WBB Welcomes No. 19/18 Nebraska

Feb. 3, 2015

Game Twenty-Two: #21/22 Rutgers vs. #19/18 Nebraska
Date	Thursday, February 5, 2015
Time	7:00 ET
Location	Piscatway, N.J.\| The RAC
Tickets	Click To Purchase
TV	BTN Ed Cohen and Vera Jones
Radio	Rutgers IMG Radio Network - WCTC (1450 AM) Danny Breslauer and Mark Peterson Rutgers Student Radio - WRSU (88.7 FM) TJ Curran and Dylan MacKinnon
Game Notes	Rutgers \| Nebraska
Statistics	Rutgers \| Nebraska
Social Media	@RutgersWBB \| Facebook/RutgersWBB
Promotions	Dollar Hot Dog Night Natalie Parsons Trading Card

TIP OFF

? The 2014 WNIT Champions have won four in-a-row for its longest win streak since opening the season on a six-game win streak following its 76-65 win over Penn State on Sunday.

? The win gave head coach C. Vivian Stringer 176 career Big Ten wins, tying former Penn State coach Rene Portland for the most victories in league play.

? The Scarlet Knights were led by junior Kahleah Copper with her sixth 20+ point game effort of the season against the Lady Lions. Copper reset her season-high with 25 points, going 10-of-19 from the field and 5-of-8 from the line.

? Tyler Scaife also joined Copper in scoring 20+ points marking the sixth time this season a pair of Scarlet Knights have dropped in 20 or more points in a game. Scaife collected 21 points in the win.

? Senior Betnijah Laney added in her 14th double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds. She has posted both double digit points and rebounds in three of the last four games.

? Rutgers will face its seventh ranked team of the season in No. 19/18 Nebraska. The Scarlet Knights are currently 2-4 against the Top 25.

ABOUT NEBRASKA

The Cornhuskers and Scarlet Knights meet for the first time in history on Thursday night. Nebraska comes to the RAC ranked at No. 19 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. They hold a 17-4 overall mark and are tied with Rutgers and Ohio State in third place with 7-3 league records.

After opening Big Ten play at 0-2 with losses to Minnesota and Maryland, Nebraska has won seven of their last nine games with the lone setback in that span at Iowa (78-72) in overtime. During the nonconference portion of its schedule, the Cornhuskers downed then-No. 9 Duke, 60-54, during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

The Cornhuskers are led by Rachel Theriot at 16.5 points per game. Tera'a Laudermill is pouring in 13.2 points per game, while Emily Cady rounds out the double figurer scorers at 12.7 points per contest along with a team-leading 10.1 rebounds per game.

Connie Yori is in her 13th season at Nebraska having earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in both 2013 and 2014. Last season, the Cornhuskers won the school's first conference tournament title.

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 is tied for the most Big Ten victories in conference history, along with former Penn State Coach Rene Portland, with 176 wins in league play. She won 169 games while at Iowa and seven at Rutgers.

ALL-TIME B1G WBB WINS

Rene Portland, PSU (1980-07) - 176

C. Vivian Stringer, IOWA (1983-95), RU (1995-present) - 176

Karen Langeland, MSU (1976-00) - 156

Lisa Bluder, IOWA (2000-Present) - 146

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 B1G WBB WIN PERCENTAGE

Coach - Years - Record - PCT

Tara Van Derveer, OSU - 4 - 53-4 - .929

Carolyn Peck, PUR - 2 - 26-5 - .855

Brenda Frese, MINN, MD - 2 - 21-5 - .808

C. Vivian Stringer, IOWA, RU - 13 - 176-48 - .786

Kristy Curry, PUR - 7 - 86-26 - .768

Lin Dunn, PUR - 9 - 120-38 - .759

Nell Fortner, PUR - 1 - 12-4 - .750

Jim Foster, OSU - 11 - 136-46 - .747

Rene Portland, PSU - 15 - 175-69 - .717

Connie Yori, NEB - 4 - 41-17 - .707

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 10 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 - 425-211/(1995-present) 20 seasons

Ellen Johns - 6-5/(1974-75) One season

Dottie McCrea - 5-9/(1975-76) One season

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. 71.5 (21 games) 2014-15 - 16-5 - Current Season

2. 70.0 (35 games) 1998-99 - 29-6 - Elite Eight

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 nine of RU's 20 contests to date.

TOP 25 OPPONENTS

Rutgers currently stands at 2-4 against the top 25 after picking up a 66-61 win over Minnesota on Jan. 25, a squad ranked at No. 21 in the Associated Press Poll.

SHINING COPPER

When the Scarlet Knights get down, its been Kahleah Copper to the rescue in the last two games.

Last Thursday night in the 76-65 win at Purdue, Copper poured in a game-high 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting (47.1 percent) from the field. After the Boilermakers tied the game at 30-28 with 16:58 to go, Copper rattled off eight straight points to return the lead to Rutgers for good.

On Sunday vs. Penn State, Copper reset her season-high with 25 points, shooting 10-of-19 from the floor (52.6 percent). She scored 17 of her 25 points in the second half. Penn State would tie the contest 48-48 with 8:41 to play, however, Copper added on a free throw to give Rutgers the lead the rest of the way and would score 10 of her game-high 25 points during this final span.

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP

Tyler Scaife, last year's American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, is averaging a team-leading 16.2 points per game.

On Jan. 25 against No. 21 Minnesota, Scaife was one-point shy of her career-high by pouring in a season-high 28 points against the Golden Gophers. She had netted 29 points in RU's double overtime win over Seton Hall in the third round of last season's WNIT. It was also her sixth 20+ point game of the season and 13th of her career.

Scaife has reached double figure scoring in 45 of her 57 career appearances and has led RU in scoring eight times in 2014-15.

Scaife is averaging 19.5 points per game against nationally ranked opponents this season, which also included 25 points in the Scarlet Knights' double overtime contest with No. 6 UNC on Dec. 4.

In the last two home games - Minnesota and Penn State - the sophomore guard has averaged 24.5 points per game.

CANTY'S COMEBACK

Redshirt junior guard Briyona Canty made her first appearance in four games against Maryland on Jan. 15 after suffering a bone bruise in her right knee in RU's Dec. 28 game at Indiana.

Canty returned to the court against Maryland on the night of Jan. 15 and finished with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and five rebounds from off the bench in 19 minutes of action.

She followed up that performance with six points, five assists and two steals at Wisconsin on Jan. 18 and eight assists against No. 25 Minnesota on Jan. 25.

Since returning, Canty has come off the bench to average 5.8 points and 4.5 assists per game. In the last four games alone - at Wisconsin, vs. No. 21 Minnesota, at Purdue and vs. Penn State - she has dished the ball out on average 5.5 times.

Her eight assists against the Golden Gophers last Sunday were the most assists by the redshirt junior since handing the ball out eight times at No. 25 Arkansas on Dec. 7.

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.

Since her return at Indiana on Dec. 28 to open up conference play, has posted double-doubles in six of her last 10 games and in three of her last four contests. She narrowly missed out on the feat by one point against No. 20 Iowa on Jan. 4 and one rebound at Penn State on Jan 10.

In her 10 games back, all in Big Ten play, the senior Scarlet Knight has averaged 16.3 points and 10.5 boards per game. She has scored 20 or more points in three of the 10 games as well.

WATCH LIST

Sophomore guard Tyler Scaife has been added to the Dawn Staley Mid-Season Watch List, it was announced Monday. The Dawn Staley award is given to the most outstanding collegiate guard in the country.

FROM THE LINE

Rutgers has shot 75 percent or better from the line in five of its last eight games.

RU shot 10-of-13 from the line (76.9 percent) vs. Minnesota, the 10th time the Scarlet Knights have shot 75 percent or better from the charity stripe. In the last seven games, RU has combined to go 77.0 percent from the line (87-of-113).

RU shot a season best 88.9 percent from the free throw line going 16-of-18 from the charity stripe in the Jan. 4 loss with No. 20 Iowa. Shrita Parker went a perfect 4-of-4 while Laney finished 5-of-6 and Copper went 6-of-7. Scaife also hit her lone attempt from the line.

The Scarlet Knights shot 82.4 percent (14-of-17) from the free throw line at Penn State on Jan. 10, the fourth time in 2014-15 RU has shot 80 percent or better from the charity stripe.

DOWNTOWN

Cynthia Hernandez finished with a season-high 17 points at Wisconsin on Jan. 18, surpassing her previous high of nine captured against Davidson (Nov. 30) and Indiana (Dec. 28).

She shot a blistering 5-of-5 from downtown.

Hernandez's five made three-pointers were the most by a Scarlet Knight since Erica Wheeler drained five three-pointers against Connecticut on March 7, 2011. Her five three's tied a Kohl Center record originally set by Lori Bjork of Illinois on Jan. 15, 2006.

As a team, the Scarlet Knights hit a season-high six three-point shots at Iona on Dec. 20, the most since hitting seven shots from downtown against Louisville on Jan. 18, 2013.

RU went 6-of-11 from three-point range against the Gaels with Syessence Davis and Cynthia Hernandez both connecting on a pair from long range.

Hernandez followed up that performance going 3-of-4 from three-point range in RU's 66-51 win at Indiana on Dec. 28, which included her draining back-to-back-to-back shots from beyond the arc.

Briyona Canty had the most three-point field goals made by a Scarlet Knight last season, connecting on 13 from beyond the arc over the course of the Scarlet Knights' 37 games. This season, thru 21 games played in 2014-15, Hernandez has 20 made three pointers.

BETTING DOUBLE

Senior forward Betnijah Laney has 14 double-double performances this season and is tied for seventh nationally in the category. Laney has posted double-doubles in three of the last four games.

Laney's 2014-15 Double-Doubles

St. Joseph's - 10 pts, 13 reb

Northeastern - 14 pts, 13 reb

at LSU - 10 pts, 16 reb

at Wagner - 22 pts, 11 reb

Colgate - 17 pts, 18 reb

Davidson - 19 pts, 12 reb

#6 UNC - 24 pts, 24 reb

at #25 Arkansas - 12 pts, 11 reb

at Indiana - 20 pts, 12 reb

at Ohio State - 23 pts, 12 reb

Michigan - 20 pts, 10 reb

Wisconsin - 12 pts, 11 reb

at Purdue - 18 pts, 14 reb
Penn State - 16 pts, 14 reb

Laney has 29 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.

ALL ABOARD

Betnijah Laney's 24 rebounds vs. #6 UNC on Dec. 4 set a Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) record - men or women. She surpassed the previous record of 21 held by Women's Basketball Hall of Famer and former WNBA All-Star Sue Wicks set back in 1987 against Penn State.

She was two rebounds shy of tying the Rutgers women's basketball single game record. Sandy Tupurins grabbed 26 rebounds against William Paterson on Mar. 1, 1977.

Her 24 rebounds also placed her name among the top 15 all-time at RU in rebounding. Laney's 24 boards against the Tar Heels is also among the best rebounding performances from around the country this season.

Top `14-15 Single Game WBB Rebounding Performances

Vicky McIntyre, Oral Roberts - vs. Austin Peay - 27

Joy Adams, Iona - vs. Monmouth - 26

Sherae Bonner, Western Carolina - vs. Livingstone - 26

Jillian Alleyne, Oregon - vs. UCLA - 25

Kayla Roberts, Norfolk State - vs. Hampton - 25

Brittni Montgomery, UCF - vs. Iona - 24

Betnijah Laney, Rutgers - vs. North Carolina - 24

Joy Adams, Iona - vs. Monmouth - 24

Temi Fagbenle, Harvard - vs. Temple - 24

Brittany Hodges, Furman - vs. Davidson - 24

Sarah Imovbioh, Virginia - vs. Ohio State - 24

Ruvanna Campbell, Chicago - vs. Oakland - 24

Top RU Rebounding Performances (since 2005)

Betnijah Laney - 24 - North Carolina (12/4/14)

Kia Vaughn - 21 - at Cincinnati (1/22/08)

Monique Oliver - 19 - at Miami (12/5/11)

Betnijah Laney - 18 - Colgate (11/28/14)

Monique Oliver - 17 - Georgetown (12/9/10)

Kia Vaughn - 17 - Georgetown (2/7/09)

ALL-TIME RU REBOUNDS

1. Sue Wicks (1984-88) - *1357

2. Kia Vaughn (2005-09) - 1079

3. Regina Howard (1983-87) - 1036

4. Vicky Picott (1987-91) - 1029

5. Sandy Tupurins (1976-80) - 944

6. Tanya Hansen (1988-92) - 894

7. Kathy Glutz (1976-80) - 835

8. Betnijah Laney (2011-present) - 803

9. June Olkowski (1978-82) - 780

10. C'ta Mitchelson (1989-93) - 764

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 sixth 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

4. Matee Ajavon (2004-08) - 275

5. Denise Kenney (1976-79) - 263

6. Epiphanny Prince (2006-09) - 260

7. Syessence Davis - 258

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 19.8 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.

CLEANING THE GLASS

Rutgers has won the battle of the boards in 15 of its 21 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 11.7 rebounds per game in 2014-15. She is ninth nationally in defensive rebounds (8.0) and eighth in the country and second in the Big Ten in total rebounds per game (11.7).

Laney had 17 double digit rebounding efforts last season and has posted double figure rebounds in 15 of her 20 appearances this season.

NO MESSY ESSY

Syessence Davis leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth nationally in assist/turnover ratio. She has dished the ball out a total of 84 times with only 27 miscues through 20 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 17 of her 21 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. Telicher Austin (1985-89) - 371

-- Syessence Davis - 357

BLOCK PARTY

Rachel Hollivay captured a season-high six rejections in RU's game with No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 15. She also swatted away five Hawk shots in RU's season opener and then again in the Scarlet Knights' first road game at LSU.

Hollivay has registered 33 games with three or more blocks. She currently has 201 career blocks, moving into fifth all-time at RU on the New Year's Day contest with Ohio State.

Hollivay ended last year with 127 rejections and is 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.

ALL-TIME RU BLOCKS

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) - 201

6. Monique Oliver (2009-13) - 177

7. Tammy Sutton-Brown (1997-01) - 148

8. Rashidat Junaid (2006-10) - 136

9. Regina Kalucki (1991-95) - 128

10. Chelsey Lee (2008-13) - 109

20/20 VISION

Six times this season, a pair of Scarlet Knights have dropped in 20 or more points in a game.

Most recently, Kahleah Copper captured a season-high 25 points and Tyler Scaife added in 21 points in a 76-65 win over Penn State on Feb. 1. It was the first time two Scarlet Knights dropped in 20 or more points since Betnijah Laney and Scaife both captured 20 points in RU's first Big Ten home victory against Michigan back on Jan. 7.

In the prior game, Kahleah Copper posted 22 points and Tyler Scaife added in 20 in RU's setback to No. 20 Iowa on Jan. 4.

RU also had a pair of Scarlet Knights reach the 20-point mark as Betnijah Laney and Copper both netted 20 points each in the 88-55 win at Temple on Dec. 10. In the Dec. 4 match-up with No. 6 UNC, Laney scored a career-tying 24 points and Scaife registered a season-high 25 points. Additionally in the 81-53 win at Wagner on Nov. 25. Laney had 22 points, while Copper contributed 20 points in the victory.

WNIT MVP Kahleah Copper reached the 20+ point milestone 11 times last season, the most since Brittany Ray did so seven times in 2009-10.

This season, Tyler Scaife leads the Scarlet Knights with the most 20+ point games with eight, followed by Betnijah Laney and Kahleah Copper with six.

UP NEXT
The Rutgers women's basketball team hits the road for its next two games. Up first is a trip to Ann Arbor to close out the season series with Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.

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-

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Cynthia Hernandez

Shrita Parker

Tyler Scaife

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Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball at Nebraska on Feb. 28, 2026 at 2 PM