Rutgers Men's Basketball Defeats Penn State for First Big Ten Road Win of Season
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It has been a long road for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights this season. And that word 'road' carries real weight. Entering Tuesday night, Rutgers was still searching for a breakthrough that had slipped away through seven previous road attempts. At the Bryce Jordan Center, they finally found it.
Rutgers dominated the Penn State Nittany Lions from the opening tip to the final buzzer. The team secured an 85-72 victory for their first true road win. And that's also the first Big Ten road win of the 2025-26 campaign.
Rutgers' Scarlet Knights Break Through at Bryce Jordan Center
The win carries significant weight for head coach Steve Pikiell and his squad as well. Now sitting at 11-15 overall and 4-11 in conference play, the Scarlet Knights have stacked back-to-back victories. Even more important, they are now two full games clear of the bottom-four spots in the Big Ten standings. With the regular-season schedule beginning to ease up, that breathing room matters.
Big Ten road win ✅#TheKnighthood🛡️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/7C922RtsR3
— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) February 19, 2026
To call the first half dominance would still feel like underselling it. Rutgers led for an incredible 39 minutes and 54 seconds of game time. In other words, Penn State barely had time to blink. The Scarlet Knights opened the contest on a 9-0 run. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions misfired on nine of their first ten shots. Rutgers was sharp, confident, and relentless from the start.
By halftime, the scoreboard read 39-20 in favor of Rutgers. This was not just their largest halftime advantage of the season. It was the program’s biggest first-half road lead in conference play since joining the Big Ten in 2014.
The engine behind this statement win was junior guard Tariq Francis. The Pittsburgh native returned to his home state and delivered a performance that felt personal and polished.
Francis poured in a game-high 22 points, marking his ninth 20-plus-point outing this season. He shot 7-of-12 from the field, 1-of-3 from beyond the arc, and 7-of-8 at the free-throw line. He also handed out a team-high seven assists, controlling the tempo and keeping Rutgers organized throughout. His impact came in waves.
In the first half, Francis scored 15 points to help build the massive early cushion. When Penn State tried to chip away late in the second half, Francis stepped up again. With under two minutes remaining and the Nittany Lions threatening to tighten things up, he drilled a three-pointer off a turnover to push the lead back to 13. That shot served as the dagger and sealed the first Big Ten road win of the season.
While Francis led the charge, this victory was a complete team effort built on efficiency and toughness. Rutgers shot a blistering 56.6 percent from the field, finishing 30-of-53. At the free-throw line, they were nearly flawless, knocking down 20-of-23 attempts for 87 percent.
The defense was just as sharp. Rutgers forced 15 Penn State turnovers and turned them into 28 points. They also clamped down on the perimeter, holding the Nittany Lions to just 17.6 percent from three-point range on 3-of-17 shooting.
Series Momentum and What Comes Next
The Scarlet Knights added 36 points in the paint and 12 fast-break points. The bench chipped in 28 points, proving that it was not a one-man show. Four Rutgers players finished in double figures.
Dylan Grant scored 15 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting night. Harun Zrno added 13 points, including three three-pointers. It marked his third straight game with at least three makes from deep, and he also contributed two steals.
Lino Mark provided a spark off the bench with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting and two steals. His energy helped maintain the tempo whenever the starters rotated out.
The night also featured a special milestone. With just under seven minutes left in the second half, Darren Buchanan Jr. drove to the rim for a layup that marked his 1,000th career collegiate point. His journey has included stops at Virginia Tech, George Washington, and now Rutgers, and the moment added another layer of meaning to an already memorable road win.
With this victory, Rutgers has now won five of the last seven meetings against Penn State and brings its all-time series total to 39 wins. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions fall to 11-16 overall and 2-14 in Big Ten play, dropping their second straight contest.
Rutgers now shifts its focus to Minnesota for a Friday noon matchup on the Big Ten Network. The opportunity is clear. A win would push the Scarlet Knights to three straight victories and further solidify their climb up the conference ladder.
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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.