Ron Harper Jr. had 25 points and Myles Johnson added a career-high 17 as Rutgers ran past visiting New Jersey Institute of Technology 85-58 on Tuesday night in Piscataway, N.J.

Harper, a sophomore wing, was 12 of 16 from the field with seven rebounds. Johnson, a sophomore center, was 8 of 11 and added 11 rebounds and two blocks as the Scarlet Knights (5-1) improved to 5-0 at home this season.

Rutgers used an 18-4 run to end the first half, turning a tie score into a 36-22 lead at the break. NJIT made six of its first eight shots but went 3 of 18 the rest of the half, missing nine of its final 10 attempts.

Johnson and Harper did most of their scoring close to the basket, helping Rutgers to a 50-24 in points in the paint. The Scarlet Knights shot 58.3 percent overall.

The Highlanders (2-5) shot 35.7 percent for the game with leading scorer Zach Cooks unable to produce at the level he had coming in. The junior guard, who was averaging 25.5 points per game with 30-plus in his last two contests, had 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting.

Freshman forward Kjell de Graaf had 13 points and junior forward San Antonio Brinson added 11 for the Highlanders, who are 0-7 all-time against Rutgers. NJIT was seeking its first win over a Big Ten school since upsetting Michigan in 2014.

A win Friday at home against Massachusetts will give the Rutgers a 6-1 start for the third time in four seasons under coach Steve Pikiell.

--Field Level Media