Thrilling Victory: Men’s Basketball Tops UCLA 75-68 Under the Lights!

PISCATAWAY — Rutgers ended its three-game losing run after defeating UCLA 75-68 on Monday night. 

After the Bruins jumped to an early 7-0 lead, five-star Ace Bailey made a challenging shot to put Rutgers on the scoreboard. Freshman Dylan Grant, who made his inaugural start, narrowed the gap to two points with a catch-and-shoot three-pointer following the first media timeout.

Team leaders Zach Martini and Jeremiah Williams contributed four and five points, respectively, with eight different Scarlet Knights scoring in the first 20 minutes. Five-star Dylan Harper capped the half with a lob to his fellow player, Bailey, reducing UCLA’s advantage to 33-30 at halftime.

Harper and Bailey continued strong with an early 8-0 surge to give Rutgers its first lead. The two freshmen collectively accounted for 38 of Rutgers’ 75 points (51 percent), with Bailey recording his fifth career double-double: 20 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks.

Rutgers dominated the rebounding department 37-29, earning 10 second-chance points off 11 offensive boards.

In response to a Bruins push, graduate student Tyson Acuff, making his starting debut, knocked down a three-pointer from the wing as the shot clock expired, regaining momentum, and the Scarlet Knights maintained the lead. 

Williams was the top scorer of the bench with 11 points on 71 percent shooting, including crucial buckets during the final minutes. RU’s bench amassed 25 points in total.

Freshman Lathan Sommerville made a significant impact in his second career start, scoring six points and grabbing nine rebounds. Sommerville converted important free throws in the closing moments to secure the win – RU ended the game 21-for-31 from the free-throw line while UCLA managed 12-for-15.

It has been 43 years since these two schools last competed (1981), marking the first occasion UCLA visited Piscataway.

Rutgers’s record improves to 9-8 (2-4 in conference play) while UCLA drops to 11-6 (2-4) and continues its four-game losing streak.

The Scarlet Knights will be back on the court on Thursday, Jan. 16, when they head to Lincoln, Nebraska, to face off against the Cornhuskers, who are 12-4 (2-3) at 9 pm. Rutgers will not return to Jersey Mike’s Arena until Saturday, Feb. 1, when they host Michigan.

Postgame Notes

• Ace Bailey led the squad with 20 points and 10 rebounds. This marked his team-high fifth double-double this season, and his seventh game scoring over 20 points, alongside his fifth game collecting over 10 rebounds, and the sixth time he led the team in scoring, as well as the 10th time leading in rebounding.

  • Bailey became the third Division I player this season to have a performance with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal.

• Dylan Harper scored 18 points. This was the first instance since the game against Columbia on December 30 where Harper scored at least 14 points after achieving that in each of the first 13 matches.
• Lathan Sommerville equaled his career-high with nine rebounds, marking his highest rebounds against a Big Ten opponent.
• Dylan Grant logged a career-best 23 minutes on the floor. He has totaled 54 minutes across the last three games, having played just 20 minutes in the first 14 games.
• Rutgers has fielded its eighth distinct starting lineup this season. RU started with Dylan Harper, Tyson Acuff, Dylan Grant, Ace Bailey, and Lathan Sommerville.

  • This was the first career start for Dylan Grant and first start at Rutgers for Tyson Acuff
  • Rutgers featured four freshmen in the starting lineup who collectively played 114 minutes.
  • In total, 11 different players have started a game for Rutgers this season. Every player who has participated for at least three minutes has claimed at least one start.

• Rutgers successfully restricted UCLA’s leading scorer, Tyler Bilodeau, to six points, his second-lowest scoring tally of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qy_7VYYXQo

Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Steve Pikiell 

 

Opening statement:

“Grateful for our supporters; they were incredible and provided us with a significant advantage. I am proud of our players. It has been a challenging stretch. It’s wonderful to have Dylan (Harper) back and in good health. Jeremiah (Williams) played exceptionally well today and Ace (Bailey) delivered a double-double while blocking three shots. UCLA is a very strong team. They have been ranked all season. Clearly, we were in sync, our energy was fantastic, and we out-rebounded a very capable rebounding squad. They cause one of the most turnovers in the nation, yet we managed to handle…that. I hold UCLA in high regard. It’s been a challenging few weeks, but these individuals continually fought, are performing exceptionally well in training, and persistently press on.”

 

On resilience and gameplay:

“We just bonded. We’ve demonstrated glimpses of it. In this league, you better be cohesive for forty (minutes), and I believe we were cohesive for the entire duration. We executed our free throws in the critical moments. We displayed really positive signs of improvement. It’s a young squad. Jeremiah (Williams) came off the bench, Martini (Zach) provided us with solid minutes, and Emmanuel (Ogbole) was remarkable. Every player played a role in today’s victory, and it was gratifying to witness.”

 

On free throws in the second half compared to the first: 

“We have players who are highly capable. This could be an incredibly effective foul shooting team. We missed a few, but you must overcome those hurdles. They (UCLA) are a very physical team, very hands-on. I admire their defensive play. They challenge you on every possession. Thus, free throws were crucial tonight, as they will commit fouls, especially in the final moments when we are ahead. I’m pleased with our players at the free throw line.”

 

On Dylan Harper: 

“He was the top scorer in the Big Ten until he fell ill. He adds a different dynamic. He can rebound as well. He can switch defensively due to his great size. He’s a difficult player to defend. His best days lie ahead of him. We need to ensure he is fully healthy.”

 

On Dylan Grant, Tyson Acuff, and Lathan Somerville in the starting lineup:

“They have been exceptional in practice. They’ve earned that chance. They provided quality minutes. Dylan Grant is improving. He blocks shots, has length, and possesses good composure. We need everyone to continue enhancing their skills. Tyson (Acuff) has probably been our most reliable practice player, so he earned that. Jeremiah (Williams) comes off the bench, giving us excellent minutes and tremendous energy. I’m not overly concerned about who starts. I want to ensure that everyone is prepared to play, and that’s what made me the proudest. Those two (Dylan Grant & Tyson Acuff) have put in tremendous effort and have been very productive.”

 

On Rutgers offense: 

“I believe they (UCLA) are the fifth-best defensive team in the nation as well, so we played against a superb defensive team. We didn’t turn the ball over, which was a significant factor. They create a lot of turnovers. We made some crucial plays at the rim. We simply performed better, staying connected all around. When you have Ace contributing twenty points, ten rebounds, and blocking three shots, it helps your stats.”

 

On being connected for forty minutes:

“They need to figure it out. We are at the midpoint of the season. We trained well for two days. They were smiling. I love when Jeremiah (Williams) is grinning and not officiating. He’s fantastic. I was glad to see that, and their communication on the bench and in huddles was outstanding. We are maturing, and we were able to reap the rewards today for doing all the necessary things to become a good basketball team.”

 

On UCLA narrowing the lead to one & response:

“We’ve experienced games like this before. We discussed finishing strong on the opposite end as well. We secured rebounds and made some plays. That’s the kind of team that persists in attacking. It was excellent to execute our free throws down the stretch, secure those vital stops, and limit them to 68 points. Sixty-five is our target, and we had them right at that number.”

 

Dylan on when he felt like he was back:

“I couldn’t pinpoint an exact moment. I think it was just the trust my teammates and coach had in me. It made me feel as though, yes, I may have been out for a little while, but I’m returning with the same objective to secure a win.”

 

Jeremiah on having Dylan back:

“As coach mentioned, the top scorer in the Big Ten before his illness was probably the best guard in the Big Ten as well. When he’s back and fully healthy… I mean he’s Dylan Harper.”

 

On Zack Martini playing 13 minutes on both ends of the court:

“I thought he was superb. He had two excellent practices leading up to this. He was able to stretch the floor. He contributed in various ways, and he was focused. Frankly, he delivered great minutes, but I felt Emmanuel provided us with outstanding minutes as well. He was a force around the basket and caught some challenging passes for someone of his size. Running the floor against physical opponents, our entire bench was incredible. They brought us energy, they were cohesive, and they provided defense. JMike hit crucial free throws in the closing moments. I’m proud of the guys; there are challenges they know they must overcome. Everyone desires everything, but it’s one of those things you must earn. 

 

On how well the team performed against UCLA:

“They exuded this wonderful energy. Everyone embraced their roles and how we needed them to perform. We discussed a lot about their leading scorer, ensuring he didn’t receive easy touches and all that. Always trying to exhaust the leading scorer, we managed to do that. We need everyone’s contributions; every individual is crucial and must assist us.” 

 

On adjusting the starting lineup:

“I don’t become overly focused on starting lineups. I realize everyone else does; Jeremiah played significant minutes tonight and was a tremendous factor in the game, as was our bench. We’ll continue to push forward, Dylan Grant provides us with length and emergency defense. He’s agile and contributes in many aspects. Acuff has been very effective in games. The positive aspect of starting eleven players is they understand they are one day away from stepping into the starting lineup. I have confidence in all of them. They just need to be prepared. I’m more enthusiastic about the other players, and they were ready. There was no sulking; whatever I can do to secure a win, that’s a sign of team development.”

Gallery: (1-13-2025) Rutgers MBB vs. UCLA