College Defense Leads Rutgers To First Win Of Season Intensity is something first year head coach Mike Rice brings to his teams. That intesity was evident on the defense end of the floor last night and the result was the first win of the Mike Rice era at Rutgers. by Staff Post November 16, 2010 Looking back on the tape from his team’s season opening loss to Princeton, Rutgers head coach Mike Rice was not pleased. “Defensive effort against Princeton, I thought our energy was good. When we went back and watched the film, the defense was – to be honest with you – brutal. Guys (were) getting split, guys (were) not getting in the proper position.” said Rice. In last night’s home opener, the defense effort was much better for Rutgers. In fact, it was the effort on that side of the floor that carried the Scarlet Knights to their first win of the season. It was the first win for Mike Rice as the head coach. While Jonathan Mitchell led all scorers with 15 points for Rutgers, Mike Coburn added 14. It was Coburn’s defense that highlighted the night. Coburn and James Beatty combined to lock down Fairfield’s big scorer, Derek Needham. Needham was held to 14 points on 5-of-20 shooting. Dane Miller joined Mitchell and Coburn as the three Scarlet Knights in double digit scoring, leading to Rutgers 68-53 win. For Rutgers to succeed this season, defense is going to be a priority. The Knights lack size and use a three guard starting lineup. Defense and good shot selection will need to be consistent. Last night, Rutgers showed the ability to do both. Defensively, Rutgers held Fairfield to 29.1% shooting, including 23.1% in the second half. Fairfield was just 6-of-23 from behind the 3-point arc. The Scarlet Knights shot 48.2% from the field and 44.4% from behind the arc. Mitchell was particularly on his shooting game, nailing three of four three poitn attempts. Tough defense will win games. Rutgers grabbed seven steals and blocked ten Fairfield shots last night, including five blocks by Dane Miller. If Rutgers can continue to play hard nosed in your face defense, they may just tally a few more wins then expected this season. Intensity is something first year head coach Mike Rice brings to his teams. That intesity was evident on the defense end of the floor last night and the result was the first win of the Mike Rice era at Rutgers. Post Views: 1,316 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Staff Post Latest posts by Staff Post (see all) In The Zone Announces Initial Podcast Lineup - November 13, 2020 The Essential Resources You Need to Start Your Own Gym in 2020 - February 6, 2020 Wilder vs Fury II – How the second fight will be different to the first? - February 5, 2020 Early turnovers, defensive struggles plague the Scarlet Knights - January 26, 2020 Related TopicsBasketballDane MillerFairfieldJames BeattyJonathan MitchellMike CoburnMike RiceNCAARutgers Scarlet Knights 1 Comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! The Most Catastrophic Boat Trip Since the Titanic; the New York Giants by John Venezia | posted on October 4, 2020 Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Exclusive Interview: SNY Personality, Maria Marino, Shares Career Journey (VIDEO) by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on January 28, 2021 Women in Sports: New York Mets In-Game Host, Emily Reppert by Luke Porco | posted on March 8, 2019 Women in Sports Interview Series: It’s a sure bet with Philadelphia native, Erin Kate Dolan (VIDEO) by Denise Gonzalez | posted on March 17, 2020 More in College You Know I’m Right, Episode 107: New York Post’s Columnist Mike Vaccaro (Audio/Video) On the 107th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... Master P’s Son, Hercy, Commits to Tennessee State Master P’s son, Hercy Miller, is committing to Tennessee State to play basketball. While... EA Sports Plans to Revive College Football Video Game EA Sports announced that they plan on making college football video games again. The... UVM Women’s Basketball Team Quits 2020-2021 Season The University of Vermont (UVM) women’s basketball will be ending their 2020-2021 season early... Knights In The NFL – Week 10 Darnell Stapleton Questions WildCat's Effect On Future