Final Regular Season Road Trip
Feb 25 | Women's Basketball
| Game Twenty-Eight: #20/18 Rutgersat #25/RV Northwestern | |
| Date | Thursday, February 26, 2015 |
| Time | 8:00ET |
| Location | Evanston, Ill.| Welsh-Ryan Arena |
| Tickets | Click To Purchase |
| Video | BTN Plus |
| Radio | Rutgers Student Radio - WRSU (88.7 FM) Matt Salavtore and Stephen Roca |
| Game Notes | Rutgers| Northwestern |
| Statistics | Rutgers| Northwestern |
| Social Media | @RutgersWBB | Facebook/RutgersWBB  |
TIP OFF
? The 2014 WNIT Champions are coming off a 60-50 loss at Michigan State on Sunday. The loss put the Scarlet Knights into a three-way tie for third place in the Big Ten. RU, Northwestern and Ohio State all sport identical 11-5 records.
? Rutgers was led by junior Kahleah Copper with 20 points and seven rebounds. Senior Betnijah Laney was the only other Scarlet Knight in double digits with 14 points. Laney also reached the 1,300 career point mark in the loss.
? Thursday's game marks the final regular season road game for Rutgers in its lone meeting with Northwestern. The Scarlet Knights are 10-3 away from the friendly confines of the RAC this year, but have dropped the last two road contests. RU fell 80-69 to No. 5 Maryland on Feb. 10 and dropped a 60-50 decision to Michigan State on Sunday.
? Rutgers will wrap up the regular season on Sunday, March 1 at 2 p.m. at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights will celebrate its senior student-athletes and managers in a Senior Day ceremony prior to tip. Scarlet Knights being honored included Betnijah Laney, Syessence Davis, Christa Evans and Alexis Burke. (Note: Burke will not know if she will be granted a hardship waiver for a sixth season until after the season).
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
The Wildcats join the Scarlet Knights in a three-way tie for third place in the Big Ten race as they sport a 21-6 overall record and 11-5 mark in league play.
Northwestern has won seven straight, including an 86-83 overtime win at Wisconsin on Sunday, and have not dropped a contest in the month of February. The Wildcats last loss came on Jan. 29 against Iowa in a 102-99 setback in Evanston.
Northwestern boasts four players averaging double figures led by Nia Coffey at 15.9 points along with a team-leading 9.0 rebounds per contest. Maggie Lyon averages 14.1 points per outing followed by Christen Inman at 10.9 points per game and Lauren Douglas at 10.3 points per matchup.
The Wildcats currently hold the second best scoring margin in the league (+11.1) behind Maryland (+20.8) and just ahead of Rutgers (+10.1). Additionally, Northwestern is holding opponents to 37.2 percent shooting from the floor ranking just behind the league leading Scarlet Knights in field goal defense at 36.1 percent. The Wildcats also league the Big Ten in steals (11.0) and turnover margin (+5.22).
Head coach Joe McKeown is in his seventh season at Northwestern and 29th season overall as a head coach. He won his 600th career game on Nov. 21.
BACK ON THE BENCH
The Rutgers women's basketball program welcomed back assistant coach Tasha Pointer from maternity leave this week. Coach Pointer gave birth to a baby girl - Anaiah - in late December. Betsy Yonkman, who filled in as assistant coach, will resume her duties as Assistant to the Head Coach.
WELCOME BACK TO THE B1G TIME
Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer is no stranger to the league. Stringer was at the helm of the Iowa Hawkeye program from 1983-95 and holds the record for most Big Ten victories in conference history with 180 wins in league play. She won 169 games while at Iowa and 10 at Rutgers.
ALL-TIME B1G WBB WINS
C. Vivian Stringer, IOWA (1983-95), RU (1995-present) - 180
Rene Portland, PSU (1980-07) - 176
Karen Langeland, MSU (1976-00) - 156
Lisa Bluder, IOWA (2000-Present) - 150
Jim Foster, OSU (2002-12) - 136
Don Perrelli, NU (1984-99) - 135
Nancy Darsch, OSU (1985-97) - 134
Lin Dunn, PUR (1987-96) - 120
Pam Borton, MINN (2002-14) - 104
Theresa Grentz, ILL (1995-07) - 101
Sharon Versyp, IND/PUR (2005-Present) - 100
ALL-TIME RUTGERS WINNER
Head coach C. Vivian Stringer won her 400th career victory "On The Banks" at Houston on Feb. 11, 2014. Stringer needs six 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 - 429-213/(1995-present) 20 seasons
Ellen Johns - 6-5/(1974-75) One season
Dottie McCrea - 5-9/(1975-76) One season
WATCH LIST
Senior Syessence Davis is among the 15 finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, recognizing the top point guard in the country, it was announced earlier this week.
Sophomore guard Tyler Scaife has been added to the Dawn Staley and Naismith Mid-Season Watch Lists. The Dawn Staley award is given to the most outstanding collegiate guard in the country and the Naismith Trophy is given annually by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club to the top collegiate player.
GETTING TO THE POINTS
Rutgers is enjoying its highest scoring average under C. Vivian Stringer's 20-year tenure "On the Banks"
Top RU Scoring Averages Under C. Vivian Stringer
1. 70.0 (35 games) 1998-99 - 29-6 - Elite Eight
2. 69.7 (27 games) 2014-15 - 20-7 - Current Season
3. 68.7 (32 games) 1997-98 - 22-10 - Sweet 16
4. 67.3 (29 games) 2002-03 - 21-8 - 2nd Round
5. 66.2 (37 games) 2013-14 - WNIT CHAMPIONS
6. 65. 6 (31 games) 2000-01 - 23-8 - 2nd Round
Four or more Scarlet Knights have reached double figures in a game in 11 of RU's 27 contests to date.
TOP 25 OPPONENTS
Rutgers currently stands at 3-5 against the top 25 after the Feb. 10 setback to the Terps in College Park.
The Scarlet Knights picked up a 46-43 victory over No. 19/18 Nebraska on Feb. 5 in their last home appearance against a nationally ranked team and a 66-61 win over Minnesota on Jan 25, a squad ranked at No. 21 in the Associated Press Poll.
RU had back-to-back games against the top 25 with a double overtime, 96-93, loss to No. 6 UNC on Dec. 4 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and a 64-52 victory at then-No. 25 Arkansas on Dec. 10.
WINS COME QUICK
The 2014-15 version of the Rutgers women's basketball team was one of the fastest groups to reach the 20-win mark.
Fastest to 20 By Date:
1979-80 - Feb. 14
1980-81 - Feb. 14
2005-06 - Feb. 14
2013-14 - Feb. 15
2007-08 - Feb. 16
2014-15 - Feb. 17
BETNIJAH IS BETTER
Senior forward Betnijah Laney sat out the final nonconference contest at Iona on Dec. 20 after suffering a sprained thumb on her left hand in RU's contest with Tennessee on Dec. 14. Laney suffered a bad sprain on the first play of the game.
Entering the game with the Lady Vols, Laney had been averaging 16.0 points and 14.8 rebounds, however after suffering the thumb injury moments into the Tennessee game, Laney went on to end the contest with four points and five rebounds.
In her 16 games back, all in Big Ten play, the senior Scarlet Knight has averaged 16.4 points and 9.4 boards per game. She has scored 20 or more points in four of the 15 games and posted double-doubles in eight conference contests as well.
BETTING DOUBLE
Senior forward Betnijah Laney has 16 double-double performances this season and is tied for seventh nationally in the category.
Laney's latest double-double streak which consisted of four straight against Purdue, Penn State, Nebraska and Michigan was snapped in a Feb. 10 loss at No. 5 Maryland.
She opened the season with eight consecutive double figure scoring and rebounding games. Her streak was halted at Temple on Dec. 10 with 20 points and five rebounds.
Laney has 31 double-doubles in her career.
The senior forward had an incredible game against #6 UNC on Dec. 4 with a career-tying 24 points and career-high 24 rebounds.
The Clayton, Delaware native captured 15 double-doubles last season, the most double figure scoring and rebounding games since Kia Vaughn, currently with the WNBA's Washington Mystics, had 12 double-doubles during the 2006-07 season.
CLEANING THE GLASS
Rutgers has won the battle of the boards in 19 of its 27 games to date.
Betnijah Laney, who led RU in rebounding at 8.5 boards per game last season, has not missed a beat and is hauling in 11.0 rebounds per game in 2014-15. She is 15th nationally in defensive rebounds (8.0) and 19th in the country and third in the Big Ten in total rebounds per game (11.0).
Laney had 17 double digit rebounding efforts last season and has posted double figure rebounds in 18 of her 25 appearances this season.
THEIVING KNIGHTS
Syessence Davis had just one point off a free throw in the first meeting with Penn State on Jan. 10, but contributed a school record tying 10 steals along with eight assists and no turnovers. Davis' 10 steals ties the school record along with Denise Kenney, who also had 10 thefts against St. Joseph's on Feb. 16, 1978. Davis also surpassed her previous high of eight captured against Davidson on Nov. 30.
As a team, Rutgers recorded 22 steals against Penn State, one theft shy of the Rutgers single game record. The Scarlet Knights set the record with 23 steals against Temple on Jan. 17, 1987.
Davis is averaging 3.4 steals per game ranking her first in the Big Ten and fourth nationally. Last season, she averaged 2.9 steals, led the American and was ninth nationally in the category.
ALL-TIME RU STEALS
1. Tasha Pointer (1997-01)- 292
T-2. Sue Wicks (1984-88) - 287
T-2. Liz Hanson (1992-96) - 287
3. Syessence Davis - 282
5. Matee Ajavon (2004-08) - 275
6. Denise Kenney (1976-79) - 263
7. Epiphanny Prince (2006-09) - 260
8. Vicky Picott (1987-91) - 257
9. Regina Howard (1983-87) - 216
T-10. C'ta Mitchelson (1989-93) - 213
T-10. Cappie Pondexter (2002-06) - 213
TURNOVERS
Scarlet Knight opponents are averaging 19.6 miscues per game, which included 38 turnovers by Penn State on Jan. 10.
PSU's mishandling of the ball 38 times in the first meeting marked the most turnovers by an opponent since Farmingdale State registered 32 miscues on Feb. 11, 2009. It was the third time since 2002-03 that an opponent has had 30 or more turnovers in a game. The Lady Lions' 38 turnovers resulted in season-high 36 points for the Scarlet Knights.
Only Arkansas on Dec. 7, has managed to record single digit turnovers.
Most recently, RU opponents have had three straight games with 20 or more miscues averaging 22.3 turnovers in games with Purdue, Illinois and Michigan State.
Michigan State on Sunday turned the ball over 24 times resulting in 27 Scarlet Knight points. The 24 turnovers were the most by an RU opponent since Penn State's 38 mishandlings.
R TURNOVERS
The Scarlet Knights committed a season-low nine turnovers, which included only one miscue in the first half, on Jan. 18 at Wisconsin. Last time Rutgers had less than 10 turnovers was against Harvard on Mar. 24, 2014 in the WNIT when the Scarlet Knights had only eight miscues.
Rutgers committed only 10 turnovers in the 78-49 win over Purdue on Feb. 14. Conversely, the Boilermakers had 22 miscues resulting in a season-high 30 points off turnovers for the Scarlet Knights.
Most recently, RU committed 10 first half turnovers at Michigan State on Sunday, but cleaned up their ball handling in the second stanza and registered just four turnovers in the second half.
The Scarlet Knights have committed 15 or fewer miscues 14 times this season.
NO MESSY ESSY
Syessence Davis leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally in assist/turnover ratio. She has dished the ball out a total of 112 times with only 33 miscues through 27 games.
The senior guard handed out the ball eight times with no turnovers in RU's 71-51 victory at Penn State on Jan. 10
Davis has committed two turnovers or less in 23 of her 27 games this season.
ALL-TIME RU ASSISTS
1. Tasha Pointer (1997-01) * - 839
2. Janet Malouf (1985-89) - 718
3. Mary Coyle (1978-82) - 640
4. Matee Ajavon (2004--08) - 556
5. Liz Hanson (1992-96) - 474
6. Cappie Pondexter (2002-06) - 470
7. Khadijah Rushdan (2007-12) - 464
8. Kristen Foley (1982-87) - 455
9. Patty Coyle (1978-82) - 394
10. Syessence Davis - 385
11. Telicher Austin (1985-89) - 371
UP NEXT
The Rutgers women's basketball team closes out the regular season hosting Indiana at 2 p.m. on Sunday on Senior Day.
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.
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