PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers women's basketball team returned to the win column with a 66-56 victory over Nebraska on Saturday afternoon at the RAC. Four Scarlet Knights scored in double figures as the win snapped a four-game losing streak, which began on Jan. 16 at Nebraska.

After trailing by 12 points in the first quarter, the Scarlet Knights erased the deficit with a 14-2 run to start second and tie the score at 22-22.

Although Nebraska held a 27-26 lead at halftime, the squads would go on to balance the score on five occasions throughout the third. Back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore Shrita Parker (Va. Beach, Va.) to start the fourth quarter, fueled Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights pulled away with the lead for good midway through the final frame.

Junior Tyler Scaife (Little Rock, Ark.) poured in a team-high 20 points, reaching the 20+ mark for the 10th time this season. Parker followed with a career-high 14 points, while senior Rachel Hollivay (Columbus, Miss.) added in 12 points and redshirt senior Briyona Canty (Willingboro, N.J.) rounded out the double-figure scorers with a season-high 11 points in the win.

Nebraska's Jessica Shepard led all scorers with 23 points. Natalie Romeo, coming off a 30-point game in Nebraska's previous contest with Wisconsin, followed with 18 points, 12 of which came from three-point range. Rachel Theriot capped off the double-digit scorers with 11 points in the loss.

The Scarlet Knights improved to an overall record of 13-9 and a Big Ten mark of 5-6, while the Huskers fell to 15-6 overall, ending a six-game win streak, and dropped to 6-4 in conference action.

After Nebraska opened the contest with a 5-0 run, Rutgers brought the margin back within one on two occasions. After close the gap to 7-6 with 6:49 left in the first, the Cornhuskers responded with nine straight points to generate a 16-6 lead. Scaife ended the run and a five-minute scoring drought for RU at the 1:28 minute mark, however, Nebraska extended its lead to 20-8 by the end of the first quarter.

The Scarlet Knights took control in the second quarter, opening the frame with a 14-2 run as Parker capped the burst with back-to-back three pointers to knot the score at 22-22 with 3:49 to go until halftime. Nebraska tacked on five straight to reclaim the lead at 27-22 with 1:14 on the clock, however, Scaife countered with four-straight points for RU, draining a jumper as time expired to make it a one-point margin, 27-26, entering the locker room.

Returning from the break, Scaife kept her momentum rolling with her sixth consecutive point to put RU in the lead for the first time, 28-27, at the 9:44 mark. From there the score was tied on five occasions and remained balanced, 40-40, at the end of three.

Ignited by back-to-back three-pointers from Khadaizha Sanders (Kankakee, Ill.) and Parker, the Scarlet Knights opened the fourth on a 10-2 run to establish a 49-44 lead with 7:51 remaining in the contest.

Nebraska was able to tie the score at 49-49, but a three-point play from Canty capped a 5-0 run for RU, re-establishing the Scarlet Knight edge for good. With 5:20 on the clock, the Cornhuskers pulled within three on a layup from Theriot, however, that is as close as they would come.

Rutgers responded with a 12-5 to close out the win, leading by as many as 11 points across the game's final minutes. Two free throws from senior Kahleah Copper (Philadelphia, Pa.) sealed the victory for RU at 66-56.

The Rutgers women's basketball team is on the road for their next two contests. RU closes out the season series with Minnesota on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. and tips off in the lone meeting with Penn State on Sunday, Feb. 7.

KNIGHT NOTES
- Rutgers overcame a 12-point first quarter deficit, RU's largest deficit turned into a victory this season. The previous largest deficit for victory was 11 against Green Bay at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas on Nov. 28 and against Minnesota in the Big Ten opener on Dec. 30.
- Rutgers improved to 1-1 when tied at the end of three quarters of play. RU and Michigan State were tied at 40-40 at the end of the third quarter, however the Spartans went on to capture a 59-48 victory.
- In the last meeting with the Cornhuskers, the Scarlet Knights held a 43-41 advantage heading into the fourth quarter, but was outscored , 24-11, in the final stanza. On Saturday, RU and Nebraska were tied at 40-40 before Rutgers pulled away with a 26-16 fourth quarter.
- The Scarlet Knights' 26 fourth quarter points were the most in a quarter for RU since netted 29 first quarter points enroute to a 58-33 victory over Iona on Dec. 9.
- Nebraska ended the game with 20 turnovers, the most turnovers for an RU opponent since Ohio State committed 20 in the first meeting with the Buckeyes on Jan. 10.
- The Scarlet Knights finished with four in double figures and improved to 2-2 when four score in double digits.
- Kahleah Copper moved past Matee Ajavon (2004-08) into eighth all-time in scoring at Rutgers. She has 1,626 career points and needs 57 more to move into seventh all-time past Tanya Hansen (1988-92).
- Tyler Scaife finished with 20 or more points in a game for the 10th time this season and 27th time in her career.
- Scaife became the 16th Scarlet Knight to collect over 1,400 career points. She also moved into 15th on the all-time scoring leaders list past former teammate Betnijah Laney (2011-15). Scaife now has 1,403 career points.
- Shrita Parker collected a new career-high for the second time in three games with her 14 points. Her previous high was 13 in the meeting with No. 7/7 Ohio State on Jan. 24.
- Rutgers bench outscored Nebraska, 16-0, just the second time the Scarlet Knights have not allowed an opponent bench to score. The other game was against Wisconsin in which the Scarlet Knight bench held an 18-0 advantage.
- RU led the battle on the boards for the 12th time in 2015-16 and grabbed its way to a 30-27 advantage.
- Rachel Hollivay captured five blocks, her seventh game this season with five or more rejections. She currently has 290 career blocks and needs only four more to become RU's all-time leader in blocks and surpass Sue Wicks (1984-88).

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