Cam Spencer hit six three-pointers and finished with 23 points, both career highs, and Rutgers blew a late 10-point lead before closing the game with a 7-0 run to beat Northwestern 65-62 on Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
A three-pointer by Spencer gave Rutgers the lead with 14 seconds to go and the Scarlet Knights (12-5, 3-2 Big Ten) rebounded from a 78-65 loss at Iowa on Sunday which snapped a five-game win streak that included a 65-64 upset of then-No. 1 Purdue — in which Spencer also hit the go-ahead three.
Paul Mulcahy had 12 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block for the Scarlet Knights. Aundre Hyatt scored 10 points and Clifford Omoruyi added four points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Rutgers led by as many as 10 points in the second half and Mulcahy hit a three-pointer to give the Scarlet Knights a 52-43 lead with about 7 minutes to play. Chase Audige scored seven points in a 10-0 spurt by Northwestern (12-4, 3-2) that started a 20-5 run that gave the Wildcats a four-point lead when Julian Roper II hit a 3-pointer with 1:14 to play. Mulcahy answered with two free throws, Audige missed a jumper on the other end and Spencer hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 63-62 with 14 seconds left.
After a Wildcats turnover, Spencer was fouled and made both 1-and-1 free throws to cap the scoring with 5 seconds remaining and Audige missed a potential tying three at the buzzer.
Boo Buie had 13 points and seven assists and Ty Berry also scored 13 points for Northwestern. Audige added 12 points, three blocks and two steals.
Northwestern had been winners of seven of its last eight games, including a road win at No. 15 Indiana its last time out, but couldn’t overcome a swarming Scarlet Knights defense — which went in No. 6 nationally in opponents field-goal percentage (37.1%) — and its own poor shooting.
Northwestern shot 41% (21 of 41) from the field and 37% (10 of 27) from three-point range but made just 10 of 18 (56%) from the free-throw line.
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Rutgers returns home to take on Ohio State on Friday
Northwestern plays Michigan on Sunday in the first of back-to-back road games
