WBB Closes Out Nonconference Play With LSU
Dec 17 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers women's basketball team's nonconference schedule comes to a close on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. when the Scarlet Knights host LSU on BTN. The first 500 fans will receive a Rutgers ugly sweater holiday t-shirt.
| Game Twelve: Rutgers (8-3, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. LSU (6-4, 0-0 SEC) | |
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 19 |
| Time | 2:00 p.m. EST |
| Location | The RAC | Piscataway, N.J. |
| TV | BTN (Ed Cohen & Christy Winters-Scott) |
| Radio | Rutgers IMG Radio Network - WCTC 1450 AM (Ralph Bednarczyk & Mark Peterson) WRSU 88.7 FM (Dylan Mackinnon & Dominick Savino) |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Rutgers | LSU |
| Conference Game Notes | Big Ten | SEC |
| Statistics | Rutgers | LSU |
| Tickets | ScarletKnights.com/Tickets |
| Promotions | Rutgers Ugly Sweater Hoiday T-Shirt - First 500 Fans Bucks County Bungee Jumpers |
CLOSING OUT NONCONFERENCE
The Rutgers women's basketball team hosts LSU in the fourth game of a five-game homestand and will serve as the Scarlet Knights nonconference final. Rutgers ugly holiday sweater t-shirts will be given out to the first 500 fans.
The Scarlet Knights enter Saturday's game with the Tigers at 8-3 overall and have won seven of their last eight game. RU is currently on a three-game win streak and has won its last four home contests.
RU is coming off a 65-26 victory over MEAC champions, Savannah State, last Sunday afternoon.
Tyler Scaife poured in 20 points, her third straight game with 20 or more points in a game. Kahleah Copper, meanwhile collected her third double-double of the year with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Following Saturday's contest, the Scarlet Knights will break for the holidays and return to the RAC to open Big Ten play with Minnesota on Thursday, Dec. 31 at 1 p.m.
ABOUT LSU
LSU and Rutgers meet for the third straight season and for the first time in Piscataway since 2007.
The Tigers enter Saturday's contest at 6-4 overall and have won two-straight including a 86-36 victory over Texas Southern and a 68-50 win over UC Santa Barbara.
Both schools have faced Tulane. LSU fell 67-63 to the Green Wave prior to Tulane making the trip to St. Thomas for the Paradise Jam. Meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights emerged victorious over the Green Wave in the following game, 75-51, kicking off its Paradise Jam Tournament title run.
On the stat sheet, three Tigers are pouring in double figures led by Jenna Deemer at 11.8 points per game. Raigyne Moncrief is added in 10.3 and a team-second best 7.0 rebounds per game. Alexis Hyder is scoring 10.0 points per game while hauling in a team-leading 7.9 boards per contest.
Last season, LSU finished with a 17-14 overall mark and 10-6 SEC record. The Tigers reached the semifinals of the SEC Tournament and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they fell, 73-64, to USF in the first round.
LAST TIME VS. LSU
After 15 lead changes and eight ties, No. 22/24 Rutgers was able to use a run midway through the second half to grab its first road victory of the 2014-15 season with a 64-57 win over LSU on November 22, 2014.
Leading by four, 52-48, with 6:41 remaining, the Scarlet Knights took off on a 9-0 run to keep the game out of reach for the host Tigers. LSU would not draw closer than seven the rest of the way. A total of four Scarlet Knights finished the game with double figure scoring, as Tyler Scaife paced the unit with 16 points. Betnijah Laney poured in her third-straight double with 10 points and a then-career high 16 rebounds. Backed by a 5-of-5 shooting performance from the charity stripe, Rachel Hollivay followed with 13 points as did Briyona Canty from off the bench.
After a back-and-fourth battle on the floor, the Scarlet Knights ended the first half on a 6-0 run to go into the locker room up 32-27.
For nearly an eight-minute span, neither team was able to go ahead more than a point, until 1:35 left before the intermission when Hollivay knocked two down at the free throw line, giving RU the lead at 28-27. She then secured a layup, followed by a put-back from Syessence Davis in the final seconds to give Rutgers a five-point advantage at the half.
The Tigers took a brief lead early, outscoring the Scarlet Knights 6-2 to kick off the second half. Anne Jones capped the run to give her LSU squad a 35-34 lead with 16:37 to go.
On the next trip down the court, Canty knocked down a pair of free throw to give RU the lead for good.
The Scarlet Knights extended that lead to as many as seven, 50-43, with 8:52 remaining, however the Tigers managed to close the gap. LSU pulled to within four, two minutes later off a Jenna Deemer free throw and layup by Akilah Bethel.
Ahead, 52-48, Hollivay kicked off the 9-0 run muscling inside for two of 38 paint points for the Scarlet Knights.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO
In the last three home games, RU opponents have averaged 33.0 points per game. Additionally during the last three games, RU has won by a margin of 28.0 points.
Savannah State netted only 26 points last Sunday, the fewest allowed by a Big Ten school this season, and was RU's lowest scoring opponent since Farmingdale State in an 85-25 Scarlet Knight victory on Feb. 11, 2009.
RU raced out to a 21-2 advantage at the half against Savannah State, marking the fewest points scored in a quarter by an opponent this season.
Prior to Sunday's contest with the Lady Tigers, 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.
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, 262--179, in the first half of play, including a 142-79 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 against Iona on Dec. 9, Rachel Hollivay moved into third place all-time at Rutgers in rejections.
The senior Scarlet Knight leads the Big Ten with 30 rejections and ranks fifth among all Division I players. She 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.
Blocked 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
MOVING ON UP
Senior Kahleah Copper continues to move up the all-time scoring leaders list. With her 19 points against Savannah State on Sunday, Copper surpassed Tasha Pointer (1997-02) into 11th on the all-time list.
Copper currently has 1,466 career points and needs 35 more points to crack the Scarlet Knight top 10.
FROM THE LINE
Junior Tyler Scaife has been clutch from the line missing just three free throws in her 37 attempts to date. She currently leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally in free throw percentage, shooting at a .919 percent clip.
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 setbacks against the nation's top 25 and are 4-1 this season.
Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 165-30 (.844) at the RAC. In this last five years, RU has put together a record of 68-14 (.823) at the RAC.
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-RU-
