Steve Pikiell Shares His Thoughts On Rutgers’ 81-59 Loss To Seton Hall
In this story:
On Saturday, Steve Pikiell’s Rutgers squad witnessed its biggest blowout so far. The Scarlet Knights lost to Seton Hall 81-59 at the Prudential Center. After the match, during the post-game conference, Steve Pikiell shared his thoughts on the tilted fail against their state rival.
Steve Pikiell Points At Their “Careless”-ness Behind Seton Hall Blowout
The match was a bad showing for the Knights. Pikiell’s squad turned over the ball 18 times, a season high record for them. These 18 losses resulted in 21 points for the Pirates. After the game, Pikiell could not hold back his frustration.
“We were careless, and it was on us,” Pikiell said during the post-game conference. “When you play in a game like this, you gotta come out swinging. You can’t be timid, and I thought we were on our heels for the first five minutes.”
The opening stretch was disheartening. Rutgers committed six turnovers, missed its first six shots, and trailed 11-0 at the initial timeout.
“We just turned the ball over,” Pikiell said. “We talked about it all week that we can’t get off to that kind of start.” Seton Hall (10-1) capitalized on the fumbles, scoring 52 points in the paint and grabbing 14 offensive rebounds. The early game was riddled with fouls for the Knight, forcing Pikiell to sub his players.
“I thought [Emmanuel Ogbole] was getting ready to have a good rebounding night and then foul, foul, foul, and then you have to start subbing guys in,” Pikiell said.
Pikiell shuffled the starting five again, inserting Tariq Francis for his strong practice week and prioritizing shooting. Jamichael Davis shifted to the bench as an “energy guy” to spark reserves.
Final.#TheKnighthood🛡️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/0IkHeG1u4G
— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) December 14, 2025
Freshman Harun Zrno continued his strong play in high-major matchups, pouring in 15 points on 4-of-8 from three.
“In all of our high-level games, he’s been able to produce for us,” Pikiell said. “We gotta start putting him in more stuff for him. If we didn’t have 18 turnovers, he would’ve got some more looks, and I feel really confident that he can do it.”
Pikiell praised the Pirates’ administration and coaching during the conference while teasing his openness to a home-and-home series with Seton Hall. Holloway later dismissed the idea, suggesting Rutgers rejoin the Big East if they want another chance.
The loss is Rutgers’ heaviest blowout in the rivalry under Pikiell and worst since an 81-54 defeat in 2014. Turnovers, paint defense, and slow starts are fixable, but somehow they are still persistent issues for the team. With some manageable games ahead, the Scarlet Knights need to up their game if they want to make a good run this season.
More from Rutgers on SI
Stay up to date on the Scarlet Knights by bookmarking Rutgers On SI.
Rituraj Halder is a football junkie. He covers everything from clutch game-day moments to the stories that offer a glimpse into the locker room. Over the years, he’s written for outlets like Pro Sports and Football Network, Esports on Sports Illustrated, Sportskeeda, and EssentiallySports, carving out a voice that blends sharp analysis with genuine passion. Whether it’s breaking down a Big Ten rivalry, highlighting rising stars, or capturing the emotion that fuels the game, Rituraj writes football the way fans feel it: loud, proud, and all in.