Photo by: Noah K. Murray-Rutgers University
Women's Basketball Opens B1G Play With Northwestern on Friday
Dec 26 | Women's Basketball
Scarlet Knights & Wildcats Tipoff at 4 p.m.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers women's basketball team returns from the holiday break to open up Big Ten play with Northwestern on Friday at 4 p.m.
IT'S B1G TIME
The Rutgers women's basketball team is back after a Holiday Break to open up Big Ten Conference action with Northwestern on Friday on 4 p.m. A win over the Wildcats would give Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer her 200th career Big Ten victory.
Previously, RU returned home after five consecutive games on the road to top LSU, 57-43, back on Dec. 15 to improve to an unbeaten record of 5-0 at home this season.
It tied for the second-lowest point total by LSU in the 10-game history between the two squads. The fewest points netted by the Tigers in the series was 35 in the 2007 national semifinals, which stands as the record for fewest points by a team in a Final Four.
Redshirt sophomore guard Arella Guirantes led RU with 16 points, including a career-high five steals, five rebounds and four assists. Redshirt-junior guard Ciani Cryor followed with 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers for the Scarlet Knights. Senior forward Caitlin Jenkins registered a team-high nine rebounds.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
Like the Scarlet Knights, the Wildcats will also be opening up the 2018-19 Big Ten Conference slate on Friday. The Wildcats will enter the RAC with a 7-4 overall mark.
Northwestern wrapped up its nonconference schedule going 1-1 at the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas with a 65-43 victory over Wichita State and a 66-57 set back to Kansas.
Four Wildcats are pouring in double figures led by sophomore guard Lindsey Pulliam at 14.7 points per game, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten, and is followed by fellow sophomore guard Jordan Hamilton at 11.3 points per contest. Junior forward/center Abi Scheid is adding in 11.1 points per game and a team second-best 5.3 rebounds per games, while senior forward Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah is averaging a double-double at 10.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per outing.
Kunaiyi-Akpanah, who has performed six double-doubles to date, is currently eighth nationally in offensive rebounds per game hauling in 5.0 boards following missed Wildcat shots. Overall, she is fourth in the Big Ten on the boards at 10.6 rebounds per game.
The Wildcats are third in the league in steals, sitting right behind the Scarlet Knights at 10.0 thefts per contest. Additionally, Northwestern in third in turnover margin at +5.1.
LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN
The Rutgers women's basketball team dropped its 2017-18 regular season finale to Northwestern, 63-50, on Feb. 25 at Beardsley Gym.
Former Scarlet Knight Tyler Scaife posted 17 points to lead the Scarlet Knights with Stasha Carey contributing 10 points to round out the double-figure RU scorers in the loss.
Northwestern was paced by Lindsay Pulliam with a game-high 23 points. Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah registered a double-double with a game-high 20 rebounds and set Northwestern's single season rebounding record while adding 12 points. Bryana Hopkins also contributed 12 points in the win.
Rutgers and Northwestern kept the score balanced throughout the first quarter, as the teams traded points to produce four ties and two lead changes. Midway through the frame, Kathleen Fitzpatrick hit a 3-pointer to give RU the largest lead for either team in the quarter at 11-6 with 4:27 on the clock.
The Wildcats, however, countered with an 8-2 surge that included at 5-for-6 showing at the free throw line to move back in front, 15-13, at the end of the first.
The teams once again entered a back-and-fourth battle on the court as Northwestern held a 21-19 edge at the 7:24 mark. From there, the Wildcats broke away on the scoreboard, registering a 9-2 to burst to set their lead at 32-31 midway through the second quarter.
Although RU ended the run with five unanswered points, including a jumper for Scaife and a 3-pointer for Fitzpatrick in the final minute of the frame, Northwestern's Abbie Wolf beat the buzzer to set the Wildcat advantage at 34-26 entering halftime.
Returning from the break, Northwestern opened the third quarter outscoring RU, 14-6, to generate its largest lead of the night at 48-32 with 4:46 to go in the frame. Scaife stumped the surge with a jumper, sending RU on a 6-0 run of its own. The Wildcats, however, would close the frame with a 50-38 advantage.
Despite balanced scoring in the fourth and final frame, where the Wildcats edged the Scarlet Knights in scoring by one point, 13-12, the margin was too great for the Scarlet Knights to overcome.
PROTECTING HOMECOURT
Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 197-46 (.811) at the RAC.
RU is 18-3 over the last two seasons at home and is currently 5-0 at the RAC in 2018-19.
Last season, Rutgers went 13-3 at home last season. The Scarlet Knights won their first 12 contests at the Rutgers Athletic Center before dropping a 52-42 contest to Nebraska on Jan. 21. It was RU's longest home win streak since winning 20-straight RAC wins between Nov. 16, 2007 and Dec. 29, 2008.
A LOSS IS STILL A LOSS, BUT...
RU's first loss of the season was to a Drake squad that enters this week at 8-4 overall and has appeared in the Top 25 this season. The Bulldogs posted a victory over then No. 12/13 South Carolina to take third place at the Vancouver Showcase.
Gonzaga sits at No. 20/21 in the polls including a 79-73 win over then-No. 11 Stanford. The Bulldogs enter this week at 11-1 on the season with the lone loss coming against defending national champion Notre Dame at the Vancouver Challenge.
Virginia Tech remains undefeated at 12-0 with votes in both major polls.
All together, the three teams that have managed to defeat the Scarlet Knights are a combined 31-5 on the 2018-19 season.
ANOTHER B1G MILESTONE FOR STRINGER
Head coach C. Vivian Stringer is one win away from becoming the first Big Ten women's basketball coach to record 200 wins in conference play. She owns a 199-83 record in regular season Big Ten contests, which includes 169 victories while at Iowa from 1983-95 and 30 at Rutgers.
Stringer will be the seventh overall basketball coach in Big Ten history to reach the milestone joining:
Bob Knight, Indiana (1972-2000) - 353
Tom Izzo, Michigan State (1995-present) - 274
Gene Keady, Purdue (1981-2005) - 265
Ward Lambert, Purdue (1917; 1919-45) - 228
Lou Henson, Illinois (1976-96) - 214
Branch McCracken, Indiana (1939-43; 1947-65) - 210
SCORING MILESTONES TO WATCH
While it was head coach C. Vivian Stringer with her 1,000th victory earlier this season, two Scarlet Knights are nearing the 1,000 milestone in scoring.
Redshirt senior forward Stasha Carey is 65 points away from joining the 1,000-point career club, while graduate student guard Sierra Calhoun is 101 points away from the milestone.
STRINGER MILESTONE NUMBERS TO REMEMBER
Rutgers head coach Stringer has compiled a 1004-405 career record entering her the 48th season of coaching and joined the elite 1,000 career victory club on November 13 in the Scarlet Knight victory over Central Connecticut State.
Stringer is the sixth NCAA women's basketball coach and fifth NCAA Division I women's basketball coach to reach the milestone victory.
In 2013, Stringer became just the seventh coach - men's or women's - to reach the 900-win mark.
Stringer's 35 20-win seasons are second-best in women's basketball history. Former Tennessee head coach Pat Summit leads all coaches with 36 20-win seasons.
The Naismith and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Coach is the fifth active winningest Division I coach and sixth all-time in career wins in NCAA women's basketball history.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Thru the first 10 games of the season, Rutgers ranks among the top 25 nationally in three categories.
The Scarlet Knights checking in fifth nationally in scoring defense (51.1) and sixth in field goal percentage defense (31.8). Additionally, RU is 12th in the country in block shots per game (5.5).
B1G SPEAKING
Among conference peers, Rutgers currently ranks:
Scoring Defense - 1st - 51.1
Field Goal Pct. Defense - 2nd - .318
3pt Field Goal Pct. Defense - 2nd - .272
Rebounding Defense - 2nd -30.8
Steals - 2nd - 10.2
Blocked Shots - 3rd - 5.5
The following Scarlet Knights are ranked among conference peers:
Victoria Harris - 4th - Steals - 2.3
Stasha Carey - 6th - Blocks - 1.7
Caitlin Jenkins - 7th - Rebounding - 8.9
D-D-D-DEFENSE
The defense turned up the pressure last season leading the Big Ten in scoring defense holding opponents to just 59.3 points per game.
Twenty-nine of RU's 32 opponents were held under their scoring average.
So far in 2018-19, the trend has held steady with all four opponents under their scoring average.
UP NEXT
RU returns for its final competition of 2018 in the first conference road contest of the season. The Scarlet Knights meet No. 4/6 Maryland on New Year's Eve at noon at the Xfinity Center.
Follow Rutgers women's basketball at www.ScarletKnights.com and (@RutgersWBB) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all of the latest news and updates. For additional updates, download the Rutgers Gameday App.
HOW TO WATCH
Friday's game will be streamed on BTN2Go with Lou Brogno (play-by-play) and Dom Savino (color).
To learn more about BTN and BTN2Go, click here.
ON THE AIRWAVES
Friday's game will air on the Rutgers Radio Network on WCTC 1450AM, with Ralph Bednarczyk (play-by-play) and Mark Peterson (color).
PROMOTIONS
- GIVEAWAY: Ugly Holiday Blanket
- HALFTIME: Teddy Bear Toss
- All Rutgers students can bring up to two guests for free with ID
IT'S B1G TIME
The Rutgers women's basketball team is back after a Holiday Break to open up Big Ten Conference action with Northwestern on Friday on 4 p.m. A win over the Wildcats would give Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer her 200th career Big Ten victory.
Previously, RU returned home after five consecutive games on the road to top LSU, 57-43, back on Dec. 15 to improve to an unbeaten record of 5-0 at home this season.
It tied for the second-lowest point total by LSU in the 10-game history between the two squads. The fewest points netted by the Tigers in the series was 35 in the 2007 national semifinals, which stands as the record for fewest points by a team in a Final Four.
Redshirt sophomore guard Arella Guirantes led RU with 16 points, including a career-high five steals, five rebounds and four assists. Redshirt-junior guard Ciani Cryor followed with 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers for the Scarlet Knights. Senior forward Caitlin Jenkins registered a team-high nine rebounds.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
Like the Scarlet Knights, the Wildcats will also be opening up the 2018-19 Big Ten Conference slate on Friday. The Wildcats will enter the RAC with a 7-4 overall mark.
Northwestern wrapped up its nonconference schedule going 1-1 at the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas with a 65-43 victory over Wichita State and a 66-57 set back to Kansas.
Four Wildcats are pouring in double figures led by sophomore guard Lindsey Pulliam at 14.7 points per game, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten, and is followed by fellow sophomore guard Jordan Hamilton at 11.3 points per contest. Junior forward/center Abi Scheid is adding in 11.1 points per game and a team second-best 5.3 rebounds per games, while senior forward Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah is averaging a double-double at 10.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per outing.
Kunaiyi-Akpanah, who has performed six double-doubles to date, is currently eighth nationally in offensive rebounds per game hauling in 5.0 boards following missed Wildcat shots. Overall, she is fourth in the Big Ten on the boards at 10.6 rebounds per game.
The Wildcats are third in the league in steals, sitting right behind the Scarlet Knights at 10.0 thefts per contest. Additionally, Northwestern in third in turnover margin at +5.1.
LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN
The Rutgers women's basketball team dropped its 2017-18 regular season finale to Northwestern, 63-50, on Feb. 25 at Beardsley Gym.
Former Scarlet Knight Tyler Scaife posted 17 points to lead the Scarlet Knights with Stasha Carey contributing 10 points to round out the double-figure RU scorers in the loss.
Northwestern was paced by Lindsay Pulliam with a game-high 23 points. Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah registered a double-double with a game-high 20 rebounds and set Northwestern's single season rebounding record while adding 12 points. Bryana Hopkins also contributed 12 points in the win.
Rutgers and Northwestern kept the score balanced throughout the first quarter, as the teams traded points to produce four ties and two lead changes. Midway through the frame, Kathleen Fitzpatrick hit a 3-pointer to give RU the largest lead for either team in the quarter at 11-6 with 4:27 on the clock.
The Wildcats, however, countered with an 8-2 surge that included at 5-for-6 showing at the free throw line to move back in front, 15-13, at the end of the first.
The teams once again entered a back-and-fourth battle on the court as Northwestern held a 21-19 edge at the 7:24 mark. From there, the Wildcats broke away on the scoreboard, registering a 9-2 to burst to set their lead at 32-31 midway through the second quarter.
Although RU ended the run with five unanswered points, including a jumper for Scaife and a 3-pointer for Fitzpatrick in the final minute of the frame, Northwestern's Abbie Wolf beat the buzzer to set the Wildcat advantage at 34-26 entering halftime.
Returning from the break, Northwestern opened the third quarter outscoring RU, 14-6, to generate its largest lead of the night at 48-32 with 4:46 to go in the frame. Scaife stumped the surge with a jumper, sending RU on a 6-0 run of its own. The Wildcats, however, would close the frame with a 50-38 advantage.
Despite balanced scoring in the fourth and final frame, where the Wildcats edged the Scarlet Knights in scoring by one point, 13-12, the margin was too great for the Scarlet Knights to overcome.
PROTECTING HOMECOURT
Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 197-46 (.811) at the RAC.
RU is 18-3 over the last two seasons at home and is currently 5-0 at the RAC in 2018-19.
Last season, Rutgers went 13-3 at home last season. The Scarlet Knights won their first 12 contests at the Rutgers Athletic Center before dropping a 52-42 contest to Nebraska on Jan. 21. It was RU's longest home win streak since winning 20-straight RAC wins between Nov. 16, 2007 and Dec. 29, 2008.
A LOSS IS STILL A LOSS, BUT...
RU's first loss of the season was to a Drake squad that enters this week at 8-4 overall and has appeared in the Top 25 this season. The Bulldogs posted a victory over then No. 12/13 South Carolina to take third place at the Vancouver Showcase.
Gonzaga sits at No. 20/21 in the polls including a 79-73 win over then-No. 11 Stanford. The Bulldogs enter this week at 11-1 on the season with the lone loss coming against defending national champion Notre Dame at the Vancouver Challenge.
Virginia Tech remains undefeated at 12-0 with votes in both major polls.
All together, the three teams that have managed to defeat the Scarlet Knights are a combined 31-5 on the 2018-19 season.
ANOTHER B1G MILESTONE FOR STRINGER
Head coach C. Vivian Stringer is one win away from becoming the first Big Ten women's basketball coach to record 200 wins in conference play. She owns a 199-83 record in regular season Big Ten contests, which includes 169 victories while at Iowa from 1983-95 and 30 at Rutgers.
Stringer will be the seventh overall basketball coach in Big Ten history to reach the milestone joining:
Bob Knight, Indiana (1972-2000) - 353
Tom Izzo, Michigan State (1995-present) - 274
Gene Keady, Purdue (1981-2005) - 265
Ward Lambert, Purdue (1917; 1919-45) - 228
Lou Henson, Illinois (1976-96) - 214
Branch McCracken, Indiana (1939-43; 1947-65) - 210
SCORING MILESTONES TO WATCH
While it was head coach C. Vivian Stringer with her 1,000th victory earlier this season, two Scarlet Knights are nearing the 1,000 milestone in scoring.
Redshirt senior forward Stasha Carey is 65 points away from joining the 1,000-point career club, while graduate student guard Sierra Calhoun is 101 points away from the milestone.
STRINGER MILESTONE NUMBERS TO REMEMBER
Rutgers head coach Stringer has compiled a 1004-405 career record entering her the 48th season of coaching and joined the elite 1,000 career victory club on November 13 in the Scarlet Knight victory over Central Connecticut State.
Stringer is the sixth NCAA women's basketball coach and fifth NCAA Division I women's basketball coach to reach the milestone victory.
In 2013, Stringer became just the seventh coach - men's or women's - to reach the 900-win mark.
Stringer's 35 20-win seasons are second-best in women's basketball history. Former Tennessee head coach Pat Summit leads all coaches with 36 20-win seasons.
The Naismith and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Coach is the fifth active winningest Division I coach and sixth all-time in career wins in NCAA women's basketball history.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Thru the first 10 games of the season, Rutgers ranks among the top 25 nationally in three categories.
The Scarlet Knights checking in fifth nationally in scoring defense (51.1) and sixth in field goal percentage defense (31.8). Additionally, RU is 12th in the country in block shots per game (5.5).
B1G SPEAKING
Among conference peers, Rutgers currently ranks:
Scoring Defense - 1st - 51.1
Field Goal Pct. Defense - 2nd - .318
3pt Field Goal Pct. Defense - 2nd - .272
Rebounding Defense - 2nd -30.8
Steals - 2nd - 10.2
Blocked Shots - 3rd - 5.5
The following Scarlet Knights are ranked among conference peers:
Victoria Harris - 4th - Steals - 2.3
Stasha Carey - 6th - Blocks - 1.7
Caitlin Jenkins - 7th - Rebounding - 8.9
D-D-D-DEFENSE
The defense turned up the pressure last season leading the Big Ten in scoring defense holding opponents to just 59.3 points per game.
Twenty-nine of RU's 32 opponents were held under their scoring average.
| Avg. Total Points Entering Game |
Total Points vs. Rutgers |
|
| JMU | 70.2 | 63 |
| Temple | 96.0 | 67 |
| Charlotte | 70.5 | 54 |
| Wake Forest | 71.7 | 51 |
| South Carolina | 88.2 | 78 |
| Washington St. | 69.7 | 64 |
| Siena | 67.3 | 63 |
| NC State | 71.9 | 53 |
| Virginia | 63.2 | 43 |
| Seton Hall | 81.1 | 45 |
| FDU | 63.0 | 35 |
| Princeton | 65.8 | 50 |
| Houston | 73.9 | 57 |
| Purdue | 68.8 | 50 |
| Michigan State | 79.6 | 58 |
| Illinois | 64.8 | 37 |
| Penn State | 70.4 | 65 |
| Purdue | 66.1 | 47 |
| Minnesota | 86.2 | 70 |
| Penn State | 70.1 | 70 |
| Nebraska | 70.9 | 52 |
| Indiana | 68.2 | 64 |
| Maryland | 85.1 | 88 |
| Michigan | 77.1 | 56 |
| Ohio State | 85.7 | 90 |
| Maryland | 84.0 | 72 |
| Wisconsin | 60.9 | 50 |
| Iowa | 79.7 | 77 |
| Northwestern | 62.1 | 63 |
| Purdue (B1G) | 66.3 | 60 |
| Ohio State (B1G) | 85.3 | 82 |
So far in 2018-19, the trend has held steady with all four opponents under their scoring average.
| Avg. Total Points Entering Game |
Total Points vs. Rutgers |
|
| St. Francis (Pa) | 80.9 | 52 |
| Stony Brook | 62.6 | 47 |
| CCSU | 62.5 | 44 |
| Albany | 43.7 | 39 |
| Drake | 82.5 | 69 |
| Gonzaga | 68.8 | 57 |
| ETSU | 61.7 | 44 |
| Va. Tech | 78.3 | 67 |
| Harvard | 68.3 | 49 |
| LSU | 63.9 | 43 |
UP NEXT
RU returns for its final competition of 2018 in the first conference road contest of the season. The Scarlet Knights meet No. 4/6 Maryland on New Year's Eve at noon at the Xfinity Center.
Follow Rutgers women's basketball at www.ScarletKnights.com and (@RutgersWBB) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all of the latest news and updates. For additional updates, download the Rutgers Gameday App.
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