Rutgers (3-1) shot out to an 11-0 run and never looked back, as Eastern (4-2) struggled to find open shots against a suffocating Scarlet Knights' defense. The Eagles came back in the second half and played even with the home team, each scoring 32 points, but the first half deficit was too much to overcome.
The Scarlet Knights built their first half lead thanks to the Eagles shooting just 2-for-25 from the floor while committing 13 turnovers. Though EMU was able to force Rutgers into 12 turnovers of their own, the Green and White was unable to capitalize on the offensive end.
Redshirt junior Boubacar Toure led all Eagles with seven points, while James Thompson IV put together six points and a game-high eight boards. In total, 10 Eagles scored on the night, with seniorIsaiah Green and redshirt senior Paul Jackson chipping in five points each.
Eastern was outscored by Rutgers in points off the bench (21 to 8) and second-chance points (10 to 6), while narrowly trailing in points in the paint (22 to 18). But the biggest disparity came in points off turnovers, as the Scarlet Knights ran by the Eagles, 23 to 6.
EMU rebounded from its tough first half from the floor to shoot 44.8 percent in the second half, but RU maintained a steady pace throughout the game, finishing with a 42.9 percent mark from the floor and a 41.9 percent tally from behind the three-point line.
The Eagles return to action in the Convocation Center Saturday, Nov. 24 when it welcomes the University of Detroit Mercy to Ypsilanti for a 2 p.m. contest.