Feb. 8, 2015 Box Score | VIDEO: Copper Postgame Interview
ANN ARBOR, MICH.- The No. 21/22 Rutgers women's basketball team extended its win streak to six, defeating Michigan 57-50 at the Crisler Arena on Sunday afternoon to sweep the season series with the Wolverines.
Rutgers improves to an overall record of 18-5, a mark of 9-3 in Big Ten play and 10-1 on the road. Michigan dropped to 14-9 overall and 6-6 in conference action.
Betnijah Laney (Clayton, Del.) led the Scarlet Knights with 17 points and 10 rebounds for her 16th double-double performance of the season. Kahleah Copper (Philadelphia, Pa.) followed with 16 points and five rebounds.
The Wolverines were led by Shannon Smith with a game-high 19 points, followed by Siera Thompson with 14 points in the loss. Leading scorer Cyesha Goree, who dropped in 23 points in the first meeting with the Scarlet Knights, was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting.
Michigan had established a 9-2 lead five minutes in, however Laney ended the run with a three-pointer at the 14:21 mark to kick start seven straight points for the Scarlet Knights. Laney's three tied the game, 9-9, with 12:45 to go.
After Rutgers created an 18-15 lead, the contest turned into a stalemate as both teams struggled to notch a bucket for nearly three minutes. Thompson ended the Michigan drought at the 3:35 mark and cut the Wolverines deficit to one.
The Scarlet Knights would use a 4-2 run to generate a 24-19 lead with just one minute remaining in the first half. However, Michigan added on a basket in the final second to make it a three-point game, 24-21, heading into halftime.
At the start of the second half, the Wolverines pulled within one on two occasions, but Shrita Parker (Va. Beach, Va.) nailed a three-pointer to put the momentum back into to the Scarlet Knights' hands. Copper would then add on eight consecutive points to give RU its largest lead, 37-27 with 12:48 remaining. Michigan would go on to outscore Rutgers 12-6 across the next five minutes of play, as Smith contributed five of her own in the run. Despite the burst from the Wolverines, the Scarlet Knights maintained at least a five-point edge over the span and held a 45-39 lead with 7:11 left to play.
Smith, however, would light up again as she registered six uncontested points to pull Michigan within two, 47-45, with 4:19 left in the game, the closest the Wolverines had come since the start of the second half.
The teams would trade trips to the free throw line, but the Scarlet Knights held the advantage throughout.
The Rutgers women's basketball team takes on No. 5 Maryland on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. The game will air on BTN.
KNIGHT NOTES:
- RU's starting lineup with the Wolverines was Kahleah Copper, Tyler Scaife, Syessence Davis, Ariel Butts and Betnijah Laney.
- Betnijah Laney led Rutgers with her 16th double-double of the year with 17 points and 10 rebounds. She surpasses her double-double total from last season (15). She now has 31 double figure and rebounding performances in her career.
- With her 17 points, Laney is now three points shy of moving into 21st on the Rutgers all-time scoring leaders list past Tammy Sutton-Brown (1997-01). Laney now has 1,244 career points.
- Laney is now nine boards shy of moving into seventh all-time on the Rutgers rebounding leaders list past Kathy Glutz (1976-80). She has 827 career rebounds.
- Laney tied her career assist mark with seven against the Wolverines. She has previously reached the mark three other times including the first meeting with Michigan on Jan. 7.
- Kahleah Copper was the other Scarlet Knight in double figures with 16 points.
- With her 16 points, Copper moved into 30th all-time on the Rutgers scoring leaders list with 1,086 points, surpassing Patty Delehanty (1978-82). She now needs 18 more points to move into 29th past Denise Kenney (1976-79).
- Rachel Hollivay collected seven rebounds in the victory and has averaged 7.5 rebounds in the last two games with Michigan and Nebraska.
- Hollivay also recorded four rejections marking the 12th game this season and 35th of her career with three or more blocks. She now has 209 career rejections.
- Syessence Davis committed no turnovers and has turned the ball over two or fewer times in 18 of her 23 games this season.
- Rutgers led 24-21 at the half and has been ahead at the intermission in 20 of its 23 contests to date.
- The Scarlet Knights won the battle of the boards 42-40. Rutgers has led its opponent on the glass in 17 of its 23 games to date.
- Michigan shot a season-low 3-of-25 (12.0 percent) from three-point range. The Wolverines went 0-of-10 in the first half and 3-of-15 in the second stanza. It was their lowest three-point field goal percentage since shooting 21.4 percent (3-of-14) against Notre Dame on Dec. 13.
- Rutgers improved to 10-1 on the road this season.
- With the win, head coach C. Vivian Stringer is now eight wins away from becoming the all-time winningest basketball coach at Rutgers. Stringer hold a 427-211 record "On the Banks."
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-RU-
