Rutgers basketball: Darren Buchanan block seals win over Northwestern

PISCATAWAY – In duel of big-time college basketball scorers, the last word came on a blocked shot.

Rutgers wing Darren Buchanan swatted Northwestern’s Jake West at the rim in the final second of overtime as the Scarlet Knights prevailed 77-75 Sunday in another nailbiter at Jersey Mike’s Arena. West appeared to have a lane to the bucket before Buchanan, who had just missed a free throw, closed in for the game-sealing rejection.

This after Tariq Francis put the Scarlet Knights in position to win with 30 points, going shot for shot with Northwestern superstar Nick Martinelli (34 points) and scoring seven in the extra session.

Rutgers is now 9-8 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, showing the kind of fight that can rally a fan base behind a team even in a difficult season.

Northwestern (8-8, 0-5) holds a 12-10 series advantage, although Rutgers has won nine of the past 11 meetings.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

1. White-knuckle moments for Buchanan

Much was asked of Rutgers wing Darren Buchanan, who had to deal with Martinelli one-on-one defensively. He experienced the full range of drama in the final minute of regulation. With Northwestern trailing by one, Martinelli hit a 12-foot baseline jumper over him. Then Buchanan rebounded a Francis miss at the rim, got fouled with 2 seconds left, missed the first free throw and made the second to force overtime.

Then, at the end of overtime, Buchanan grabbed a key defensive rebound, got fouled and made one of two free throws before recovering for the epic block that sealed the outcome.

It was quite the roller-coaster for the junior transfer from George Washington, has gotten markedly better over the past few weeks. This is why Steve Pikiell recruited him here.

2. Dylan Grant limited by illness

For the second straight game, Rutgers’ best forward (13.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) gave it a go despite being under the weather but once again clearly wasn’t himself. The sophomore came off the bench 11 minutes into the first half and finished with XXXXX.

Grant’s ineffectiveness places an added burden on Rutgers’ only other proven scorer, junior guard Tariq Francis.

3. Good minutes by Chris Nwuli

The 6-foot-8 freshman forward is ball of energy and athleticism, albeit unrefined. He came off the bench in the first half and played well; his five points, four rebounds and defense helped Rutgers rally from a 12-point deficit to head into halftime down 35-33. Keep an eye on his progress moving forward. On a team that could use some toughness, he has some edge.

4. Solid crowd

About 6,500 fans showed up, the student section was just about full even though it’s winter break, and did its part once again. Gov. Phil Murphy, who has been a baseline regular this season and whose time in office is nearly complete, was presented with a commemorative ball by Rutgers president William Tate to a mix of cheers and boos.

There was a pregame moment of silence for former Gov. Richard Codey, who died over the weekend at age 79. A former basketball manager under Bill Raftery at FDU-Madison, Codey was a huge college basketball fan and season-ticket holder who took in countless games at the RAC from his second-row seat opposite Rutgers’ bench, often wearing a scarlet sweater.

5. Tough road ahead

Now comes the toughest part of Rutgers’ schedule, a seven-game walk over hot coals: at Wisconsin (which just took down unbeaten Michigan) on Saturday, at No. 19 Iowa Jan. 20, Indiana at home Jan. 23, No. 12 Michigan State at home Jan. 27, then a West Coast road swing at USC and UCLA, capped by a home date with No. 10 Nebraska Feb 7.

Winning any of those games would be a surprise (although the Scarlet Knights have had Indiana’s number), hence the urgency to bank a victory against Northwestern.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball: Darren Buchanan block seals win over Northwestern