Harper’s Heroics Guide Rutgers in OT Thriller

Dylan Harper came to Rutgers with great expectations. One of the top recruits in the country, Harper, along with teammate Ace Bailey are expected to forgo the final three years of college eligibility and hit the NBA draft this summer. Both are expected to be taken within the first three to four picks of the draft.

On Sunday, Harper showed why so many scouts love his skillset. In what could very well be his final game at Jersey Mike's Arena in a Rutgers uniform, Harper put on a show, scoring 22 points in leading Rutgers to an important 75-67 victory over Minnesota in the final game of the season.

Rutgers, went from a team teetering on the brink of not making the Big Ten Tournament to now slotted as the 11th seed. They will face USC on Wednesday night in Indianapolis.

"That's what he does. He called a couple of those plays himself; so I kinda like it when he's that engaged. It's good to have a guy like that to get some points," Head Coach Steve Pikiell said of Harper afterward.

A microcosm of the entire season, Sunday's game against Minnesota wasn't easy. Both teams were deadlocked for much of the afternoon, trading small leads. Rutgers did carry an eight point lead into the break thanks in major part to a 13-4 run late in the first half.

But, Minnesota stormed back to take a 47-46 lead with 10:51 to go in regulation by taking advantage of Rutgers defensive struggles inside the paint. The fans were even booing.

Still, when it mattered, Harper was there to make the big play happen and turned the jeers into cheers.

Three times in the late stages of a back-and-forth contest, Harper hit the go-ahead layup, including one that could have been the game-winner with 23 seconds to go in regulation before Minnesota's Dawson Garcia forced overtime on a layup of his own.

In OT, Harper accounted for six points, including the opening salvo of OT, when he drilled a bucket to make it 63-61.

Ace Bailey would follow with a layup of his own to push the Rutgers lead to four, 65-61. Rutgers would never trail again.

"I am happy for our seniors, and our fans who come out. We want some momentum going into our tournament. It's a good win," Pikiell added, while looking ahead to the next match-up. "USC is really talented. You have to play really good basketball against them; they are a talented, well coached team, and our defense has to travel."

This season has not lived up to expectations for Rutgers.

Many thought with the addition of Harper and Bailey, Rutgers would be a higher seed in this tournament, and a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Instead, the only way Rutgers makes it to the Tourney is if they win out this week in Indy.