Dylan Harper stats tonight: How did the Rutgers star fare vs Seton Hall (Dec. 14)
Dylan Harper continued to build on his NBA draft stock, scoring 24 points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that propelled Rutgers to a 66-63 victory over Seton Hall in the Garden State Hardwood Classic on Saturday at the Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Harper, the No. 3-ranked freshman in the Class of 2024, shot 8 of 13 from the field, including 4 of 7 from long distance, and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line to lift the Scarlet Knights to a big win over the Pirates and improve to 7-4.
The son of former NBA player Ron Harper Sr bucked a slow start to score 18 of his points in the second half. After tallying six points in the first half, the 6-foot-6 guard scored nine in Rutgers' 20-6 surge that towed the Scarlet Knights to a 51-47 advantage with 8:26 remaining.
Harper would continue his heroics in crucial moments of the game, making two free throws, a layup and a jumper that kept Rutgers in the lead 63-59 wth 51 seconds left. The Scarlet Knights, however, allowed Seton Hall to tie the game as they misfired on four free throw attempts — two from Harper and two from fellow five-star freshman Ace Bailey — down the stretch.
Isaiah Coleman's two free throws with six seconds left tied the game at 63 apiece, setting up the wild finish. In the ensuing play, Harper took the inbounds pass, dribbled up the floor and buried the game-winning 3-pointer before the final buzzer sounded.
Here are Dylan Harper's final stats in Rutgers' win over Seton Hall:
Scarlet Knights vs Pirates Game Recap: Harper, Bailey lift Rutgers in come-from-behind win over Seton Hall
The freshman duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey spared Rutgers from possible embarrassment, coming back from 10 points down to beat Seton Hall.
Bailey kept the Scarlet Knights within striking distance of the Pirates' lead, tallying 15 points in the first half before handing the cudgels to Harper, who scored 18 points in the second half, including the buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave Steve Pikiell's men their seventh win in 11 games.
Rutgers shot better from the field, making 53.5% of their attempts, including 53.8% from the 3-point line. Seton Hall had more shot attempts (56-43) compared to Rutgers but the Scarlet Knights were awarded more foul shots (28-13).
Unfortunately, Harper, Bailey and the rest of their teammates couldn't capitalize on the freebies, making 13 of 28. Worse, Seton Hall connected only 6 of 13 tries from the 15-foot line.
The Pirates had the advantage on the basic stats including rebounds (31-30), assists (13-7), steals (11-4) and blocks (4-1) but they couldn't put away the Scarlet Knights, allowing Harper to set up his endgame heroics.
Jordan Derkack scored nine points to help Harper and Bailey, who shot 9 of 15 and grabbed seven rebounds. Isaiah Coleman led Seton Hall with 15 points while Yacine Toumi added 10.
What can you say about Dylan Harper's buzzer-beating 3-pointer that handed Rutgers a come-from-behind win over Seton Hall? Let us know your views in the comments section below.