WBB Homestand Continues with Iona on Wednesday
Dec 08 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The homestand continues for Rutgers women's basketball as the Scarlet Knights meet the Iona Gaels on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Wednesday's contest is available on BTN Plus, as well as, the Rutgers IMG Radio Network and RU's student station WRSU.
| Game Ten: Rutgers (6-3, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Iona (3-5, 2-0 MAAC) | |
| Date | Wednesday, Dec. 9 |
| Time | 7:00 p.m. EST |
| Location | The RAC | Piscataway, N.J. |
| Video | BTN Plus (Lou Brogno & Julianne Viani) |
| Radio | Rutgers IMG Radio Network - WCTC 1450 AM (Ralph Bednarczyk & Mark Peterson) WRSU 88.7 FM (Lance Glinn & Julianne Roca) |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Rutgers | Iona |
| Conference Game Notes | Big Ten | MAAC |
| Statistics | Rutgers | Iona |
| Tickets | ScarletKnights.com/Tickets |
| Promotions | $1 Hot Dog/$2 Tickets |
HOMESTAND CONTINUES
The Rutgers women's basketball team started off its current five-game homestand in the win column with a 60-40 win over Arkansas on Sunday afternoon.
After the Razorbacks took a 5-0 lead to open play, the Scarlet Knights rattled off six unanswered points and employed a 12-2 run to take over the lead for good.
Junior guard Tyler Scaife collected a season-high tying 24 points, while senior Kahleah Copper added in 18 points. Classmate Rachel Hollivay contributed six points, six rebounds and four blocks.
The Scarlet Knights have won four of their last five contests, including taking home the `Island Division" title at the Paradise Jam over Thanksgiving Break. Their lone setback during this span was a 65-43 loss at No. 13/14 Florida State during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
At home, RU has won two straight with last Sunday's victory over the Razorback and a 61-51 win over Temple. Overall, the Scarlet Knights are 2-1 in front of the home crowd at the RAC.
ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE WATCH LIST
Senior forward Kahleah Copper was one of 20 student-athletes from 16 schools to be named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale 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 IONA
Iona comes to the RAC with a 3-5 overall record and has already entered conference play, sporting a 2-0 record in the MAAC.
The Gaels opened the season with four consecutive losses, but have since won three of their last four including MAAC wins over Fairfield (56-46) and Rider (59-46).
Two Gaels are averaging double figures led by Marina Lizarazu at 14.5 points per game. Joy Adams is Iona's second leading scorer at 13.3 points per contest to go along with a team-leading 10.8 rebounds per game.
Last season the Gaels ended the year at 15-15 overall and 12-8 in the MAAC.
LAST TIME VS. IONA
The Rutgers women's basketball team ended 2014-15 nonconference play with a 66-58 victory over Iona College on Dec. 20, 2014.
Syessence Davis earned the starting nod in place of the injured Betnijah Laney and nearly captured a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Kahleah Copper led the team with 19 points and Tyler Scaife 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.
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.
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 nonconference opponent last season.
Moving into the second half, Rutgers never lost the lead, but Iona would keep the game close.
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 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. 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.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO
Last time out, the Scarlet Knights downed Arkansas, 60-40. The Razorbacks' 40 points were the fewest by a Scarlet Knight opponent since Davidson netted 35 in RU's 66-35 victory over the Wildcats on Dec. 4, 2013.
Meanwhile, 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.
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, 188-148, in the first half of play, including a 92-67 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.
MOVING ON UP
While leading scorer Kahleah Copper was held to only nine points last Thursday night's loss to Florida State, the senior Scarlet Knight did manage to move up two more spots on the all-time scoring leaders list. Copper moved past Liz Hanson (1992-95) and Kathy Glutz (1976-80) into 12th on the list.
Copper currently has 1,438 career points and needs 19 more points to surpass Tasha Pointer (1997-01) for 11th all-time and 63 more points to crack the Scarlet Knight top 10.
FROM THE LINE
Junior Tyler Scaife has been clutch from the line missing just one free throw in her 29 attempts to date.
Scaife has gone perfect from the line in 23 contests in her three years "On The Banks".
HELPING HAND
Redshirt senior guard Briyona Canty registered five games with five or more assists this season and is currently averaging 4.3 assists per game.
She captured a season-high seven helpers in RU's 61-51 win over Temple on Nov. 22 and more recently vs. Arkansas in the 60-40 win on Sunday.
BLOCK PARTY
Rachel Hollivay checks in this week with 244 career blocks, ranking fifth all-time at Rutgers. She needs two more rejections to move past Tanya Hansen (1988-92) into fourth place.
The senior Scarlet Knight has registered 41 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-Time Blocked Shots
1. Sue Wicks (1984-88) 293
2. Kia Vaughn (2005-09) 279
3. LaTonya Johnson (1988-92) 248
4. Tanya Hansen (1988-92) 245
5. Rachel Hollivay (2012-present) 244
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.
Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 163-30 (.844) at the RAC. In this last five years, RU has put together a record of 66-14 (.823) at the RAC.
UP NEXT
The Rutgers women's basketball meets up with MEAC Champions, Savannah State, on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 4 p.m.
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-RU-
