What Goes Around - Rutgers 70 - Temple 68

A week before Christmas of 1982, the Rutgers men's basketball team was in Lexington, Kentucky to play in the University of Kentucky's annual holiday tournament.  Although out of fashion today, such events were long a staple of college basketball.  Typically four team affairs, these tournaments gave the host team an opportunity to play two additional home games while offering the visitors a trip and, in this case, the opportunity to take on one of college basketball's most storied programs.  Rutgers hopes were high for the 1982-83 season, the prior year Rutgers had won 20 games and made it to the second round of the NIT.  Thus far, nothing had happened to diminish those hopes, Rutgers was 5-0 with a win over archrival Princeton.  Hoping to play Kentucky in the championship game, the Scarlet Knights took on Tulane in the opener.  Down 54-53, freshman Chris Remley hit a shot with 2 seconds left that seemingly gave Rutgers the win and a matchup with the Wildcats.  It was not to be, however, Tulane's Paul Thompson took a full court pass and hit an 8 foot baseline jumper as the buzzer sounded.  Instead of the dream matchup, Rutgers was relegated to the consolation game to play conference rival Duquesne in a game that didn't count in the conference standings.

Daily Home News - January 30, 1983

Recovering quickly from the discouraging loss, Rutgers came back to win six of its next seven before a two game losing streak gave the Knights a 11-4 record.  Next up was a Saturday January 29th afternoon game against Temple at the historic Palestra.  The 1982-83 season marked two college basketball firsts.  It was the year conferences began experimenting with the three point shot and also the legendary John Cheney's first season as coach of the Temple Owls.  Cheney's initial campaign in north Philadelphia had been marred by injuries especially the loss of big man, Granger Hall, leaving the Owls a guard dominated team led by Jim McLaughlin and Terence Stansbury.  As a result Rutgers had a height advantage which the Knights immediately exploited, jumping out to a 11-2 lead in the first five minutes.  However turnover problems (13 in the first half) and the shooting of the Temple's guards quickly cut into the lead.  At the end of 20 minutes, Rutgers led only 35-33 in spite of shooting 50% from the floor and enjoying a 24-10 rebounding advantage.  After the break, the Owls quickly caught up and took the lead with just under 18 minutes left in the second half, an advantage they would hold for the next 12 minutes.

Philadelphia Inquirer - January 30, 1983

Temple led 62-54 with just under 8 minutes left with Rutgers big men Roy Hinson and Clarence Tillman both on the bench with four fouls.  Rutgers was far from done, however, Kevin Black began the comeback with a finger roll and a  foul shot to cut the margin to five.  Back in the game, even with four fouls, Tillman forced a turnover and then hit a three pointer as the shot clock was winding down.  It was now a one possession game and after Temple again came up empty, Black hit two more foul shots to tie the game at 62-62 with 4:30 left.  Temple broke their scoreless streak with a foul shot, but Rick Brunson's jump shot gave Rutgers a one point lead, its first advantage since early in the half.  Temple responded when McLoughlin hit a three pointer of his own and the Owls led 66-64.  With just 1:43 left, Roy Hinson was fouled and made both to again tie the game.  On Temple's next possession, Brian Ellerbe deflected the ball to Brunson who hit another clutch shot to again put Rutgers up by two 68-66.  Down two with just over a minute to play, Temple knotted the game once more on a Kevin Clifton jump shot.

Camden Courier Post - January 30, 1983

Holding the ball for the last shot, Rutgers took timeout with 23 seconds left.  Coach Tom Young drew up a play to go inside to Roy Hinson and exploit the Knights height advantage, but it wasn't there.  With time running down, Brunson passed to Ellerbe who was the second option on the play.  Shooting from a point the Philadelphia Inquirer called near the NBA 23' 9" line, Ellerbe drained a shot which according to the paper "everyone but the officials thought was a three pointer."  In spite of a long protest by Coach Young, the lack of instant replay made it impossible to check whether Rutgers was up three or two.  In the end it didn't matter even though just like the Tulane game, there were two seconds left on the clock.  This time a long pass went out of bounds, Rutgers had a buzzer beating win and Brian Ellerbee had the first winning basket of his career at any level.  

Brian Ellerbe 

The win marked the beginning of a nine game winning streak that put Rutgers in a good position for the post season.  Ironically, in a rematch with Temple in the semi-finals of the Atlantic Ten tournament, the Owls got a revenge victory.  It wasn't enough, however to mar the Knights season which was rewarded with an NCAA bid and an opening round matchup against South Western Louisiana.  Rutgers defeated the Raging Cajuns, the Scarlet Knights last NCAA victory, before falling to St. John's in the second round.  Brian Ellerbe went on to a long college coaching career including being the first African-American coach at Loyola University of Maryland and the University of Michigan.  Brian holds the Rutgers and Madison Square Garden records for assists in a game, 16 against North Carolina State on December 27, 1984.  The 1982-83 team finished the season with a 23-8 record, the 23 victories put them third in total wins behind the 1976 (31) and the 1978 teams (24).  It is a team and a season to be remembered.