PISCATAWAY —— Rutgers faced its first real test of the season in the form of Florida State. The Scarlet Knights failed as far as the score went — 78-72 in the Seminoles’ favor — but there were encouraging signs as they head into the start of Big Ten play.
The contest began as a back-and-forth affair for the first 25 minutes of play before Florida State pulled off a 12-1 run and took an eight-point lead, the largest of the game, with 11:06 to play.
Despite its two freshman starters Geo Baker and Mamadou Doucoure being in foul trouble and their best player on the night Deshawn Freeman picking up an injury which held him out for a three-minute stretch late in the half, Rutgers kept tight on its visitors.