Davis makes the second, Ugochukwu rattled in a left corner three, Rutgers couldn’t get a layup to go at the horn.

Five more minutes at the RAC, which could be costly for the 9:44 train back to New York, as the Scarlet Knights and Michigan State are tied at 73. #RHoops #Spartans

Fears just missed the first of two at the line, but made the second.

Crucial split there, as Rutgers clings to a 72-70 lead with 17 seconds left. Davis will have a chance to double the lead here. #RHoops

Jamichael Davis just split a pair at the line, and Michigan State raced it across the timeline to get the timeout Izzo wanted.

He’ll talk with 41 seconds to go and a 15-second difference between the clocks. Rutgers 70, #Spartans 67.

We’ll see if Pikiell fouls here. #RHoops

Francis just drew the foul on a left elbow jumper. That’s three on Ugochukwu. Remember, Fears has four for Michigan State.

Here’s Tariq at the line: Good and good. Rutgers is back front with 59 seconds left, 69-67. #RHoops

They’re going down the stretch in New Jersey, and Rutgers is 3:51 away from one of the bigger upsets of the season.

Get to FS1 if you can. The Scarlet Knights are trying to get their 65-57 lead across the wire over No. 7 Michigan State. #RHoops #TheKnighthood

Michigan State is within five, and it’s a throwback to the old-school, bully-ball #Spartans that got them there.

Pikiell just called another timeout at the 6:45 mark, with Rutgers trying to hold off a hard-charging Sparty, clinging to a 60-55 cushion. #RHoops

How many of you had Rutgers going to the locker room up nine on Michigan State? I’ll wait a couple minutes.

Francis and Buchanan have 22 combined, and the two of them — plus Dylan Grant — are driving the bus through 20.

Scarlet Knights 37, Sparty 28 at halftime. #RHoops

Plus-8 on the glass and down 11 is probably making for a pissed off Izzo.

Michigan State is down 29-18 to Rutgers with 3:52 remaining before halftime. The Scarlet Knights are playing far and away their best defense of the year. #RHoops #Spartans

Rutgers is getting outrebounded by a 13-5 count, but the Scarlet Knights have made five threes and just committed their first turnover of the night not too long ago.

The crisp start has yielded a 23-18 lead over Michigan State with 7:49 left in the first half. #RHoops

Starters for both sides:

Michigan State — Jeremy Fears, Divine Ugochukwu, Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper.

Rutgers — Jamichael Davis, Kaden Powers, Darren Buchanan, Dylan Grant and Emmanuel Ogbole.

#RHoops #Spartans

NJ Transit delays be damned, I got to Piscataway before the tip.

Game #57, with Rutgers welcoming seventh-ranked Michigan State on the banks. Always a pleasure to see the #Spartans around these parts. #RHoops #TheKnighthood

Rutgers legend Jeremiah Williams just checked in for Georgetown. Forgot he ended up here. #Hoyas #RHoops

TARIQ FRANCIS FOR THE WIN!!! #RHoops

Rutgers still has a chance here after Tariq Francis put the Scarlet Knights on his back yet again. He’s got 31, and Pikiell will play the foul game after calling his last timeout.

Penn, clinging to a 68-67 lead, needs to survive another 28.6 seconds. #RHoops #FightOnPenn

Tariq Francis is saving Rutgers tonight. He’s the reason this is only a four-point game going into the locker room, with 14 points to offset some pockets of boos during an interesting first half.

After 20: It’s Penn 33, and the Scarlet Knights 29. #RHoops #FightOnPenn

Off and running in Piscataway, where Badalau strikes first and Power answers back on the next possession. Ethan Roberts is still out for Penn…he hasn’t played since the Big 5 championship two weeks ago against Villanova. #RHoops #FightOnPenn

Starters for both sides:

Penn — AJ Levine, Cam Thrower, Mike Zanoni, TJ Power and Augie Gerhart.

Rutgers — Jamichael Davis, Harun Zrno, Denis Badalau, Dylan Grant and Emmanuel Ogbole.

#RHoops #FightOnPenn

ZEBRA ALERT — Tonight’s officials for Rutgers/Penn: Larry Scirotto, Amy Bonner and Jourdan Love.

Haven’t seen Scirotto since, I believe, the 2023 Sweet 16. #RHoops #FightOnPenn

I’d have liked to have been here an hour ago, but still here before the tip.

Game #37 (in a row?) is a Saturday night special at the RAC, with Rutgers hosting Penn. #RHoops #FightOnPenn

Pikiell: “At times, we just continue to turn the ball over at an alarming rate.” #RHoops

Pikiell: “We’re searching. We gotta get our guards to play better, for sure.” #RHoops

Someone just yelled “Fire Pikiell” outside the press room while we wait for both coaches to make their way in. #RHoops

And we’ve officially become witnesses to a rock fight with 7:13 left in the first half. Honestly, that’s the best thing Rutgers can do if it wants to win this game.

The Scarlet Knights, fueled by their bench, are within 18-14 of Seton Hall. #RHoops #TheKnighthood

Rutgers has risen from its slumber, going on a 12-4 run to get within three with 10:35 remaining in the opening stanza. Lino Mark playing off the ball alongside Jamichael Davis has generated a spark for the Scarlet Knights.

With Seton Hall’s lead trimmed to 15-12, Sha will talk. #RHoops

Seton Hall has the first six points, scoring off three Rutgers turnovers, and Pikiell wants a 30 after just 103 seconds.

The Scarlet Knights have as many points as you and I do. #shbb #HALLin #RHoops

Starters for both sides:

Rutgers — Tariq Francis, Harun Zrno, Denis Badalau, Dylan Grant and Emmanuel Ogbole.

Seton Hall — Budd Clark, Mike Williams, A.J. Staton-McCray, Elijah Fisher and Stephon Payne.

#shbb #HALLin #RHoops #TheKnighthood

ZEBRA ALERT — Tonight’s officials for Seton Hall/Rutgers: Evon Burroughs, Earl Walton and Steve McJunkins. Not a bad whistle on this one. #shbb #HALLin #RHoops #TheKnighthood

The back end of the doubleheader.

Game #33, the Garden State Hardwood Classic between Seton Hall and Rutgers. #shbb #HALLin #RHoops #TheKnighthood

Pikiell: “We better learn from a night like tonight. That’s all you can do in a season like this.” #RHoops

Pikiell: “When we’re playing the way we need to play, we’ll turn some teams over. Obviously, we didn’t tonight. We just have to play better, point blank. That’s obviously on me. We have to play harder from the opening tip. We gave (CCSU) confidence right off the bat.” #RHoops