Rutgers Guts It Out on the Road Against Maryland

Rutgers hangs on with key stops and clutch free throws

Feb 18, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Tariq Francis (0) attempts a three-point shot during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights managed to survive on the road against the Maryland Terrapins with a 69-65 victory. Rutgers improved to (12-17, 5-13 Big Ten).

The first half belongs to the Scarlet Knights. It was 20 outstanding minutes of great basketball from the team. Rutgers built a 20-point first-half lead. In the second half, they didn’t come out with the same fire and focus as in the first half. 

Rutgers was fortunate enough to make several free throws and to make key stops on defense. The Scarlet Knights could’ve suffered the biggest collapse of the season, but that’s not what happened, and they ended the weekend in good shape. Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell is pleased with how his team fought to close the games 

“Gutted it out, got the free throws, got some stops,” Pikiell said. “So, really proud of our team. It hasn’t been one of those years. I think we did a great job of getting our guys focused on what was important.”

Rutgers shot 45 percent in the first half and held Maryland to just 32 percent from the field. Rutgers came on the road and grabbed a big win over Maryland. It’s a good win on the road. 

Guard Tariq Francis led the team with 19 points. Francis went perfect from the free-throw line. Francis is one of the best free-throw shooters in the program's history. He’s that reliable and consistent. Rutgers finished the game making 19 of 23 from the line. 

Darren Buchanan Jr had another strong performance. He added 14 points and seven rebounds. Ja Michael Davis’ defense was instrumental for the Scarlet Knights. He’s definitely one of the marquee key players of the game for Rutgers. 

The Terrapins committed too many turnovers, which cost them the game; however, much credit to the Scarlet Knights' defense, which turned 19 turnovers into 20 points.

“They had 19 turnovers, which has to be a season high,” Pikiell said. “Our defense was active and put them in tough spots. But, if we could play 40 minutes of defense like the first half, we would have a lot different record that’s for sure. It’s a 40-minute game. When it got crunch time, they responded, and that’s a great sign for seven first-year students and a young basketball team.” 

There are delayed calls that won’t reach a team, especially when a team is on the road. Rutgers and Maryland's Sunday game was physical, and there was also a flagrant foul. Rutgers managed to stay focused on the real goal: walking out of the area with a victory.

Rutgers is a young team that could improve in the future if they can play consistently as they did in the first half and make their threes. 

Their next game will be against the Michigan State Spartans, followed by Penn State to close out their season.