PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Juwan Morgan had 24 points and eight rebounds and Robert Johnson scored 19 points to lead Indiana past Rutgers 65-43 on Monday night.
Indiana (13-12, 6-7 Big Ten) opened a 42-22 lead with 12½ minutes remaining after Josh Newkirk found Collin Hartman for a 3-pointer, causing Rutgers to call a timeout. Indiana would lead by as many 24.
Indiana jumped to a 5-0 lead before making it 11-2.
Rutgers was held to less than 10 points until 6:31 left in the first half, when Geo Baker hit a 3-pointer to make it 24-11. Indiana took a 26-16 lead into halftime.
Rutgers (12-14, 2-11) was led by Deshawn Freeman, who had 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals, as the Scarlet Knights shot 24.1 percent (13 of 54) from the field and tied their lowest scoring output of the season. Baker finished with 10 points.
BIG PICTURE
Indiana: The Hoosiers climb closer to .500 in the Big Ten as they try to move up in the standings. While first place is a three-team race, teams in the middle of the pack are jockeying for position in the Big Ten Tournament.
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights continue to struggle without Mike Williams (ankle) and Eugene Omoruyi (knee). Rutgers is now sitting in the basement of the Big Ten standings. The Scarlet Knights have lost six in a row and eight of their last nine.
