Rutgers basketball survives Seton Hall thanks to Dylan Harper buzzer-beater

Posted by Admin December 14, 2024 Basketball

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PISCATAWAY – It was easy to look at the disparity between Rutgers and Seton Hall basketball – both in terms of talent and results so far this season – and assume the Scarlet Knights will roll over their rival at home Saturday.

But deep down, Scarlet Knights head coach Steve Pikiell knew his team was in for a fight, and that’s what it got.

Fortunately for him, he has Dylan Harper.

The freshman guard from Don Bosco Prep swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Rutgers past the Hall 66-63 in an instant classic capping two hours of heated drama in front of 8,000 fans at the RAC and a Fox national television audience.

The Joe Calabrese MVP, named after late longtime sportswriter Joe Calabrese, who covered college sports for The Star-Ledger and Courier News, was awarded to Harper (24 points). He joins big brother Ron Harper Jr., who was MVP of the 2019 game, as the first brother duo ever to win the honor.

Sophomore wing Isaiah Coleman paced Seton Hall with 15 points and 6 rebounds. He made two free throws with six seconds left to knot the score at 63-63 before Harper got the ball, drove upcourt and launched an uncontested 3-pointer from the right wing.

This was the first buzzer-beater in the series since J.R. Inman’s 3-pointer at the horn sunk the Pirates in 2008 at the Prudential Center.

As it fell through the hoop, the building exploded in joy — and relief.

Rutgers (7-4) avoided a potentially devastating Quad 4 loss to its postseason resume.

Seton Hall (5-6) has secured its first losing non-conference record since going 4-7 in 1982-83, P.J. Carlesimo’s first season at the helm. This was the Pirates’ first true road game.

The Pirates came out of the gate disruptive defensively, causing 11 first-half Rutgers turnovers with hands all over the passing lanes. They used those miscues to take a 33-27 lead into the break.

The Scarlet Knights trailed by 10 early in the second half but rallied behind star freshmen Dylan Harper (21 points) and Bailey.

Seton Hall now leads the series 42-33 dating back to 1916. The Pirates are 7-4 since it became annual after Rutgers left the Big East. Of the past 30 meetings, 23 have been decided by six or fewer points.

The closeness of Saturday’s affair should not come as a surprise. The road team pulled off a surprise victory in each of the prior two seasons. In the last six meetings between these squads, the underdog has prevailed four times.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

1. The Dunk

Certain plays instantly enter rivalry lore. You know it when it happens. With 9:15 left in the first half, it happened.

Chaunce Jenkins, Seton Hall’s slender 6-foot-4 shooting guard, ball-faked Jeremiah Williams out of position on the perimeter, then drove the left side of the lane and threw down a one-handed dunk on 6-foot-10 Ace Bailey.

That provoked an enormous gasp from the crowd.

To Bailey’s credit, he stayed composed and continued to make shots, showing maturity beyond his years.

But Jenkins’ dunk will be talked about and replayed for a long time in the Garden State.

2. What it means for Rutgers

How would the young Scarlet Knights handle the high of the Penn State game? And could they take a punch from their rival in a heated, high-pressure environment? The answer to the first was not very well. The answer to the second was yes.

The Scarlet Knights get a week off before facing Princeton (8-4) at the Prudential Center Saturday (noon, Fox Sports 1) with New Jersey’s own John Fanta on the play-by-play call. The Tigers won last year’s contest as the series was renewed after an 11-year hiatus. Its revival is another sign of Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell’s commitment to in-state rivalries – something that’s good for Jersey hoops and its fans.

3. What it means for Seton Hall

Most importantly, the Pirates played with some moxie and teamwork that’s been lacking for most of this season. You could tell Shaheen Holloway was pleased with the effort by how positive he was with his players throughout the game. At the end of the first half he slapped every guy’s hand as they went into the locker room. This should be something they can build upon and for the three promising sophomores as their core, it could be a turning point.

The Pirates open Big East play at Villanova (7-4) on Tuesday at the Pavilion. (7:30 p.m., Peacock). Their Big East opener last December, a stunning dismantling of national champion UConn, proved to be a turning point after a slow start.

4. Crowd eventually cranked it up

If there was an empty seat, it was hard to spot. Rutgers fans came out ready for blood, as they always do for this game, and there were very few blue-clad fans outside of the two rows behind the Hall’s bench.

But the Pirates kept a lid on the crowd for the entire first half, similar to the 2022 upset here. That changed five minutes into the second stanza as the Scarlet Knights chipped away, and when Jeremiah Williams’ coast-to-coast layup off a long rebound to cut the deficit to four with 14:54 remaining, the RAC became truly loud for the first time Saturday. The near-fracas that ensued two minutes later under the Pirates’ basket lathered everyone up some more.

All in all, a great hoops environment befitting the history of these programs.

5. It still matters

Yes, the rivalry has been diminished some by the onset of free agency. Only three players from last year’s game were on the court Saturday – Jamichael Davis for Rutgers and Dylan Addae-Wusu and Isaiah Coleman for Seton Hall.

Yes, it’s less compelling when the players aren’t familiar with each other or what this series means to the fans.

Still, this was the ninth straight sellout in the series dating back to Pikiell’s first season in 2016-17.

Still, Rutgers’ student section was packed an hour before tip-off, and they booed the Hall harder during introductions than they do any Big Ten opponent.

Still, there were 35 credentialed members of the media and 23 NBA scouts in attendance, plus Fox Sports’ A-team as the game aired on Fox’s main network for the first time.

The sport is changing, but Rutgers-Seton Hall still matters.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.