Rutgers Men’s Basketball Hits the Road for Crucial Big Ten Clash at Penn State
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Fresh off a two-game homestand at Jersey Mike’s Arena that featured Nebraska and Maryland, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights are packing their bags for a high-stakes journey west. The mission is a critical Big Ten encounter with the Penn State Nittany Lions this Wednesday, Feb. 18.
Rutgers Men’s Basketball Are Prepping Their Way Out In the Field
With tipoff set for 6 p.m. ET inside the Bryce Jordan Center, the stakes could not be clearer. For fans at home, the battle will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
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The Scarlet Knights arrive in Happy Valley carrying the momentum of a hard-fought 68 to 57 victory over the Maryland Terrapins. That win was not just another notch in the win column. It was a return to the defensive identity that has defined the Steve Pikiell era.
By limiting Maryland to just 57 points, Rutgers achieved a defensive milestone. It was the first time since Feb. 29, 2024, an 82 to 52 win over the Michigan Wolverines, that the Scarlet Knights held a Big Ten opponent under 60 points.
Furthermore, the defensive perimeter rotation was elite. It marked the sixth time this season RU has held a conference foe to under 28 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The victory over Maryland was a tale of two halves. The opening 20 minutes were a defensive slog, leaving the teams deadlocked in a 27 to 27 tie at the break.
A surgical 9 to 2 run to start the second half soon pushed the lead into double digits, a cushion they would never relinquish. It was a masterclass in game management that secured their 10th overall win of the season and their third in Big Ten play.
While the defense provides the floor, Tariq Francis is increasingly providing the ceiling. The junior guard delivered a 21-point performance against the Terps, his eighth 20-plus game of the season. Francis is currently the engine of the Rutgers offense, leading the team with 16.6 points per game and averaging 21.0 points over his last six outings.
However, his most impressive contributions are coming from the charity stripe. Francis is currently shooting 113 of 126, good for 89.7 percent, from the free throw line this season.
He needs just 13 more makes to crack the top 20 on Rutgers’ single-season list. Only two Scarlet Knights since 1991 have made at least 126 free throws in a season. That includes Quincy Douby with 149 in 2005-06 and Dylan Harper with 126 in 2024-25.
His 89.7 percent mark would rank as the fourth-best single-season percentage in program history and the highest since 1996. Geoff Billet was the most recent Scarlet Knight to shoot 90 percent from the free throw line in a season and is one of just three in program history to do so.
In the win over Maryland, Francis went 12 of 13 from the line. Those 12 equals Rutgers’ single-game Big Ten record, previously achieved by Dylan Harper in 2025 versus Washington, Ron Harper Jr. in 2020 versus Penn State, and Caleb McConnell in 2020 versus Purdue.
Supporting Cast Steps Up With Consistency and Efficiency
While Francis grabs the headlines, the Scarlet Knights’ depth was on full display Sunday. Harun Zrno provided a critical spark, scoring 13 points while knocking down three of his five attempts from deep. It was Zrno’s ninth game this season with at least three triples.
In the paint, Emmanuel Ogbole continues to be a rebounding machine. He hauled in nine boards against Maryland, marking the eighth time this season he has reached nine or more rebounds. Ogbole currently leads the roster in rebounding, averaging 6.6 per game.
History suggests this will be a fight to the finish. Penn State holds a slight lead in the all-time series at 45 to 38. However, the Scarlet Knights have won four of the past six meetings.
Since joining the Big Ten, Rutgers has won 8 and lost10 against Penn State. The 38 wins over the Nittany Lions are the most Rutgers has against any current Big Ten opponent and the fourth-most against any program in school history, trailing only Lehigh, Lafayette, and Princeton.
Last season, the teams split the series with the home team winning each contest. Rutgers secured an 80 to 76 victory at Jersey Mike’s Arena in December, building a 15-point halftime lead before holding off Penn State. Dylan Harper posted 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Ace Bailey added 15 points and 15 rebounds as both recorded double-doubles.
In the return trip to State College, Bailey poured in 30 points as Rutgers shot 47.6 percent from beyond the arc, but the Nittany Lions held on for an 80-72 win. The Scarlet Knights travel to Minneapolis to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers next Saturday at noon before returning home on Tuesday, Feb. 24, to host the Washington Huskies in their penultimate home game of the season.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.