Dec. 3, 2016
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
| RVISION: Highlights & Barber Interview| RVision: Postgame Press Conference
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers women's basketball team held off Bucknell for a 57-53 victory on Saturday afternoon at the RAC.
The Scarlet Knights improved to an overall record of 2-6 while the Bison dropped to 5-3 on the season.
Shrita Parker nearly notched a double-double, racking up 11 points and nine rebounds. Kandiss Barber led RU with a career-high 17 points to round out the double figure scorers.
Bucknell was led by Claire DeBoer with 17 points followed by Sun Swart with 13 points of her own. Kaitlyn Slagus registered a game-high 10 boards.
Rutgers opened the contest on fire holding a 20-point halftime edge while shooting 62.1 percent through the game's first two quarters.
After the 7-0 start, the Scarlet Knights pushed that lead to 14-5 with 4:50 to go in the first quarter. After a three-point play for Deboer with 2:30 on the clock, RU closed out the first quarter with five unanswered points for a 23-8 edge on the scoreboard.
The Scarlet Knights continued to grow their advantage to as many as 19, including a 32-13 lead midway through the second stanza. Bucknell attempted to close the gap on the scoreboard with an 8-4 run to set the score at 36-21 with 1:38 to go in the first half. Rutgers shut down any remaining surge as Sanders tacked on a layup before Kate Hill dropped in a three-pointer in the final seconds of the second quarter for the sizeable 41-21 edge entering halftime.
The Bison returned from the break and would close the gap to within a basket in the waning moments, but the Scarlet Knights would never relinquish the lead. Out of the intermission, the Bison outscored the Scarlet Knights, 17-6, in the third quarter, but RU held onto its advantage at 47-38 moving into the fourth frame.
A Barber layup to start the final quarter to put the RU lead back to double-digits, but the Bison would continue to chip away at the RU lead. A 13-4 burst pulled Bucknell to within two, 53-51 with 1:34 remaining in the game.
After Barber tacked on two free throws for a four-point Rutgers edge, DeBoer added a layup for the Bison to bring the margin to 55-53 with 17 seconds left on the clock. Parker, RU's top free throw shooter at 94 percent, tacked on two more free throws to seal the RU win.
Rutgers wraps up a four-game homestand with James Madison on Monday, Dec. 5. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the RAC.
KNIGHT NOTES:
- Kandiss Barber set a new career-high with 17 points. It was the second-time this season she led RU in scoring and her third double figure game of the year.
- Shrita Parker was just short of RU's first double-double of the season with her 11 points and nine boards. It was only the second time in her three years "On The Banks" that Parker has led the Scarlet Knights on the boards.
- Parker continues to be clutch at the free throw line going 4-of-4 from the charity stripe against the Bison. She is now 19-of-20 (.950) on the season.
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-RU-
