Rutgers Falls to St. John’s 104-99 in Quadruple Overtime Thriller
Scarlet Knights built a 46-28 halftime lead but were reeled in by the Red Storm, forcing four extra periods before losing at Madison Square Garden.
Rutgers men's basketball lost 104-99 to St. John's in a quadruple-overtime exhibition game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, 18 October 2026.
The result does not count toward the Scarlet Knights' regular-season record, but the near-upset of a highly rated St. John's side offered an encouraging sign of Rutgers' progress this offseason, according to Yahoo Sports.
Rutgers built a 46-28 halftime lead after shooting 57% from the field in the first half. However, St. John's erased most of the deficit with a 16-0 run lasting 5:40 early in the second half, cutting the lead to 48-44. Rutgers went nearly six minutes without a field goal during that stretch, undoing much of its first-half work.
St. John's took its first lead of the second half at 54-52 with 11:13 remaining in regulation. Darin Smith Jr. hit a three-pointer with 57 seconds left to tie the game at 69 and force overtime. Rutgers had a chance to win in regulation, but Darren Buchanan Jr.'s layup attempt rimmed out.
In the fourth overtime, Rutgers trailed 100-96 late, and Buchanan missed a shot that would have tied the game at 100 with 23 seconds remaining. St. John's closed out the 104-99 victory.
Balanced scoring and strong performances
Tariq Francis led Rutgers with 24 points and six rebounds. Centre Christian Gurdak posted a double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds. Lino Mark added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Buchanan finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. Six Scarlet Knights finished in double figures across 60 minutes of game time, providing multiple scoring options.
Francis scored 13 first-half points after making three of his first four field-goal attempts. Smith Jr. scored 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting, making just one of his first 10 attempts. Will Sydnor made his Rutgers debut at the 14:02 mark of the first half and played four minutes as he works back from injury.
Rutgers started Francis, Mark and Smith Jr. at guard, with Gurdak at centre and Buchanan at forward. The Scarlet Knights finished the first half ahead 20-18 in points in the paint, having earlier trailed 18-10 there.
What happens next
The game followed Rutgers' 77-75 exhibition loss to Villanova at Jersey Mike's Arena the previous Sunday, meaning the Scarlet Knights lost both exhibition games. St. John's was picked to finish second in the Big East in the annual coaches poll and is regarded as an NCAA Tournament team; last season the Red Storm won the Big East and reached the Sweet Sixteen before losing to top-seeded Duke.
Rutgers opens the 2026-27 regular season at home against New Haven at Jersey Mike's Arena on Friday, 6 November at 7 PM. No further exhibition games are scheduled.
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Sources and context
- Rutgers Falls to St. John’s 104-99 in Quadruple Overtime Thrilleryahoo.com
- Rutgers basketball falls short in a quadruple overtime loss at St. John's247sports.com
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.