{
  "id": 18617984,
  "title": "Rutgers beats New Haven 81-54 for acting head coach Brandin Knight's 1st victory",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/rutgers-beats-new-haven-81-54-for-acting-head-coach-brandin-knights",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-07T02:11:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rutgers-beats-haven-81-54-021150338.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Rasheed Jones and Tariq Francis each netted 14 points apiece, leading Rutgers to an emphatic 81-54 triumph over New Haven on Friday night. This marked Knight's inaugural victory as the acting head coach. Jones hit his initial four long-range shots and the Scarlet Knights registered a 39% success rate from beyond the arc, culminating in a 67-37 halftime lead courtesy of Jones' fourth 3-pointer. Francis' 3-pointer sealed a 10-0 surge in the second half, extending Rutgers' lead to a stunning 51-25, as New Haven faced a three-minute stretch without a field goal. Jamichael Davis chipped in with 13 points, while Christian Gurdak added 12. Francis, who averaged 17.0 points the previous season, tallied 578 points overall, the highest total by a Scarlet Knight since Quincy Douby in 2005-06. Teshaun Steele and Zoumana Traore each chipped in 15 points for New Haven (1-1), which is completing its second season in Division I and the NEC, alongside its second year of transitioning from Division II. Aidan Losiewicz contributed 10 points. The Chargers commenced their season with a 74-58 defeat to Syracuse, marking Gerry McNamara's first outing as Orange head coach. Upcoming New Haven faces Army on Tuesday. Rutgers, meanwhile, hosts NJIT on the same day.",
  "summary": "(AP) — Rasheed Jones and Tariq Francis each scored 14 points, and Rutgers opened its season with an 81-54 victory over New Haven on Friday night to give acting head coach Brandin Knight his first victory.Jones made his first four 3-point attempts and Rutgers finished 9 of 23 (39%) from distance in Knight’s first official game in place of head coach Steve Pikiell, who is receiving cancer treatment.",
  "key_points": [
    "Rutgers defeats New Haven 81-54, Brandin Knight's first win as acting coach",
    "Rasheed Jones and Tariq Francis score 14 points each for Scarlet Knights",
    "Jones hits first four long-range shots, leading to 39% three-point accuracy"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The decisive victory provides Brandin Knight with immediate momentum in his new role while highlighting the offensive efficiency of a Scarlet Knights squad led by high-scoring perimeter shooting.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}