The Washington Huskies (13-14, 5-11 in conference) battled the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (11-16, 4-12 in conference) on Tuesday. The Huskies were looking for a split on their East Coast road trip after dropping Saturday’s contest 64-60 at Maryland. Washington needed a better rebounding effort following a game in which they were out-rebounded 36-23. Hannes Steinbach’s unusually poor rebounding performance was a key factor in the Huskies’ rebounding woes. The freshman phenom had a season-low three rebounds in Saturday’s loss, eight below his season average.
Another key for Washington was being able to finish off their opponent. The Huskies were ahead 58-57 with two minutes to play against Maryland, but were outscored 7-2 in the game’s final minutes. Roster depth and a lack of available players have affected Washington’s ability to finish games. The Huskies have played their last five games with more scholarship players on the injured list than on their bench. In four of those five games, the Huskies held a lead in the second half but were unable to close out the victory. The Huskies’ depth would be tested again on Tuesday, as Franck Kepnang was ruled out with a knee injury.
Fortunately for Washington, Rutgers was the ideal team for them to play and pick up a win. The Scarlet Knights came into Tuesday’s game losers of nine of their last 12 games. Behind a better rebounding performance, a great game from Steinbach, and a strong finish, the Dawgs earned a crucial bounce-back win.
Washington builds a big first half lead
Both teams went back and forth in the game’s first four and a half minutes. After a media timeout at the 15:30 mark with the score 11-9, Washington went ahead on a 10-0 run. Steinbach hit a pair of free throws to start the scoring for the Huskies. He then threw down a dunk before Quimari Peterson later buried a shot from downtown. Courtland Muldrew capped the Husky run with another three-pointer, to give the Dawgs a 21-9 lead over Rutgers around the 13-minute mark.
Washington stays in front thanks to a better rebounding performance
In their previous game against Maryland, Washington gave up its first-half lead by allowing too many second-chance points. On Tuesday against the Scarlet Knights, the Huskies maintained their early lead by doing a better job of boxing out. Steinbach led the way with nine first-half rebounds, as Washington held Rutgers to three offensive boards. He would later finish the game with 24 points and 16 rebounds, earning his 17th double-double of the season. As a team, the Huskies out-rebounded the Scarlet Knights 20 to 13. Washington also had a slight advantage in second-chance points, outscoring Rutgers six to five.
Huskies out-shoot the Scarlet Knights behind a balanced scoring attack
Washington had eight players record at least one made field goal, as the Huskies received contributions from throughout the lineup. A trio of Dawgs led the team in scoring in the first half. Steinbach scored a team-high 10 points, Wesley Yates had seven (along with three assists), and Zoom Diallo scored six. Darren Buchanan helped keep the Scarlet Knights in the game with nine points. While Jamicheal Davis, Emmanuel Ogbole, and Tariq Francis each had four. Washington shot a better percentage from the field than Rutgers in the first half. The Huskies went 14/30 from the field (46.7%), and the Scarlet Knights shot 10/29 from the field (34.5%). Washington’s stronger shooting performance gave them a 36-29 lead at halftime.
Washington starts to pull away with consistent scoring
The Huskies padded their lead with more offensive might in the first 11 minutes of the second half. Yates led the way, scoring 10 points, while Steinbach added another eight. Lathan Sommerville (who played in place of the injured Kepnang) scored six points, and Peterson chipped in three. The four Huskies helped Washington build a 63-45 lead with 9:17 remaining in the game.
Rutgers rallies and puts a second-half scare into the Huskies
Six missed field goals, two missed free throws, and two turnovers by Washington gave Rutgers a chance to get back in the game. The Scarlet Knights went on a 19-6 run over the next seven minutes. Cutting the Huskies’ lead to 69-64 with 2:29 left to play. Angelino Mark led the charge for Rutgers with 11 points over that span.
Washington finishes strong, staves off Rutgers comeback
Peterson and Steinbach made sure the Huskies would not relinquish their lead down the stretch. Both of them scored four points apiece in the game’s final minutes. Peterson made four clutch free throws, while Steinbach sank two shots from the charity strip and added a big two-point jumper. The Huskies outscored the Scarlet Knights by two in the game’s final minutes to earn a 79-72 victory.
What’s next for Washington
Following Tuesday’s win, the Huskies are now (14-14 and 6-11 in conference). Washington is tied for 12th in the Big Ten with Minnesota and owns the tiebreaker between them. The Huskies’ next game will be on Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers (19-8, 11-5 in conference) at Alaska Airlines Arena.
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