Rutgers Women's Basketball Rolls Past Seton Hall, 69-47
Jan 12 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Four players scored in double figures to lead No. 5/5 Rutgers to a 69-47 triumph over state-rival Seton Hall in BIG EAST women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.
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Essence Carson was honored in a pre-game ceremony for scoring her 1,000th career point. (Tom Ciszek/NJSportsPhoto) |
Juniors Heather Zurich (Montvale, N.J.) and Kia Vaughn (Bronx, N.Y.) added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Vaughn added 12 rebounds to her line score. It marked the first time two RU players were credited with a double-double in a game since facing Arizona State in the 2007 NCAA Greensboro Regional Final on March 26. Vaughn and Prince were the same two that reached double-double status in that contest.
The Scarlet Knights (13-2, 3-0 BIG EAST), who led from the opening tip to the closing horn, stretched their win streak to eight games overall and registered their eighth consecutive victory at home. The win was the seventh straight over the Pirates (11-3, 2-1).
Rutgers commenced the contest on a shooting tear, connecting on four of its first five field goal attempts. A long field goal on the left baseline from Zurich capped a 9-0 start. A lay-up from Pirates guard Shantal Brown at the 12:50 mark would pull the visitors to within eight at the 14:33 mark.
The Scarlet Knights used an 11-0 surge over a four-minute span to take a commanding 23-4 advantage. Ajavon started the run with an old-fashioned three-point play and Prince topped it off with a triple with 10:17 still to go in the first. Over the same span, Seton Hall missed 10 straight shots. RU held Seton Hall to just 17 first half-points, the sixth time this season an opponent has registered 20 points or fewer in the first stanza.
In the second half, Seton Hall pulled to within 11 (47-36) on a jumper by Amber Harris with just under 10 minutes to play but could get no closer. Vaughn scored two buckets in the paint and Ajavon added a pair from the charity stripe to complete a 6-0 run and give RU a 53-36 with 7:57 remaining. Sophomore Myia McCurdy (Cincinnati, Ohio) tallied a pair of field goals, the second off a beautiful no-look pass from Ajavon, in the final two minutes as Rutgers rolled to the 69-47 win.
Rutgers shot 50.9 percent from the field, connecting on 27-of-53 attempts.
Prior to the contest, members of the team, coaches and support staff were presented with BIG EAST championship rings. In addition, senior Essence Carson was presented with a commemorative ball celebrating her 1,000 point scored versus Pepperdine on Jan. 2.
The Scarlet Knights hit the road this week, traveling to Washington, D.C. to face Georgetown on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES
With The Win'?
*Rutgers extends its home winning streak to eight games
*RU has won seven consecutive games over Seton Hall
*The Scarlet Knights remain unbeaten in BIG EAST play (one of only four undefeated team's in conference play)
Something Has to Give'?
Both teams entered today's contest riding seven-game winning streaks. With the win, Rutgers now owns an eight-game winning streak, topping its longest streak last year which was seven games.
RU Runs in the First Half'?
The Scarlet Knights used separate runs of 9-0 and 11-0 within the first 10 minutes of action to build an early advantage against the Pirates. In addition, the 9-0 run to start the game was RU's second largest spurt to start a game this season, only topped by a 10-0 lead against St. Joe's on Nov. 11.
Dominate D'?
Rutgers held Seton Hall to just 17 points on 7-31 shooting in the first half. The Pirates are now the sixth opponent this year that has scored less than 20 points in the first half against the Scarlet Knights.
Double-Doubles'?
Junior center Kia Vaughn and sophomore guard Epiphanny Prince each recorded double-doubles in the win. It marks the first time since March 26, 2007 that two RU players have registered double-doubles. Ironically enough it was the same two players that reached the feat with Vaughn tallying 17 points and 10 boards, and Prince posting 10 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Arizona State in the NCAA Tournament.
Four in Double Figures'?
For the first time this season, four Scarlet Knights scored 10 or more points. The last time this feat was accomplished was on Feb. 24, 2007, when Matee Ajavon, Essence Carson, Kia Vaughn, and Epiphanny Prince all reached the double figure mark in scoring. Prince scored 19 points and now has posted double figures in six-straight games. Ajavon's 21 points were a season-high.
Hot Shooting'?
For only the third time this season, the Scarlet Knights shot above 50% for the game. RU's 50.9% moves the Scarlet Knights to 3-0 on the year when reaching that shooting mark.
Zurich Reaches Season-High'?
Junior forward Heather Zurich scored a season-high 12 points in the victory. She was only one point off her career-high of 13 points.
Prince From Beyond the Arc'?
Epiphanny Prince, who is tied for first on the team with 17 three-point field goals on the season, went 2-4 from downtown against Seton Hall. The two three's moved her into 10th place on the RU all-time three-point shooting list.
Vaughn on the Boards'?
Kia Vaughn corralled a game-high 12 rebounds. It was the center's fifth double-digit rebounding effort of the season and 29th of her career.
