The Big Ten only had one game on New Year’s Day, but it ended well for the league as Rutgers scored another key win. The Scarlet Knights continue to build momentum heading into the restart of conference play.

Let’s take a look at what happened.

Game of the Night:

-Rutgers Scarlet Knights 79, Central Connecticut Blue Devils 48

This game was rescheduled as part of the COVID-19 issues over the last few weeks, but still held some importance for the Scarlet Knights as the team hoped to end its non-conference schedule with a statement win. Fortunately for fans, that’s exactly what Rutgers ended up doing, cruising to a 79-48 win over the Blue Devils. Cliff Omoruyi led the way with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Unfortunately, a win over Central Connecticut won’t move the needle too much. The Blue Devils are one of the worst teams in the country and Rutgers made them look like it. Still, it is nice to do as expected, scoring an easy win against a bad team.

With the win, Rutgers improved to 7-5 overall heading into the restart of conference play. The Scarlet Knights will now prepare for an intriguing matchup against Michigan at home on Tuesday night. Both teams are in relatively similar positions: underachieving non-con performances, but enough spark to maintain optimism. Rutgers has the win over Purdue, while Michigan has an immensely talented roster with a ton of upside. It figures to be an intriguing matchup.