large as 25.
“It felt like it was forever,” Seagears said.
Rutgers grabbed 18 offensive rebounds but scored just 16 points in the paint. The Scarlet Knights’ offensive ineptitude also stretched outside as they shot 25 percent from the field in the second half and 7-of-15 on free throws. The Scarlet Knights are averaging 56.4 points during the five-game losing streak and next play No. 20 Georgetown at home on Saturday.
“It’s a unique challenge,” Rice said. “You can feel helpless and hopeless and woe is me, it’s never going to get better or you could fight. You could get better every day. That’s easier said than done. We’re going to challenge them. It’s not easy, but that’s what has to be done. … That’s what’s going to be done.”