Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers used a 20-4 run to end the first half to sprint out to a big lead, then held visiting Norfolk State without a field goal for more than nine minutes of the second half of the Scarlet Knights' 83-59 win over the Spartans in the teams' second game of the Philly Hoop Group Classic on Tuesday night at the RAC.

James Beatty scored 18 points to lead five Scarlet Knights (3-1) in double figures. Rob Hampton led NSU (1-3) with 19 points.

NSU trailed just 24-18 after a follow slam by freshman Riley Maye – his first collegiate field goal – with 5:24 remaining in the first half. But Rutgers hit five 3-pointers in a 20-4 run to end the first half. Mike Coburn had eight of his 12 points, including a pair of treys, in the spurt. Beatty also hit two 3-pointers and added seven points in the run, which resulted in a 44-22 RU halftime lead.

Rutgers kept the game out of NSU's reach by holding the Spartans without a field goal a stretch of 9 minutes, 17 seconds midway through the second half. Hampton hit a jumper to make it 54-33 with 15:04 left in the game, but the Spartans would not hit another field goal until Aleek Pauline made a layup with 5:47 remaining. By then, the Scarlet Knights' lead had ballooned to more than 30, eventually reaching 34 at one juncture.

Pauline and Rodney McCauley each scored 13 for the Spartans. McCauley, whose output was a season high, hit all three of his shots from behind the arc. Kyle O'Quinn added game highs of nine rebounds and four blocks for the Spartans.

Gilvydas Biruta added 11 points and Dane Miller and Mike Poole each contributed 10 for Rutgers.

The Spartans conclude their stint in the round-robin Philly Hoop Group Classic on Friday evening against Fairfield. The contest tips off at 5:15 p.m. at the Palestra in Philadelphia, and precedes a 7:30 p.m. contest between Rutgers and St. Joseph's.