Rutgers men’s basketball team was unable to complete a comeback against Notre Dame, losing 68–63 in their opening game at the Player’s Era Tournament held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning.
The Scarlet Knights, now with a 4–3 record, managed to outscore Notre Dame 39–32 in the second half and reduced a 19-point deficit to just five points in the final minute. However, Notre Dame maintained its lead, led by sophomore guard Markus Burton who recorded 21 points, six assists, four steals, and six rebounds.
In the first half, Rutgers struggled offensively, making only 9 of 22 shots (40.9 percent) and committing 14 turnovers. Notre Dame took advantage by scoring 18 points in the paint and adding seven second-chance points to secure a 36–24 halftime lead.
After halftime, Jamichael Davis led Rutgers’ resurgence with a career-high 21 points and made five of seven three-point attempts. Tariq Francis contributed ten points—eight of which came in the second half—and freshman Dylan Grant added 15 points along with seven rebounds.
Rutgers hit a total of eleven three-pointers during the game. Davis made four while Grant added three. This shooting helped Rutgers narrow the gap to within four points at 56–60 with less than six minutes left on the clock. Despite this effort, Burton responded for Notre Dame with several late drives, and their defense prevented Rutgers from scoring on key possessions down the stretch.
Notre Dame finished with a field goal percentage of 49.1 percent and dominated inside play with a 36–16 advantage in paint points. They also collected thirteen second-chance points throughout the game.
Rutgers ended the contest shooting at 39.2 percent but managed sixteen second-chance points as part of their improved tempo during their attempted comeback.
