Stephen F. Austin @ Rutgers preview
Jersey Mike's Arena
Rutgers looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it hosts Stephen F. Austin on Wednesday. The Scarlet Knights had won three straight games before dropping a disappointing 80-74 decision to previously winless St. Bonaventure on Saturday in the James Naismith Classic in Toronto, Ontario, and they hope to get back on track by taking down the Lumberjacks in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
"Basketball is a humbling game," Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell told reporters. "I didn't have them ready to play and that's on me, but hopefully this is a real learning experience." The 80 points surrendered by the Scarlet Knights on Saturday were the most in non-conference play since giving up 84 to St. John's on Nov. 16, 2018, and they aim to turn up the defensive intensity against a Stephen F. Austin squad which is averaging 88.5 points per game. Rutgers has won seven consecutive non-conference home games, including three straight this season, and hope to improve to 21-5 in games during the month of November since Pikiell took over in 2016-17. Stephen F. Austin remained unbeaten following an 82-67 win against Drexel on Saturday, and hopes to improve to 5-0 by knocking off a major conference team for the second time in as many seasons, following a 59-58 victory against Baylor on Dec. 18, 2018.
TV: 7 p.m. ET. No TV
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (4-0): Kevon Harris went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free thrown line en route to 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the win against Drexel. Cameron Johnson added 18 points while John Comeaux filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, seven assists and a game-high six steals against the Dragons. Gavin Kensmil scored 14 points and pulled down six rebounds while Calvin Solomon finished with a game-high 10 boards to help the Lumberjacks improve to 4-0 for the second time in the last three seasons.
ABOUT RUTGERS (3-1): Caleb McConnell made 8-of-8 free throws en route to a team-high 13 points against St. Bonaventure to finish in double figures for the first time this season. Myles Johnson added 12 points despite early foul trouble while Geo Baker tallied 11, but the Scarlet Knights fell into a 19-point hole in the first half and couldn't recover. "I was proud of the final 20 minutes, but you can't spot a team that many points on the road," Pikiell said. "I told them that this was the most dangerous game of the season for a lot of reasons."
TIP-INS
1. Baker has scored in double figures 45 times in his career.
2. Rutgers is 11-of-42 from 3-point range over its last two games.
3. Stephen F. Austin was 3-9 on the road last season.
PREDICTION: Stephen F. Austin 74, Rutgers 71