WBB Hosts MEAC Champion Savannah State on Sunday
Dec 12 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers women's basketball team is halfway through its current five-game homestand as it hosts MEAC Champions, Savannah State, on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the RAC.
| Game Eleven: Rutgers (7-3, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Savannah State (2-4, 0-0 MEAC) | |
| Date | Sunday, Dec. 13 |
| Time | 4:00 p.m. EST |
| Location | The RAC | Piscataway, N.J. |
| Video | BTN Plus (Lou Brogno & Cathy Andruzzi) |
| Radio | Rutgers IMG Radio Network - WCTC 1450 AM (Ralph Bednarczyk & Mark Peterson) WRSU 88.7 FM (Andrew Fafalios & Lea Ginefra) |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Rutgers | Savannah State |
| Conference Game Notes | Big Ten | MEAC |
| Statistics | Rutgers | Savannah State |
| Tickets | ScarletKnights.com/Tickets |
| Promotions | Scout Day $2 Dollar Drinks First 50 Fans Receive Pretzel Voucher |
HALFWAY THROUGH HOMESTAND
The Scarlet Knights, winners in six of their last seven contests and on a three-game home win streak, enter Sunday's competition at 7-3 overall.
RU is coming off a 58-33 victory over Iona on Wednesday night that saw junior guard Tyler Scaife add in 20 points and senior center Rachel Hollivay move into third place all-time on the Rutgers Blocks Leaders List by swatting away six Gael shot attempts.
Additionally, the Scarlet Knights continued to showcase its three-point shooting starting off Wednesday's game going 6-of-6 from beyond the arc and finishing at 7-of-11 from three point range.
Following Sunday afternoon's matchup, RU will have two games left in the current homestand. RU takes a break for finals before hosting LSU in the nonconference finale on BTN Saturday, Dec. 19 and meeting Minnesota in the Big Ten opener on Thursday, Dec. 31.
WATCHING THE WATCH LISTS
Senior forward Kahleah Copper was one of 20 student-athletes from 16 schools to be named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Watch List and one of 50 named to the Naismith Trophy Early Season Watch List for National Player of the Year it was announced this week.
Last season, Copper was a Second Team All-Big Ten honoree by both the coaches and media having led the Scarlet Knights in scoring for the second consecutive season averaging 16.3 points per game. She ranked seventh in the Big Ten in scoring, posting 11 20-plus point scoring performances and reaching double-figure scoring in all but four contests a year ago. Over the final five games of the regular season, Copper poured in an average of 20.8 points per contest.
This season, Copper is currently averaging a team-leading 18.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game along with shooting 55.3 percent (64-of-120) from the field. She is a Preseason All-Big Ten honoree and was named the Paradise Jam's "Most Valuable Player" after guiding the Scarlet Knights to the Island Division Championship in St. Thomas over Thanksgiving weekend.
Copper was a Big Ten Player of the Week following a career-high 30 points and 10 rebounds performance in the 2015-16 season opener at St. Joseph's and earned a spot on the Big Ten Honor Roll after averaging 23.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and shooting 62.8 percent from the floor during RU's Paradise Jam Tournament run.
The watch list designation already adds to a long list of honors and awards achieved during her career. In addition to her preseason conference selections and MVP honor from the Paradise Jam this season, Copper was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team in her rookie campaign, while as a sophomore she was named the WNIT's Most Valuable Player and selected First Team All-American Athletic Conference.
ABOUT SAVANNAH STATE
Savannah State and Rutgers meet on the hardwood for the first time in history on Sunday afternoon. The Lady Tigers come to the RAC with a 2-4 overall mark.
In their last outing, Savannah State defeated Alabama State, 60-49, to snap a four-game losing streak. The Lady Tigers other victory this season was a season-opening 101-34 win over Columbia College.
Kenyata Hendrix is the lone Lady Tiger in double figures, averaging 12.2 points per game.
On the boards, Savannah State is led by Tiyonda Davis at 7.2 rebounds per contest.
Last season, the Lady Tigers ended the year at Division I program best 21-11 overall record and with a 13-3 MEAC mark. Earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Savannah State earned its first ever MEAC Championship with a 65-47 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Lady Tigers drew top-seeded South Carolina, falling to the Gamecocks in the first round, 81-48.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO
In the last two home games, RU opponents have averaged 36.5 points per game.
Iona netted just 33 points, while Arkansas was able to record 40 points, marking the fewest by a Scarlet Knight opponent since Davidson netted 35 in RU's 66-35 victory over the Wildcats on Dec. 4, 2013.
Against the Razorbacks, Rutgers shot 53.1 percent (26-of-49) from the field marking the fourth game this season connecting on 50 or better from the floor.
Conversely, The 25-point, 58-33 win over Iona, is RU's largest margin of victory this season. The previous high was 24 in a 75-51 win over Tulane at the Paradise Jam. Additionally, the Scarlet Knights' 29 first quarter points were the most by the team this season, surpassing the previous high of 25 netted against St. Joseph's in the season opener on Nov. 13.
FIRST QUARTER KEY
The first quarter has been the key to Rutgers victories this season.
In games won, the Scarlet Knights are outscoring the opposition, 225-172, in the first half of play, including a 121-77 advantage in the first quarter.
In games lost, the opponent leads RU, 100-68, in scoring in first half, including a 58-24 edge in first quarter scoring.
BLOCK PARTY
With her season-high six blocks last time out, Rachel Hollivay moved into third place all-time at Rutgers in rejections.
The senior Scarlet Knight has registered 43 games in her career with three or more blocks.
Hollivay ended her sophomore season with 127 rejections which ranks her third (men or women) in blocks in a single season. Only Hamady Ndiaye (2009-10) and Roy Hinson (1982-83) on the men's side have blocked more shots in a single season, swatting away 145 and 144, respectively.
Rutgers All-TimeBlocked Shots
1. Sue Wicks (1984-88) 293
2. Kia Vaughn (2005-09) 279
3. Rachel Hollivay (2012-present) 250
4. LaTonya Johnson (1988-92) 248
5. Tanya Hansen (1988-92) 245
LOOKING AT THE THREE
The members of the Scarlet Knights took working on three-pointers seriously over the summer.
Seven different Scarlet Knights have connected from beyond the arc led by Kahleah Copper with nine 3-point field goals made, followed by Tyler Scaife with eight and Shrita Parker with seven.
RU has hit at least one three-point field goal in each of its 10 games to date and is averaging 4.3 three point field goals a game.
Last season, RU ranked last in the Big Ten and was 343 of 348 Division I schools in three-point field goals per game.
In 2014-15, RU was 75-of-237 from three-point range and shot at a .316 clip from beyond the arc. The Scarlet Knights went without a made shot from downtown in four contests and connected on only one three-pointer in nine games, averaging 2.3 three-point field goals per game.
Rutgers has connected on five or more three-pointers in four of the season's first 10 games. Last year, the Scarlet Knights had five total games on their 33 game slate with five or more made three-point field goals.
UP NEXT
The Rutgers women's basketball team prepares for finals and hosts LSU in the nonconference finale on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. The game will air on BTN with Ed Cohen and Christy Winters Scott on the call.
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-RU-
