Rutgers Men’s Basketball Falls to Seton Hall in 76th Garden State Hardwood Classic

Rutgers Men’s Basketball Drops Garden State Classic, 81-59

Rutgers Men’s Basketball | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Garden State Hardwood Classic is usually defined by tension, physical play, and a finish that comes down to the final possessions. The 76th edition, played Saturday night at the Prudential Center, took a far different turn. From the opening minutes, the balance that typically defines Rutgers and Seton Hall meetings never arrived.

Turnovers and Breakdown Decide the Night For Rutgers Men's Basketball

Rutgers men’s basketball fell 81–59 to Seton Hall in a one-sided rivalry loss that left little doubt about control. The Scarlet Knights dropped to 5–6 overall and 0–2 in Big Ten play, while the Pirates improved to 10–1. It was Rutgers’ third straight loss overall, snapped a two-game rivalry winning streak, and most notably, the Scarlet Knights never held the lead at any point in the game.

Final.#TheKnighthood🛡️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/0IkHeG1u4G

— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) December 14, 2025

Rutgers committed a season-high 18 turnovers and allowed Seton Hall to dominate the paint, giving up 52 points inside. That interior control was paired with a 36–29 rebounding disadvantage, 14 second-chance points allowed, and seven blocked shots by the Pirates. Every one of those numbers reflected a physical mismatch that Rutgers could not correct.

Head coach Steve Pikiell attempted to shift momentum before tipoff by adjusting the starting lineup for the third time this season. Junior guard Tariq Francis and freshman forward Denius Badalau were inserted into the lineup. Meanwhile, Jamichael Davis and Darren Buchanan Jr moved to the bench. The changes, however, failed to stabilize either end of the floor.

Francis finished with six points on 2-of-7 shooting, committed four turnovers, and picked up three fouls. Badalau played only three minutes, recording no points, one rebound, and one foul before returning to the bench.

One of the few positives came from freshman guard Harun Zrno, who continued his strong stretch of play. For the third consecutive game, Zrno led Rutgers in scoring, finishing with 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting. All four of his made field goals came from three-point range, providing rare offensive sparks during a frustrating evening.

Early Collapse Sets an Unrecoverable Tone

In a span of just 31 seconds, Tariq Francis committed three turnovers, and Seton Hall capitalized on every mistake. The Pirates opened the game on an 11–0 run, seizing control less than five minutes into the first half.

Rutgers briefly showed resilience, trimming the deficit to a single point at the 6:55 mark of the half. That moment proved to be the closest the Scarlet Knights would come. Seton Hall immediately responded with a commanding 17–4 run to close the half, building a 35–21 lead at the break.

During the halftime, Rutgers shot just 6-of-22 from the field, including 4-of-11 on layups and 2-of-6 from three-point range. The Scarlet Knights also committed 13 first-half turnovers, allowed 20 points in the paint, and surrendered seven offensive rebounds.

Any hopes of a second-half turnaround faded quickly. The Pirates earned their first win over Rutgers since 2022 with steady execution and interior control.

Rutgers finished the night shooting 19-of-53 from the floor. That included 9-of-21 on layups and 6-of-15 from three-point range, while going 15-of-22 at the free-throw line.

The Scarlet Knights now enter a week-long break before returning to action against Penn on Saturday at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m., with coverage on the Big Ten Network and 88.7 WRSU-FM.

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