#Rutgers comes up big late in win over Syracuse

Fans or no fans, the RAC is still a nightmare for visitors. Just ask Syracuse, which saw its momentum disintegrate into a one-sided loss in the quiet arena Tuesday night.

This game followed the script of many of Rutgers’ program-record 18 home wins of a year ago. Lockdown defense. A big late run. An opponent helpless as a winnable game dances out of reach in the final minutes. The only thing missing was the noise of a sold-out crowd.

It didn’t matter that there were no fans present or that star senior Geo Baker was sidelined with an ankle injury. Rutgers, ranked 21st, is still awfully difficult to beat in Piscataway and deep enough to withstand Baker’s absence for now. The Scarlet Knights ran away from Syracuse down the stretch for a 79-69 victory in the annual ACC-Big Ten challenge.

“We showed some really good toughness,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “It took everybody doing everything, the little things. … We knew we’d be tested, and we were.”

Against its first power-conference opponent, Rutgers was struggling late in the second half. A double-digit lead was gone. Syracuse was up three on the strength of a 16-7 run.

But as if a switch had been flipped, Pikiell’s team became energized, holding Syracuse without a made field goal over the final 5:40. Jacob Young and Ron Harper Jr. played the role of closer in place of Baker.

“We showed that we’re a resilient team,” Harper said. “We overcame adversity and I’m proud of our team for that.”

Rutgers pulled away after falling behind by three, reeling off 11 consecutive points to go up eight with 2:02 left. Young started it, hitting two free throws at the start of the run and Harper capped it with a layup in transition. The two were instrumental in the victory, combining for 44 points, 26 from Harper. Montez Mathis chipped in 19 and Myles Johnson had 11 points and 12 rebounds as Rutgers improved to 4-0. Up next, in six days, the loaded Big Ten schedule begins, starting with a trip to Maryland.

“Oh, we’re ready,” Young said.

Without Baker, Harper — the son of former NBA guard Ron Harper — has emerged as the team’s best player. Pikiell raved about the leader he is becoming, a strong voice in the huddle when the game seemed to be getting away from Rutgers. The physical 6-foot-6 wing has scored in double figures in all four games and had made 11-of-24 3-point attempts after shooting 34 percent from deep last year.

“His best basketball’s ahead of him, too,” Pikiell said. “It’s kind of scary.”

Syracuse, minus starters Buddy Boeheim and Bourama Sidibe, didn’t have enough firepower against its first high-major opponent. Illinois transfer Alan Griffin led the Orange with 20 points.

Even without fans, the RAC is still a significant home-court advantage and the team that calls it home looks plenty deserving of its top-25 ranking.