Junior forward Deshawn Freeman scored 17 points and added seven rebounds as Rutgers held off Howard 82-70 on Sunday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J.

Howard (0-2) was able to cut the deficit to 60-54 with just over five minutes remaining, however Rutgers (2-0) quickly scored eight unanswered points to take a 68-54 lead and put the game out of reach.

For the Scarlet Knights, Freeman was helped by 15 points and five assists from freshman guard Corey Sanders, as well as 13 points and eight rebounds from sophomore forward D.J. Foreman. The Bison were paced by a game-high 21 points from junior guard James Daniel.

The Knights and Bison played a back-and-forth first half before Rutgers used a 8-1 run before halftime to take a 35-27 lead at the break. Rutgers forced Howard to commit 17 first-half fouls en route to converting on 15 of 23 free throws in the opening frame.

Four Knights finished with at least six rebounds in the contest, which led to a 42-31 rebounding margin in favor of Rutgers.

Rutgers will hit the road for the first time this season on Thursday when the Scarlet Knights travel to St. John's. Howard will return home on Friday night, as the Bison will host Division-III's Medgar Evans.