NEW YORK – Senior forward Phil Barnes finished with 19 points and 17 rebounds as Rutgers-Newark held off Hunter, 87-83, in the season opener for each squad. 

Rutgers-Newark 87, Hunter 83

After a pair of free throws by senior guard James Johnson staked the Scarlet Raiders to an 83-76 lead with just 1:08 remaining in the tight battle, the Hawks got back-to back jumpers from freshman guard Izzy Hoffman and junior guard Rocco Rubino to turn the finish into a nail biter. 

Johnson connected on a pair of free throws with nine seconds left to push the Rutgers-Newark lead to 85-80, but Rubino answered with his fourth 3-point field goal of the evening – in four tries – to make it a 2-point game. 

Rubino, who poured in a game-high 29 points, was forced to foul Raider senior guard Tim Smith immediately following his final field goal with just three seconds left. Smith, who finished with a dozen points and six rebounds, knocked down both free throws to ice the win. 

Johnson finished with 15 points and four rebounds while senior forward Deshawn Singleton tallied 15 points and six rebounds. 

Junior forward Maxwell Dubois had 18 points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Hawks while Hoffman distributed a game-high seven assists. 

Rutgers-Newark (1-0) takes on Randolph Macon in the opening round of the Rinso Marquette Tournament at Lebanon Valley College on Saturday at 6 p.m.