How Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey played in Rutgers' win over Nebraska

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The Rutger’s basketball team squeaked by Nebraska in a tough Big Ten Conference showdown on Thursday night in Lincoln. Rutgers went into halftime with a three-point lead and managed to escape with an 85-82 victory. Once again, Rutgers stars Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey led the way as the two freshmen continued to flex their NBA Draft stock.

On Thursday night, the dynamic duo combined for 45 of Rutgers’ 85 points as the Scarlet Knights earned their second straight victory after three straight losses prior to that.

Here’s a brief rundown of how Harper and Bailey played in the victory just a couple of days after Rutgers’ big win over UCLA.

Ace Bailey Double-Double 

Ace Bailet Stat Line: 24 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 8-of-16 from the field, 4 three-pointers

As you can see, Bailey once again filled up the stat sheet from top to bottom. He led Rutgers in scoring with 24 points, and he also led the team in minutes with 36. Bailey hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left to extend the Rutgers lead to four, and he then dished out an assist to Dylan Grant in the closing seconds to seal the deal in what was then a one-point game.

It was the sixth career double-double for Bailey, and his second straight after scoring 20 points with 10 rebounds against UCLA in the win on Monday night.

24 PTS
11 REBS
4 AST

Ace Bailey logged his 6⃣th career double-double in @RutgersMBB's win against Nebraska

Don't miss the star freshman's highlights #B1GMBBallpic.twitter.com/MNLFMr4DEL

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 17, 2025

Bailey’s season totals are now up to 19.3 PPG, 7.9 rebounds, and a 46 percent clip from the field.

Dylan Harper exceeds the 20-point mark for Rutgers

Dylan Harper Stat Line: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 8-of-17 from the field, 3 three-pointers

Dylan Harper missed the January 2 contest against Indiana and then played just 15 minutes against Wisconsin on January 6 in a scoreless effort for the freshman as he battled an illness. Against Purdue on January 9, Harper scored just six points, so it was only a matter of time before he got things going again.

Against UCLA, Harper scored 18 points, and he finally scored 20 or more on Thursday night. The last time he crossed the 20-point threshold was on December 21 against Princeton, so it is a positive sign for Harper after his illness.

Harper made some impressive drives to the basket in this game, showcasing his talent once again in a tough Big Ten clash.

Freshman Dylan Harper against Nebraska tonight:

21 PTS
8-17 FG
5 REB
4 AST pic.twitter.com/0lXdociFcZ

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) January 17, 2025

On the year, Harper is above Bailey in PPG (20.1), and he also averages 5.2 rebounds with 4.4 assists on a 49.6 clip from the field. It was a strong game from Harper, and the Rutgers duo continues to play well as they try to get the Scarlet Knights back on track.

Next Up: Rutgers at Penn State, January 20

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