NEW YORK – It’s a new season for Rutgers basketball but the same mantra still applies for Rutgers basketball coach Steve Pikiell.

Defense, defense, defense.

The Scarlet Knights rode suffocating second-half defense to erase a 20-point deficit, but St. John’s prevailed in two overtimes 89-78 Saturday in a charity exhibition at a rocking Carnesecca Arena.

FIVE TAKEWAYS

1. Take exhibitions in stride

Resist the temptation to draw sweeping conclusions from an October exhibition. Coaches experiment in these settings, and they also hold stuff back.

For example: Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell was certainly experimenting with a starting lineup of Derek Simpson, Gavin Griffiths, Aundre Hyatt, Oskar Palmquist and Cliff Omoruyi. That unusual lineup had a lot to do with Rutgers falling into a 9-2 hole out of the gate, but Pikiell surely had his reasons.

Then, in the second half, the coach sent out four different starters along with Omoruyi. Even facing a big deficit, that’s something Pikiell never does.

Defensive stopper Mawot Mag (knee) did not play as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in February. Backup center Emmanuel Ogbole (knee) and reserve guard Jeremiah Williams (two-time transfer ineligibility) also sat.

For St. John’s, highly touted transfers Jordan Dingle (Penn) and RJ Luis (UMass) were sidelined by injuries, Dingle as a precaution for a shoulder tweak.

No need to risk anyone’s recovery process for a game that doesn’t count.

2. About the tempo

There has been considerable talk about Rutgers running and pressing as a staple this season, which is the way they’ve been practicing (and a stated desire by the players after an offseason influx of athleticism).

St. John’s, which opened the game pressing 94 feet, offered an acid test for that style. After falling into a 20-point hole, Rutgers rallied when the pace slowed down. That’s not to say up-tempo is out the window for the Scarlet Knights – few, if any, of their opponents this season will bring the kind of heat the Johnnies brought. And it’s clear that freshman guard Jamichael Davis (who looked right at home with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists) is built to thrive with a fast pace.

In the end, Rutgers was at its best when settling into its half-court defense, making St. John’s grind out long offensive possessions, and then striking quick on offense when the opportunity (often provided by heady defense) allowed.

St. John’s, meanwhile, took advantage of the brisk pace and the extra sessions thanks to superior depth. The Johnnies don’t lose a ton when going to the bench, and that’s without two key players. Rick Pitino has a lot to work with in his new home.

3. Omoruyi wins big-man battle

The featured matchup of Rutgers’ All-Big Ten center Cliff Omoruyi and St. John’s All-Big East center Joel Soriano was advantage Omoruyi. St. John’s consistently sent two men to double the 6-foot-11 senior, who still posted 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and grabbed 9 boards.

Defensively, Omoruyi altered numerous shots by Soriano and his teammates. He also stuffed Soriano cold at the rim in the final minute of regulation.

Offensively, the attention he consumed opened Rutgers’ 3-point shooters, and after starting 0-for-12 collectively, Griffiths broke the cold streak as his comfort level grew. That’s why you play games like this.

4. It comes down to defense

The tale of two halves was about defense.

When Rutgers “sat down and guarded people” in the half-court, as Pikiell likes to say, it was a different team. Simpson was the catalyst on that end, but Fernandes and Davis thrived, too.

St. John’s shot just 25 percent from the field in the second half, and all told Rutgers scored 19 points off of turnovers (compared to 14 by the Johnnies).

As for St. John’s, Rick Pitino clearly has put his imprint on this program. The Red Storm’s ball pressure is flat-out suffocating, and they have the depth to sustain it. Point guard Daniss Jenkins is a true floor general.

In the end it’s about getting stops in the half-court and that’s a work in progress, as you would expect in October.

No doubt this will be emphasized in both teams’ film room.

5. Love October basketball

The proliferation of charity exhibitions in college basketball, replacing one of the two traditional closed-door scrimmages, is good for the sport. Thousands of dollars were raised Saturday for the V Foundation’s pediatric cancer research arm – a cause launched by former Rutgers point guard Jim Valvano and championed by former Rutgers assistant-turned-TV-legend Dick Vitale.

The crowd of about 4,500 in 5,600-set Carnesecca Arena (at least 80 percent St. John’s fans) brought the juice for a no-stakes game. After an interminable offseason filled with mind-numbing news from the transfer portal, it was refreshing to see the ball bounce again.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at [email protected].