WBB Closes Out Season Series with Nebraska
Jan 29 | Women's Basketball
| Game Twenty Two: Rutgers (12-9, 3-6 Big Ten) vs. Nebraska (15-5, 6-3 Big Ten) | |
| Date | Saturday, Jan. 30 |
| Time | 2:00 p.m. EST |
| Location | The RAC | Piscataway, N.J. |
| Video | BTN Plus (Lou Brogno & Cathy Andruzzi) |
| Radio | Rutgers IMG Radio Network - WCTC 1450 AM (Ralph Bednarczyk & Mark Peterson) WRSU 88.7 FM (Alex Esposito & Lea Ginefra) |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Rutgers | Nebraska |
| Conference Game Notes | Big Ten |
| Statistics | Rutgers | Nebraska |
| Tickets | ScarletKnights.com/Tickets |
| Promotions | Rutgers Blanket to First 500 Fans |
CLOSING OUT THE SERIES WITH NEBRASKA
The Rutgers women's basketball team will be looking to end a four-game slide as they close out the season series with Nebraska on Saturday at 2 p.m. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Rutgers blanket.
The Scarlet Knights are looking to return to the win column following a 64-48 setback to Indiana on Wednesday night. Rachel Hollivay collected her third double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Kahleah Copper rounded out a scoreless first half against the Hoosiers to lead RU with 16 points.
Rutgers trailed the Hoosiers by as many as 17 in the second quarter before fighting its way to a three-point deficit in the third quarter.
RU's current skid began with the Cornhuskers back on Jan. 16 in the 65-54 loss and including two losses against the top 25 in Michigan State and Ohio State. The loss to the Buckeyes in the Scarlet Knights' last home game had snapped an eight-game RAC win streak.
ABOUT NEBRASKA
The Scarlet Knights and Cornhuskers close out the season series on Saturday with Nebraska coming to the RAC with a 15-5 overall record and 6-3 mark in the Big Ten.
The Cornhuskers have won six straight dating back to Jan. 10, which includes its 65-54 win over Rutgers in Lincoln back on Jan. 16 and more recently a 75-62 home win over Wisconsin on Wednesday night.
Jessica Shepard is averaging 20.3 points per game, ranking her fourth in the Big Ten in scoring. She is also leading the Cornhuskers on the boards at 9.3 rebounds per game, putting her name third in the league in the category.
Natalie Romeo is second on the stat sheet at 16.1 points per game. On Wednesday against the Badgers, Romeo tied Nebraska's three-point record for the second time in two weeks with eight shots made from three-point range. She finished the game with 30 points. Romeo is second nationally in three-point field goals made averaging 3.45 made shots from beyond the arc.
Rounding out Nebraska's double figure scorers is Rachel Theriot at 11.9 points per game.
LAST TIME VS. NEBRASKA
Despite four Scarlet Knights registering double-figure scoring and a double-double from Ariel Butts Rutgers dropped its contest at Nebraska, 65-54, on Jan. 16 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
It was a late surge from the three-point range for Nebraska in the fourth to overtake the lead and steal the victory. Rutgers had controlled the lead for three quarters of the contest, outlasting numerous attempts of Nebraska challenging to claim the advantage.
Kahleah Copper led RU with 12 points, followed by Tyler Scaife and Rachel Hollivay with 11 points each in the loss. Butts registered her first double-double of her career with 10 points and a career-high and game-high 14 rebounds.
Nebraska finished with three in double figures as Jessica Shepard led all scorers with 22 points in the contest. Natalie Romeo followed with 19 points, 15 of which came from the three-point range, while Rachel Theriot contributed 17 points, 11 of which she secured at the charity stripe.
Rutgers opened the contest with a 6-0 run across the first four minutes of play. Keeping the Cornhuskers off the board until the 5:51 mark, the Scarlet Knights extended their lead to 14-10 by the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Nebraska was able to bring the margin to two, 14-12, however, Rutgers used a 6-2 run to keep their advantage at 20-14 with 6:30 to go in the half. Husker Natalie Romeo registered back-to-back three-pointers across the next two minutes of play to tie the score at 20-20 with 4:42 on the clock.
Briyona Canty returned momentum back to the Scarlet Knights with four straight points, as RU carried a 24-20 lead into the locker room at the half.
Rutgers and Nebraska traded points to start off the third quarter. Although the score was knotted on four occasions, due in part to seven Husker free throws, Rutgers maintained a 34-33 lead with 4:10 left in the frame. A three-point play from Hollivay ignited a 9-6 run for the Scarlet Knights, defending their lead and holding on to a 43-39 lead with a minute to go in the third.
Moments into the final stanza tied the score at 43-43. Copper drained a three-pointer to give the Scarlet Knights a 46-43 edge. However, Romeo responded with back-to-back three-pointers of her own to give Nebraska its first lead of the night at 49-46 with 6:25 to go in the game.
Despite a jumper from Canty pulling RU back within one, Romeo registered another basket from beyond the arc to push the Husker lead to 52-48. A free throw from Copper brought the margin to three, 54-51, with 2:58 remaining on the clock. However, it is the closest RU would come as Nebraska went on to lead by as many as 11 to steal the win.
WATCHING THE WATCH LISTS
Tyler Scaife and Kahleah Copper were among the 18 women's basketball student-athletes on the Dawn Staley Mid-Season Watch List.
For Scaife, it is her second consecutive season on the Staley Mid-Season Watch List.
Copper meanwhile earns a nod to her third watch this season as she was one of 20 student-athletes from 16 schools to be named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Watch List and one of 50 named to the Naismith Trophy Early Season Watch List for National Player of the Year.
HOMESTAND STANDOUTS
The Scarlet Knights had an eight-game home win streak come to an end last Sunday afternoon with its 67-58 setback to No. 7/7 Ohio State. It was only the second loss at the RAC this season for the Scarlet Knights.
During the win streak inside the friendly confines at the RAC, RU had been outscoring the opposition by an average of 18.8 points per game pouring in 63.4 points per home contest while opponents are netting just 44.6.
Additionally, RU averaged 15.3 assists, 8.1 steals, 6.4 blocks and committing just 11.9 turnovers in the eight-game span.
During the win streak, Tyler Scaife poured in 19.6 points per game, while Kahleah Copper added in 14.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Also Briyona Canty is dished the ball out 5.4 times per game and Rachel Hollivay swatted away the ball 3.6 times per contest.
BLOCK PARTY
With three rejections against the seventh-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday, Rachel Hollivay moved into second all-time on the Rutgers block leaders list.
The senior Scarlet Knight leads the Big Ten with 65 rejections and ranks sixth among all Division I players. She has registered 48 games in her career with three or more blocks. More recently, the senior Scarlet Knight had five rejections, her sixth game of the 2015-16 campaign with five 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. Rachel Hollivay (2012-present) - 285
3. Kia Vaughn (2005-09) - 279
4. LaTonya Johnson (1988-92) 248
5. Tanya Hansen (1988-92) 245
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 8-2 this season.
Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 167-31 (.843) at the RAC. In this last five years, RU has put together a record of 72-15 (.826) at the RAC.
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-RU-
