Rutgers Men’s Basketball: A look at recent history against Indiana

Dec 5, 2022 - 8:18 PM

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It has been a weekend full of celebrating for Rutgers and its fans after a victory over No. 10 Indiana. This marked the sixth consecutive victory for the Scarlet Knights in this matchup and eighth win in the last nine meetings.

If this win didn't prove that Jersey Mike’s Arena is one of the best home-court advantages in the league, nothing will. The Hoosiers came in sky-high, scoring 87.1 points per contest, and were held to 48 on 30.4% shooting.

The dominion against the Hosiers continued on Saturday. Of course, this does not include two consecutive wins on the football field and a recent victory in the Men’s Soccer Big Ten Championship Game.

For now, we will stick to the court. Rutgers will have another opportunity against a ranked opponent on Thursday as it takes a trip to Columbus to take on No. 25 Ohio State. Until then, we can continue to reflect on Indiana and the recent success in the matchup.

January 15, 2020: W, 59-50

The streak began with the duo of Caleb McConnell and Akwasi Yeboah leading Rutgers to 12-0 at home. The Scarlet Knights led by as many as 17 in a defensive gem. When it was all said and done, the Scarlet Knights had limited Indiana to its season low in points (50), field goal percentage (31.7), 3-point FG% (10.5), field goals (19), 3-point FGs (2), assists (6) and blocks (2).

January 24, 2021: W, 74-70

This was the first victory in program history at Assembly Hall. Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. combined for 34 points and five made threes as Rutgers defeated Indiana for the first time in what would be three matches in just over two months.

February 24, 2021: W, 74-63

The Scarlet Knights pulled off a miraculous turnaround on its home floor. Once again, the duo of Baker and Harper Jr. dominated. They combined for 40 points and 10 makes from beyond the arc as Rutgers went on a 62-27 run over the course of the night. A 15-point deficit eventually turned into a 20-point lead. Jacob Young and Myles Johnson chipped in 10 points each in the home finale.

March 11, 2021: W, 61-50

Naturally, these two would meet in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament and Rutgers was able to compete the trifecta. Defense was the theme once again as Rutgers held Indiana without a field goal over the final 9:50 of the contest. The Scarlet Knights closed on a 14-2 run and had four players in double figures, led by Harper Jr. and Young with 13 points each.

March 2, 2022: W, 66-63

Take a bow, Ron Harper Jr. In one of his many great moments that has him in the history books for the Scarlet Knights, he hit a game-winning three with 2.1 seconds left to sit the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. Harper Jr. finished with 19 points while Cliff Omoruyi logged a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. The come-from-behind effort was a pivotal victory in Rutgers returning to the big dance.

December 3, 2022: W, 63-48

Caleb McConnell finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds as Derek Simpson broke out with 14 points I his first Big Ten contest. The Scarlet Knights stifled a strong offense of Indiana and gained control early on their way to victory. This win marked the third top-10 win under Steve Pikiell and the fifth time that Rutgers has defeated a ranked opponent at home in six tries. There will be plenty of Quad 1 opportunities for Rutgers and this was a strong showing to open conference play.