Rutherford backed up his maiden first-class century with a second, 118 off 120 balls, in the Plunket Shield clash in Hamilton yesterday.
But his personal success was offset by Otago's inability to convert a strong position into victory.
The Volts still put in a decent drawn effort, scoring 308 for five in their second innings to fall just four runs short of victory.
But at various stages of their chase, they needed 160 runs off 29 overs (10 wickets in hand), 102 off 17 (eight wickets) and 66 off 11 (seven wickets), and probably should have won from there.
Rutherford (22) became just the eighth Otago man to score two centuries in a first-class game. In a lovely touch, he managed the feat against the same opposition his father, Ken, scored twin tons against in 1985-86.
Rutherford smashed 13 fours and five sixes in his remarkable innings yesterday.
Otago needed 312 in 67 overs when it embarked on the tricky fourth-innings chase at Seddon Park.
Rutherford and Craig Cumming - who scored two centuries in a match against Canterbury last summer - put on 153 for the first wicket. Cumming played the anchor role, easing to 35 off 100 balls before lifting his strike rate.
He was first out for 54.
When Rutherford fell soon after, the Volts' chase might have faltered. But Jimmy Neesham, promoted in the order, cracked 45 off 39 balls to get things back on track.
Both Broom brothers failed, before Michael Bracewell (53 not out) and Sam Wells (27 not out) combined in a partnership, 52 off 47 balls, that was nearly good enough to win.
Northern had resumed its second innings on 70 for four, and managed to push on to 239 all out to set a competitive target.
The innings was built around Anton Devcich's 93, while Daniel Flynn added 47 to go with his first-innings century. Neil Wagner and James McMillan each finished with three wickets for Otago.
