After losing back-to-back home games, Rutgers got a much needed victory Sunday afternoon at the RAC.
The Scarlet Knights downed in-state rival St. Peter’s 68-47 to improve to 4-2 on the season.
Anthony Farmer led Rutgers with 13 points and JR Inman, who is still battling a knee injury but made his first start of the season, had 10 points and 9 rebounds for the Knights, who shot 48 percent from the field.
“We evaluate every day,” head coach Fred Hill said of starting Inman. “We’ve had some slow starts, so we just changed the lineup…to give us a boost and give some other guys a chance to get going.”
Mike Rosario, Mike Coburn and Earl Pettis scored 8 points apiece. Rosario shot 4-of-10 from the field.
Wesley Jenkins led St. Peter’s (1-4) with 18 points and Nick Leon had 17.
Rutgers was coming off losses to St. Bonaventure, picked last in the 14-team Atlantic 10, and Lehigh, picked second in the Patriot League.
Rutgers was never threatened by the Peacocks, who made just 4 of 31 field goals in the first half and shot 27 percent for the game. St. Peter’s went 9:28 in the first half without scoring a field goal.
“I thought that set the tone and that’s what we’ve talked about,” Hill said. “If we are going to be a good team, we have to be a good defensive team.”
Next up for the Knights is Wednesday’s tilt at Rider. The Broncs are 3-1 and feature Ryan Thompson, averaging 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds.
Elsewhere in the Big East….
NOTRE DAME DOWNS FURMAN
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Kyle McAlarney scored 32 points and Ryan Ayers had a career-high 19 points to lead No. 8 Notre Dame to its school-record 39th straight home victory, beating Furman 93-61 on Sunday.
Notre Dame (5-1), playing without Luke Harangody for the first time because he has pneumonia, got off to a slow start, as Furman (1-4) led 11-6 early. But McAlarney got the Irish going with back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the half.
(The AP contributed)
(photo courtesy Rutgers athletics)
