Rutgers Men's Basketball Falls to Villanova 77-75 in Close Contest

Junior forward Darin Smith Jr. led the Scarlet Knights with 20 points, shooting 7-of-12, while contributing five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Sophomore center Christian Gurdak added 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting, alongside eight rebounds (four offensive), two steals, and one block. Together, they scored 26 second-half points as Rutgers outscored Villanova 44-43 after halftime.

Down 74-63, Rutgers closed the game with a 12-3 run. Gurdak started the rally with a jumper, followed by Smith Jr. hitting two free throws. Freshman guard Lino Mark’s steal led to a Gurdak dunk, narrowing the score to 74-69 with 1:43 left. After Tyler Perkins made two free throws, Mark hit back-to-back three-pointers, the second of which brought Rutgers within 76-75 with 36 seconds remaining.

After a defensive stop, senior guard Jamichael Davis grabbed a crucial rebound with 13 seconds left. However, Mark’s layup attempt at the buzzer missed, and Elijah Crawford’s free throw concluded the scoring.

Mark finished the game with 12 points and a team-high five assists, while Darren Buchanan Jr. added seven points and five rebounds.

The first half was closely contested with eight lead changes and six ties. Rutgers held a brief 26-23 lead after a putback from Mark but went into halftime trailing 34-31 after Villanova ended the half with an 11-5 run.

Villanova built a 48-35 lead early in the second half, but Rutgers battled back, cutting the margin to three at 60-57 following a 7-0 run capped by back-to-back baskets from Gurdak. Despite the effort, Villanova consistently answered Rutgers' challenges until the final moments.

Rutgers dominated on the boards, outrebounding Villanova 42-39, and holding a 20-8 advantage in second-chance points due to 16 offensive rebounds. The Scarlet Knights also outperformed Villanova in turnover points (21-5), points in the paint (32-20), and fast-break points (15-4). However, Villanova's three-point shooting was key, as they shot 13-of-36 (36.1%) compared to Rutgers' 4-of-17 (23.5%).

Devin Royal led Villanova with 20 points and 10 rebounds, with Perkins contributing 18 points and Jake Fiegen adding 15 points with five three-pointers.

This game marked the first for associate head coach Brandin Knight, who filled in for head coach Steve Pikiell, currently undergoing treatment for cancer.

Rutgers will next face St. John's on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, with a tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m. on Big Ten Plus.

In the post-game press conference, Brandin Knight noted the team’s resilience despite early struggles with offensive rebounds and emphasized the need for improvement in practice. Knight reflected on his transition to head coach and the importance of maintaining a players-first approach in the absence of Pikiell, highlighting the team’s unity and readiness to tackle upcoming challenges.