Dec. 20, 2014 Final Stats
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - The Rutgers women's basketball team ended nonconference play with a 66-58 victory over Iona College on Saturday afternoon at the Hynes Athletics Center. The Scarlet Knights will enter Big Ten action with a 9-2 overall record.
Syessence Davis (Neptune, N.J.) earned the starting nod in place of the injured Betnijah Laney (Clayton, Del.) and nearly captured a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Kahleah Copper (Philadelphia, Pa.) led the team with 19 points and Tyler Scaife (Little Rock, Ark.) rounded out the double-figure scorers posting 11 of her own in the win.
Iona was led by Damika Martinez, the nation's second leading scorer. Martinez was limited in the first half with three fouls and only five points, but finished with a game-high 22 points in the loss. Aaliyah Robinson poured in 11 points and Joy Adams posted 10 for the Gaels.
The Scarlet Knights started off the contest with nine unanswered points, holding the Gaels scoreless for nearly five minutes to start off action, before Martinez ended the Iona drought. RU continued to pull ahead as Cynthia Hernandez (Ventura, Calif.), coming off the bench, nailed a basket from beyond the arc to double RU's lead at 14-7 with 13:14 left in the half.
The Gaels used a 5-0 run during a two minute span to cut its deficit to 14-12. However, Rutgers would respond with eight uncontested points over the next six minutes to expand its lead to 22-12 with 8:04 left in the half. Iona's Joy Adams ended that run at the 5:43 mark, sending the teams into a neck-and-neck battle.
Copper gave Rutgers a seven-point cushion with 2:57 left in the half, 26-19, but the Gaels would make it a one-point ball game entering the intermission. Down the stretch Iona outscored the Scarlet Knights 8- 2 as RU hung on to a 28-27 halftime edge, the closest halftime margin with any opponent this season.
Moving into the second half, Rutgers never lost the lead, but Iona would keep the game close. Each time the Gaels would come within reach of passing the Scarlet Knights on the scoreboard, Rutgers would continue to punch back.
After opening the second stanza outscoring Iona, 7-2, and taking a six-point lead, the Gaels countered on a run of its own. Iona's Cassidee Ranger closed the gap on three as RU held onto a 36-34 lead with 14:28 to go.
Within two and half minutes though, the Scarlet Knights bumped its edge up to eight. Six of Rutgers next points came from the hands of Copper as RU went on an 8-2 run for a 44-36 lead with 12:02 left.
After a three-pointer by Shrita Parker (Va. Beach, Va.) gave the Scarlet Knights a 49-41 edge at the midway point, the Gaels countered again. Relying on three-pointers and free throws, Iona outscored Rutgers, 8-3, including five unanswered points, during the next three minutes. Marina Lizarazu cut the Gael deficit to 51-49, with just under seven minutes to play, but it would be closest Iona would get the rest of the afternoon.
RU struck back with a 6-0 run and led by as many as nine down the stretch.
Rutgers returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 28 as the Scarlet Knights open Big Ten play on the road at Indiana. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET.
KNIGHT NOTES:
- Starting line-up consisted of Rachel Hollivay, Kahleah Copper, Tyler Scaife, Briyona Canty and Syessence Davis. Davis got the start in place of Betnijah Laney who missed the game with a sprained thumb suffered in RU's contest with Tennessee.
- Rutgers improved to 5-0 on the road and ends nonconference play at 9-2.
- Davis nearly missed out on a triple double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. She recorded her first career double-double.
- RU's last triple double was by Khadijah Rushdan in 2011 with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Pittsburgh. Teammate Rachel Hollivay nearly captured a triple-double last season at Howard ending the 68-38 victory last Nov. 22 with 26 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocks.
- Davis became the third Scarlet Knight this season to perform a double-double joining Betnijah Laney (eight double-doubles) and Briyona Canty (one double-double).
- Davis also recorded five steals in the victory to move into eighth on RU's all-time steals leaders list with 220. She surpassed Regina Howard (1983-87) for the spot. She needs 38 more steals to move past Vicky Picott (1987-91) for seventh on the list.
- Rutgers was led in scoring by Kahleah Copper for the fourth time this season and 23rd time in her career. She finished with 19 points.
- Tyler Scaife ended the game with 11 points. She has reached double figure scoring in 10 of RU's game this season and 38 of her 48 Scarlet Knight appearances.
- Rachel Hollivay hauled in 10 rebounds for the second straight game to tie her season-high. She also had 10 boards against No. 11/13 Tennessee last Sunday. She has five double figure rebounding games in her career.
- Hollivay swatted away two Iona shots and now has 174 career rejections. She needs four more blocks to move into fifth on RU's all-time list past Monique Oliver (2009-13).
- Rutgers had 22 turnovers, including 14 miscues at the half. Conversely, Iona turned the ball over 21 times marking the eighth time in 11 games a Scarlet Knight opponent has had 20 or more turnovers. RU netted 23 points off of Gael miscues.
- The Scarlet Knight hit six three-point shots, the most since hitting seven shots from downtown against Louisville on Jan. 18, 2013. RU went 6-of-11 from three-point range with Davis and Cynthia Hernandez both connecting on a pair from long range.
- RU held a 32-27 advantage on the boards and has outrebounded its opponents in 10 of its 11 games.
- Rutgers entered the half with a 28-27, which was the closest margin of the season for the Scarlet Knights at the end of the first half. It was the smallest halftime lead for RU after carrying a three-point advantage over No. 11/13 Tennessee on Thursday, Dec. 4.
- RU has led its opponent at halftime in all 11 contests this season.
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