Steve Pikiell was in grade school the last time Rutgers was 12-3 at the midway point of a season. And the last time the Scarlet Knights won three of their first conference games it was when they were members of the Atlantic 10.

Rutgers continued its surge Tuesday night, rallying past No. 20 Penn State for a 72-61 triumph before a sold-out crowd that included Scarlet Knights football coach Greg Schiano, Major League Baseball player (and RU alum) Todd Frazier and Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman (and RU alum) Sebastian Joseph-Day.

The 12-3 start is the program’s best start since Rutgers’ 1975-76 undefeated season. Rutgers, which improved to 3-1 in Big Ten play, hasn’t been two games over .500 in conference play since its Big East days in 2002. The last time they began a league season 3-1 they were competing for an A-10 crown in 1994-95.

It also marks the best 15-game start to a season for Pikiell, the Scarlet Knights’ fourth-year coach who suddenly has Rutgers fans dreaming of the team’s first NCAA Tournament berth in 29 years.

““I didn’t think we were great today (but) figured out a way to win,'' Pikiell said. "We had some obstacles but kept plugging. It was a good win.''

Ron Harper Jr. led a balanced scoring effort with 22 points, hitting on five of his 10 shots from the field and draining all 12 of his free throw attempts. Jacob Young chipped in with 13 points off the bench while Myles Johnson tallied 10 points and five rebounds in Rutgers’ sixth straight win.

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The Scarlet Knights prevailed despite a sluggish start. They didn’t make their first field goal until the 12:26 mark of the first half, and fell behind by 10 with five minutes to go in the opening session.

Rutgers used a 10-3 run to climb back into it, and despite trailing for all but 54 seconds in the first half went into intermission with only a 33-28 deficit.

The Scarlet Knights wasted little time erasing that margin thanks to a 7-0 run to start the second half.

"I think we played Rutgers basketball in the second half,'' Pikiell said.

Thanks to 50-percent shooting and a stout defensive effort that forced four Penn State turnovers and a 35-percent shooting effort, Rutgers outscored the Nittany Lions 30-21 through the first 17 minutes of the second half.

Any chance for a Penn State rally was thwarted by a 14-1 run over a four-minute span late in the game.

Rutgers shot 52 percent and outscored Penn State 44-25 in the second half. The Scarlet Knights shot 41.4 percent for the game and outscored Penn State 42-20 in the paint.

"(Rutgers) did a great job in the second half — they had another gear for sure,'' Penn State coach Pat Chambers said. "They out played us. It was a difficult environment to play in.''

It marks the latest big win for a Rutgers team that has already pocketed quality victories over Wisconsin and Seton Hall during its winning streak. It’s why the Scarlet Knights entered the ninth week of the college basketball season listed in the NCAA Tournament field on several bracketologists.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and CBS’s Jerry Palm pegged the Scarlet Knights as one of the last four teams in while SB Nation listed Rutgers as a 7-seed.

"It’s good for you guys to write about that. I hope our guys don’t read it,'' Pikiell quipped. "A lot of season left. I do appreciate the excitement, the enthusiasm that people have. But it doesn’t help us win a game.''

An upset of a Penn State team that arrived on a five-game winning streak of its own will only bolster those NCAA chances. The Scarlet Knights will look to extend their winning streak to seven Saturday when they travel to face Illinois in Big Ten action.

"Guys are believing in each other,'' Pikiell said. "And I think our best basketball is ahead of us.''

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Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.