WBB Looks To Bounce Back Against Temple
Nov 20 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers women's basketball team is looking to bounce back into the win column on Sunday afternoon against Temple at 2 p.m. The 500 fans to the RAC will receive a free schedule magnet.
| Game Four: Rutgers (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Temple (2-0, 0-0 American) | |
| Date | Sunday, Nov. 22 |
| Time | 2:00 p.m. EST |
| Location | The RAC | Piscataway, N.J. |
| Video | BTN Plus (Lou Brogno & Dick Lloyd) |
| Radio | Rutgers IMG Radio Network - WCTC 1450 AM (Ralph Bednarczyk & Mark Peterson) WRSU 88.7 FM (Vinny Caggiano & Mike Antosiewicz) |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Rutgers | Temple |
| Conference Game Notes | Big Ten | American Athletic Conference |
| Statistics | Rutgers | Temple |
| Tickets | ScarletKnights.com/Tickets |
| Promotions | Schedule Magnets to First 500 Fans/ Mutts Gone Nuts Halftime |
BOUNCING BACK
The Rutgers women's basketball team is looking to bounce back into the win column on Sunday afternoon against Temple. The Scarlet Knights have dropped two straight, including a 69-62 setback to St. John's on Thursday night in the 2015-16 home opener.
RU had three Scarlet Knights end the game in double figures on Thursday against the Red Storm, led by a 23-point effort by junior guard Tyler Scaife. Scaife was a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line.
Also in double figures on Thursday night were led by Kahleah Copper with 11 points and Briyona Canty who contributed 10.
On the boards, senior Ariel Butts hauled in 11 rebounds, including nine on the defensive glass.
FROM THE LINE
Junior Tyler Scaife went a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe on Thursday against St. John's and is currently 13-of-13 from the line through the season's first three games.
Believe it or not, Scaife's free throw performance against the Red Storm was not her career best. Scaife knocked down all 10 of her free throw attempts against Delaware in the first round of the WNIT back in 2014.
Including Thursday's contest, Scaife has gone perfect from the line in 19 contests.
As a team, RU shot 12-of-14 from the free throw line vs. St. John's hitting at a 85.7% clip.
ON THE GLASS
Senior Ariel Butts returned to the court to make her 2015-16 debut on Thursday to set a new career mark in rebounds. Butts hauled in 11 boards, including nine on the defense glass, to reset her previous benchmark of 10 set against Iowa last season in the Big Ten home opener.
Butts had missed the first two games of the season after a subluxation of the knee in the preseason made her a game day decision.
ABOUT TEMPLE
Former conference mates in both the Atlantic 10 and American Athletic Conference days, the Scarlet Knights and Owls meet up in nonconference play.
The Owls come to the RAC after recording victories in their first two games of the 2015-16 season. Temple picked up a 97-91 win over Florida at home to open up the year and is coming off a 77-48 victory at nearby La Salle.
Temple closed out last season at 20-17 overall and with a 12-6 American Athletic Conference record. The Owls reached the American Tournament Quarterfinals and advanced to the WNIT semifinals, falling to West Virginia, 66-58, in overtime.
Through the first two games of the season, the Owls boast two players averaging over 20 points a game. Feyonda Fitzgerald is pouring in 25.5 points per game, while Alliya Butts is dropping in 20.5 points per game. Also in double figures for the Owls are Tanaya Atkinson at 15.0 points per game and Erica Covile at 10.5 points per matchup.
LAST TIME VS. TEMPLE
No. 17/19 Rutgers dominated former Atlantic-10 and American Athletic Conference rival, Temple, in an 88-55 nonconference victory on December 10, 2014 at McGonigle Hall.
Kahleah Copper, a Philadelphia native, and Betnijah Laney each posted a game-high 20 points in the win. Rachel Hollivay poured in a season-high 14 points, with 10 registered in the second stanza. Tyler Scaife joined the double-figure scorers with 10 in the victory.
Temple was led by Tyonna Williams with 14 points. Twelve of Williams' points came from beyond the arc.
Williams knocked down three straight three-pointers to give the Owls a 9-6 lead over the Scarlet Knights early in the game. Rutgers moved in front, 12-11, until Temple's Williams drained another three to move her team ahead once again at 14-12 with 12:36 to go.
From there, however, Laney poured in eight straight points to start off an 18-3 run for RU. The run would span nearly six minutes as the Scarlet Knights held the Owls to a sole field goal and a free throw.
The Scarlet Knights finished the half shooting 60.6% from the field (20-of-33) to enter halftime with a 45-27 advantage.
Temple, meanwhile, connected on just 28 percent from the field (9-of-32) with five of their nine first half field goals coming from three-point range.
Rutgers' dominance continued as they led by over 20 points for nearly the entire second half. Midway through the stanza, RU had created a 73-44 lead as the team held at least a 23 point edge over Temple the rest of the way.
Syessence Davis drained a bucket to give the Scarlet Knights its largest lead of the night, 83-52, with 3:04 left to play.
At the 1:31 mark, Shrita Parker nailed the first three-pointer of her collegiate career to put RU up 86-54.
ALL-TIME RUTGERS WINNER
Head coach C. Vivian Stringer needs only two more wins to surpass Women's Basketball Hall of Famer, Theresa Grentz, as RU's all-time winningest women's basketball coach.
All-Time Rutgers WBB Coaching Records (By Wins)
Theresa Grentz - 434-150/ (1977-95) 19 seasons
C. Vivian Stringer - 433-218/(1995-present) 21 seasons
Ellen Johns - 6-5/(1974-75) One season
Dottie McCrea - 5-9/(1975-76) One season
PROTECTING HOMECOURT
The Scarlet Knights have had an outstanding track record of success at home. The Scarlet Knights went 11-4 at home in 2014-15, with all four setback against the nation's top 25.
Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 161-30 (.843) at the RAC. In this last five years, RU has put together a record of 63-14 (.808) at the RAC.
UP NEXT
The Rutgers women's basketball team travels to St. Thomas for the Paradise Jam and will face Tulane, Virginia and Green Bay.
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersWBB), Twitter (www.twitter.com/RutgersWBB) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/RutgersWBB) for all of the latest news and updates. Fans also receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on both social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.
-RU-
