National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Rutgers 79, Central Conn. St. 48
When: 5:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 1, 2022
Where: Jersey Mike's Arena, Piscataway, New Jersey
Officials: # Edwin Young, # Larry Scirotto, # King Whetstone
Attendance: 7780

Clifford Omoruyi posted his second double-double of the season Saturday for host Rutgers, which held Central Connecticut State without a field goal for more than 10 minutes spanning the halves in a 79-48 win in Piscataway, N.J.

Omoruyi finished with a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds for Rutgers (7-5), which is slated to resume Big Ten play against Michigan on Tuesday.

Geo Baker had 11 points and seven assists while Paul Mulcahy (eight points, eight assists) also flirted with a double-double for the Scarlet Knights, who shot 50 percent (35-of-70) and had 12 players score.

Stephane Ayangma had 12 points and 10 rebounds while Joe Ostrowsky also had 12 points for Central Connecticut State (4-11), which played just seven players as it completed a stretch of three games in four days.

The Blue Devils, who beat conference foe St. Francis (NY) 67-55 on Friday, shot just 27.3 percent (15-of-55) Saturday, including 14.8 percent (4-of-27) in the first half.

A 3-pointer by Ian Krishnan gave Central Connecticut a 3-2 lead, but Rutgers responded with a 13-0 run, a span in which the Blue Devils went 0-for-7 from the field. Omouruyi's layup with 12:01 left in the half gave the Scarlet Knights a 19-8 lead and put them up by double digits for good.

Davonte Sweatman hit a 3-pointer with 6:24 left in the first half, after which Central Connecticut missed its next 14 shots and was outscored 23-1. Rutgers led 44-14 at the half - its largest intermission advantage of the season - and went ahead by 40 for the first time on Oskar Palmquist's layup with 15:06 left.

Rutgers eventually opened a 47-point lead and led by 42 before the Blue Devils ended the game on a 20-9 run.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Central Conn. St.   Rutgers
Stephane Ayangma 12 Scoring Clifford Omoruyi 19
Trenton McLaughlin 3 Assists Paul Mulcahy 8
Stephane Ayangma 10 Rebounds Clifford Omoruyi 12
Stephane Ayangma 3 Free Throws Made Jaden Jones 2
Andre Snoddy 2 Steals Ron Harper Jr. 3
Andre Snoddy 3 Blocks Geo Baker 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Central Conn. St. 48 27.3 6-15 12-19 9 28 7 7 17
Rutgers 79 50.0 4-16 5-10 25 48 10 9 12