Rutgers Edges Northwestern 77-75 in OT Comeback

PISCATAWAY, N.J. Tariq Francis erupted for 30 points off the bench, including seven straight in overtime, to lead Rutgers to a 77-75 comeback victory over Northwestern on Sunday night at Jersey Mike's Arena.

The Scarlet Knights, now 9-8 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten Conference, trailed for most of the game but outscored the Wildcats 11-5 over the final 4 minutes and 31 seconds of regulation to force overtime. In the extra period, Rutgers added a 10-8 edge to secure the win, marking their eighth victory in the last 10 meetings against Northwestern. The Wildcats fell to 8-8 overall and 0-5 in conference play, extending a skid to three straight losses and four defeats in their last five games.

Francis, a junior guard, shot 10 of 22 from the field with two 3-pointers and went 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. His jumper opened the overtime scoring, followed by a three-point play that gave Rutgers its largest lead at 74-69 with 2:01 remaining. He sealed the advantage with two free throws at 76-72 with 1:22 left. Northwestern's Nick Martinelli, who finished with a career-high 34 points and a season-high 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, responded by making the...