PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Caleb Spencer scored 15 points, Clifford Omoruyi had 14 points and nine rebounds and Rutgers defeated Wake Forest 81-57 on Saturday.
Caleb McConnell added 13 points, Paul Mulcahy had 10 points and seven assists and Aundre Hyatt also scored 10 points for the Scarlet Knights (7-4), who shot a season-high 58%. Their nationally-ranked top-five scoring defense held Wake Forest (8-4) to its lowest total of the season.
Damari Monsanto hit 6 of 12 3-point attempts and led the Demon Deacons with a season-high 22 points. Cameron Hildreth added 13 points and Tyree Appleby, the ACC scoring leader at 18.7 coming in, had 10.
Rutgers lost it previous two games to Ohio State and Seton Hall by a combined three points but took control early and never trailed in this one, leading by 10 at halftime and maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the second half. They forced a season-high 22 turnovers — 14 off steals — that turned into 26 points and outscored the Deacons in the paint 44-16.
Rutgers pushed a 10-point halftime lead out to 20 when it opened the second half on a 12-2 run, including consecutive 3-pointers by Spencer. Three-pointers by Hildreth, Monsanto and Daivien Williamson helped cut Wake Forest’s deficit to 10. The Scarlet Knights put the game away with an 11-0 run that left them up by 23 with 6:21 remaining.
In the first half, Rutgers used a 17-6 run with seven points from Omoruyi to take a 17-point lead before Appleby scored four straight points and Andrew Carr added a 3-pointer to get Wake Forest back within 44-33 at halftime.
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