PISCATAWAY, N.J – The Sacred Heart University men's basketball fell to Big Ten opponent Rutgers, 79-54, on Tuesday night at the Rutgers Athletic Center. The Pioneers could not overcome a 27.3 percent (15-55) shooting performance as they fall to 6-5 on the year. Tevin Falzon recorded his second career double double scoring ten points and grabbing a game-high eleven rebounds. Cane Broome and De'von Barnett were also in double figures scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively. Rutgers was led by Mike Williams with 22 points, while Myles Mack added 19 and a game-high six assists. The Scarlet Knights move to 7-5 on the year.

Leading 34-18 at the break, Rutgers came out with a 12-2 surge to take control of the game early in the second half. A jumper by Mike Williams with 17:09 showing on the clock ended the run and gave the Scarlet Knights a 46-20 advantage. Sacred Heart responded with ten straight of its own over the next 1:40 to cut the deficit back to 16 at 46-30 with 15:29 remaining. After a Broome and one, Falzon scored five straight, including going 3-3 from the line.

After the teams traded points over the next couple of minutes, a Broome three-pointer with 12:26 remaining got the Pioneers within 14 at 52-38 for the first time since the first half. The Scarlet Knights answered with an 18-6 run over the next six and a half minutes to build their lead to 70-44 with 5:33 left in the game.

Phil Gaetano dished out a SHU-high four assists to move into third place on the All-time Northeast Conference assists list with 606 for his career. He moved pass Jeremy Goode who had 603. The senior guard is the current NEC leader and has now passed seven players through just eleven games.

Sacred Heart outrebounded the Scarlet Knights 45-40 but could not overcome its worst shooting night since a 26.2 percent (16-61) performance against Wagner on February 8, 2014. The Pioneers only shot 16.1 percent (5-31) in the first half.

The Scarlet Knights scored 23 points off of 18 SHU turnovers and held a 38-20 advantage in the paint. They shot 48.4 percent (31-64) from the floor.

After trading baskets early, Rutgers used an 11-3 spurt to go ahead 20-9 with 12:16 left before the break. Mack ended the run with five straight points. SHU's defense got them back into the game, holding the Scarlet Knights scoreless over the next 6:20 to creep back within four at 20-16 after a Glowiak triple with 6:54 remaining. From there it was all Rutgers, who ended the half outscoring the Pioneers, 14-2, to take a 34-18 advantage into the half. Williams sparked the run scoring eight of the 14 points, while a Bishop Daniels dunk with 38 second left ended it.

Sacred will back on the road on Sunday, as it travels to Brown for a 2 pm tip. The Bears are off to a 6-6 start.