Rutgers basketball looks surprisingly good in 4-OT loss to St. John’s

NEW YORK – After two exhibition games against Big East opponents, one thing is crystal clear about this Rutgers basketball team.

The Scarlet Knights are way better than their preseason projections of finishing 17th in the 18-team Big Ten.

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On Sunday, they dominated a talented St. John’s squad in the first half before falling 104-99 in a quadruple-overtime marathon in front of about 4,000 fans at Madison Square Garden.

St. John’s is a borderline Top 25 team with some player-eligibility questions still undecided, by the Red Storm’s full team was out there for the exhibition.

Rutgers, which opens the regular season Nov. 6 against New Haven, was coming off a 77-75 exhibition loss at home to Villanova – another borderline-Top 25 squad.

Rutgers basketball center Christian Gurdak drives against St. John’s Keyshawn Hall in an Oct. 18 exhibition at Madison Square Garden

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

That first half

Rutgers went into the break leading 46-28 after a stunning display of spacing, ball-sharing and hustle. The starting backcourt of Tariq Francis and Lino Mark torched St. John’s guards – including seasoned foreign pro Quinn Ellis – over the first 20 minutes.

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Yes, it’s an exhibition and the momentum didn’t continue after the break, but this was a tantalizing glimpse into this group’s potential.

Gurdak looks the part, again

Sophomore center Christian Gurdak (20 points, 15 rebounds, two assists) continued the eye-opening play he showed against Villanova. Before he wore down in the overtimes, the Virginia Tech transfer had his way with St. John’s frontcourt defenders, set textbook screens and ran a sharp pick-and-roll. He also rebounded aggressively against a much bigger frontcourt.

Gurdak did get gassed as the minutes piled up, especially on the defensive end. He won’t have to deal with a four-overtime contest again, but he could use some help inside, for sure.

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Mark given the keys

Rutgers basketball guard Lino Mark reacts against St. John’s an Oct. 18…

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Publish date : 2026-10-18 19:17:00

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