Men’s basketball wins its home opener against BU thanks to a game-high from Griffith.
NJ – ISCATAWAY – During the Rutgers men’s basketball team’s home opener, a fresh face stood out the most.
In front of a sold-out crowd at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Friday night, the Scarlet Knights defeated Boston University 69-45 thanks to a 25-6 run that started the second half. Freshman Gavin Griffiths led the way with a game-high 25 points.
“It felt great playing in front of the fans for the first time,” Griffiths recalled. “I played with a lot of confidence today because my coaches have been encouraging me to keep shooting and giving me confidence. I believe that during that time, there were a few mismatches that I was able to take advantage of. I was in a great position and my teammates were doing a great job of passing the ball to me.
The native of Simsbury, Connecticut, finished with three three-pointers, four rebounds, and a 9-for-15 field goal percentage. With his 25 points, Griffiths has scored more in a home opener than any other Scarlet Knights player since Nov. 8, 2013, when Kadeem Jack scored 30 points against Florida A&M.
Aundre Hyatt, a graduate student, added four rebounds and scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Redshirt freshman forward Antonio Chol and senior centre Clifford Omoruyi both contributed five points to the game.
Hyatt remarked, “I felt great out there tonight.” “We really wanted to run our half-court sets and score in transition. We did a fantastic job controlling the play’s tempo and both, in my opinion.”
Bryant will next play the Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Sunday at noon.
“Hi there, everyone. Playing in front of our home audience feels good. I’m grateful to everyone who arrived early. Although we didn’t play as well as we could have the other night, we still need to get better. These guys gave us a great start, but I thought our rebounding was a great way to change the game. We were really locked in and had two excellent days of preparation. Once more, we need to improve. We gave up too many free throws, but the energy from the spectators, the band, the cheerleaders, and everything else kept us going. Without a doubt, I enjoy playing here at Jersey Mike’s.”
“I thought everyone’s responses were good. Although Princeton was very strong, I was very disappointed in our rebounding, especially considering that [Antwone] Woolfolk has been our best rebounder. I had assumed we’d give him a chance, and we clearly bounced back much better. Even though we were much more physical today, we still intend to give each person an opportunity. We own a
There are many players who merit starting, and Mawot [Mag], who started every game the previous season, will return. I’ve never given starting lineups much thought. The guys that play well get a lot of playing time, and once more, I was pleased with how we handled a challenging few days. We need to follow through on our preparation, which was excellent. Bryant is gifted, and we will eventually
“I believe that our guys made a great job of settling in and maintaining focus. We didn’t turn the ball over in the final six minutes of the first half, and we launched a strong offensive in the opening minutes of the second. We need to improve because these guys will watch a lot of film, and we will get better at every part of the game, including the free throw line. That’s how this team does things.”
“We genuinely want to play quickly. Once more, a lot of fouls cut up the game a little bit. We would have had more opportunities to score and move the ball down the court if we didn’t turn the ball over as frequently, but tonight’s players were all very athletic. in particular, our bench. We did a good job because we all ran hard. Although Clifford Omouruyi’s night wasn’t his usual one due to a minor injury, it was encouraging to see everyone else share the ball and make some easy baskets.”
About chances for scoring in the second half:
“I believed that we were truly confined. I always believe that the first four and a half minutes are crucial for making a statement, and I believe they did. They responded as well when we moved to our bench.”
Regarding Gavin Griffith’s debut at home:
“Gavin is incredibly talented. I think it’s great that he won his first game at Jersey Mike’s Arena because it’s not easy being a freshman. He simply went after it after two excellent practises. It’s true that sometimes practise makes perfect, and he performed admirably. In addition, Aundre [Hyatt] had two very effective practises, and his leadership and voice were truly felt. He bounced back and gave us a great start. He is an excellent worker and played with a lot of aggression. Here, the inaugural game was a huge success.”
Regarding recovering better than on Monday
That is our team’s strongest suit. Everyone is capable of recovering. Our guards need to put in some extra effort and take care of the backboards in addition to our talented athletes. It’s not only Cliff and Wolf’s jobs. Tonight everyone was putting bodies on people. Noah grabbed a few lengthy rebounds. With four rebounds from Austin, everyone contributed. Gavin added four more points to his impressive twenty-five. It’s a team effort, and we need to keep going because Bryant can rebound as well. We have rebounds the past two days when we have focused on that.
He’s currently in the room. Both Antwone Woolfolk and Austin Willaims suffered injuries. We have a game in 48 hours, so I hope they’re okay, but they need to recover quickly.
