Women's Basketball Opens B1G Tournament With Purdue

Thursday, March 1

Indianapolis, Ind.

Noon

Rutgers University

Purdue

Photo by: Rich Graessle

Women's Basketball Opens B1G Tournament With Purdue

Feb 27 | Women's Basketball

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Ninth-Seeded Scarlet Knights Tipoff Against Eighth-Seeded Boilermakers on Thursday at Noon

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The ninth-seeded Rutgers women's basketball team opens up postseason in the second round of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament on Thursday taking on the eighth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers at noon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The game will be streamed live on BTN2Go and also air on the MSG Network with Mike Monaco on play-by-play, Vera Jones on color and Christy Winters-Scott serving as sideline. Coverage will also be available from the Rutgers IMG Radio Network with Ralph Bednarczyk on the call.

The winner of Thursday's second round matchup between the Scarlet Knights and Boilermakers will advance to quarterfinal action on Friday at noon against tournament top seed and regular season champion, Ohio State.

No. 9 @RutgersWBB matches up against No. 8 @PurdueWBB in Thursday's opening game at Noon ET. #B1GTourney pic.twitter.com/mQDTziHE7C
— B1G Women's Hoops (@B1Gwbball) February 25, 2018

B1G TOURNAMENT TIME
Rutgers is coming off a 63-50 loss at Northwestern on Sunday to close out the regular season. Redshirt senior Tyler Scaife led the Scarlet Knight with 17 points to need only 11 points to move into second all-time in scoring "On The Banks".

Redshirt junior forward Stasha Carey added in 10 points in the loss, while junior forward Caitlin Jenkins came off the bench to haul in eight rebounds.

It will be the Scarlet Knights' fourth appearance in the Big Ten Tournament. RU has reached the quarterfinals twice in 2015 and 2016.

In the 2016 #B1GTourney, Tyler Scaife set single-game records for @RutgersWBB with 26 points on 12 of 22 shooting. #B1G25WBB pic.twitter.com/Xm1jdQJIyY
— B1G Women's Hoops (@B1Gwbball) February 27, 2018

ABOUT PURDUE
While the Scarlet Knights and Boilermakers have met twice in the postseason, both times in the NCAA Tournament, Thursday will be the first time these two teams tipoff against each other in the Big Ten Tournament.

The eighth-seeded Boilermakers enter the tournament at 18-12 overall while a 9-7 Big Ten mark. Purdue has swung back and forth between the win and loss column in its last five games ending the season with an 82-68 setback to Michigan State.

Purdue dropped its first meeting with Rutgers, 58-50, at the RAC back on Dec. 28, but tied up the season series with a 47-33 win at Mackey Arena on Jan. 10. Following the win over the Scarlet Knights, the Boilermakers won five of its next six contests. Over the final six games of the regular season though, Purdue has gone 2-4.

Five Boilermakers are averaging double figures led by senior guard Andreona Keys at 13.6 points per game. Sophomore guard Dominique Oden adds in 13.3 points per game. Sophomore forward Ae'Rianna Harris, meanwhile, is dropping in 12.4 points per game along with a team-leading 8.8 rebounds per contest. Freshman guard Karissa McLaughlin and sophomore guard Lamina Cooper each are scoring 10.0 points per outing.

STRINGER MILESTONE NUMBERS TO REMEMBER
Rutgers head coach Stringer has compiled a 996-401 career record in 47 seasons and is four wins away from joining the elite 1,000 career victories club in women's basketball.

Stringer's 34 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.

Stringer is the fourth active winningest Division I coach and sixth all-time in career wins in NCAA women's basketball history.

SCAIFE MILESTONE NUMBERS TO REMEMBER
Tyler Scaife's game-high 24 points in 23 minutes against Princeton on Dec. 13 propelled the redshirt senior into third place on the Rutgers all-time scoring leader list past former teammate Kahleah Copper (2012-16).

In the next game on Dec. 16, Scaife's steal leading to behind the back bucket that was featured on ESPNW's Top Ten Plays of the Week, pushed her past the 1,900 career point mark.

With nine points at Purdue on Jan. 10, Scaife became the third Scarlet Knight to collect over 2,000 career points joining Rutgers greats Sue Wicks and Cappie Pondexter in the club.

Scaife currently needs 11 more to move into second place on the all-time list past Cappie Pondexter (2002-2006).

Scaife has scored 590 points this season and kicked off the 2017-18 campaign 10th all-time in scoring.

Scaife is also among the active leading scorers in Division I:
1   Kelsey Mitchell , Ohio St.   3,264
2   Katelynn Flaherty , Michigan   2,700
3   Victoria Vivians , Mississippi St.   2,326
4   A'Ja Wilson , South Carolina   2,237
5   Tyra Buss , Indiana   2,204
6   Tyler Scaife , Rutgers   2,201
7   Kahlia Lawrence , Mercer   2,177
8   Ke'Shunan James, Murray St.   2,174
9   Kolby Morgan , Tulane   2,168
10   Jasmine Nwajei , Syracuse   2,153

GETTING THE POINTS
Rutgers is enjoying one of its highest scoring averages under C. Vivian Stringer's 23-year tenure "On the Banks"

Top RU Scoring Averages Under C. Vivian Stringer
1. 70.0 (35 games) 1998-99 – 29-6 – Elite Eight
2t. 68.7 (32 games) 2014-15 - 23-10 - 2nd Round
2t. 68.7 (32 games) 1997-98 – 22-10 – Sweet 16
4. 67.3 (29 games) 2002-03 – 21-8 – 2nd Round
5. 66.2 (37 games) 2013-14 – WNIT Champions
7. 65.6 (31 games) 2000-01 – 23-8 – 2nd Round
8. 65.3 (30 games) 2017-18 - 19-11 - Current Season

MOST IMPROVED TEAM
Rutgers is on pace to become one of the NCAA Division I Most Improved Teams in 2017-18.

                                            16-17:      17-18:
1t. Rutgers        (+13)     6-24        19-11
1t. Nebraska    (+13)       7-22      20-9
3. UC Irvine     (+12)      5-26      17-11
4.    Denver        (+10)       6-24      16-13
5t. Butler      (+8)         6-25 14-16
5t. Ala. A&M    (+8)         2-25 10-16
5t. Houston (+8)         12-19 20-10
5t. Fla. Atlantic (+8)         4-25 12-13

NATIONALLY SPEAKING
As a team, Rutgers appeared in the top 25 in four categories including ranking second in steals (352) and ninth in steals per game (12.1)

Individually, redshirt senior guard Tyler Scaife is third in field goals made (230), fifth in field goals attempted (511) and 13th in total points (573).

B1G SPEAKING
You can find Rutgers leading the Big Ten in scoring defense (59.3) and steals (12.1) and second in blocked shots (5.2) and turnover margin (+4.9).

Among conference peers:
- Redshirt senior guard Tyler Scaife is fifth in scoring (19.7), 12th in field goal percentage (.447) and fifth in free throw percentage (.816).
- Junior forward Caitlin Jenkins is 11th in rebounding (7.7) and sixth in blocks (1.5).
- Redshirt junior forward Stasha Carey is tied for fourth in steals (2.0), tied for 12th in blocks (1.1) and 16th in rebounding (6.7).
- Redshirt sophomore Ciani Cryor is tied for seventh in steals (1.8).
- Junior guard Khadaizha Sanders is tied for 12th in assists (3.7) and 15th in steals (1.6).
- Junior center Victoria Harris is tied for 10th in blocks (1.2).

D-D-D-DEFENSE
The defense has turned up the pressure this season and currently leads the Big Ten in scoring defense holding opponents to just 59.3 points per game. Twenty-seven of RU's 30 have been held under their scoring average.

MORE ON THE D
The Feb. 4 contest with Michigan put the Big Ten's top two defenses against each other. Rutgers came out on top 63-56 holding the Wolverines to their lowest point total in Big Ten play.

Rutgers and Michigan were the Big Ten's two top defenses with the Scarlet Knights allowing a league low 57.1 points per game. The Wolverines, meanwhile, were only allowing opponents 61.0 points per contest.

INTO THE DEEP END
All 14 members of the available roster have appeared in 16 of the 30 games of the 2017-18 season thus far.

Through 30 games, the Scarlet Knight bench is averaging 27.6 points per contest.

Only the Michigan State and Maryland benches have managed to outscore the Rutgers bench this season with the Spartans reserves outscoring the Scarlet Knight backups, 23-16, on Dec. 28 and the Terps holding a 16-9 advantage off the bench in the second meeting on Feb. 11.

NEWCOMER FACTOR
Certainly the new faces on the court have contributed significantly to Rutgers resurgence.

43.5% of the scoring (852 of 1,959 total points) and 53.1% of the rebounding (585 of 1,102 total rebounds) has come from Scarlet Knights playing in their first season in Scarlet.

MORE TO THE POINT
Junior Khadaizha Sanders returned to the hardwood in the Feb. 21 contest versus Iowa after missing the prior three games with an injury to her right elbow.

In her return, the RU point guard came off the bench for four points, going 2-of-4 from the field, along with five assists. It marked her eighth game this season with five or more helpers.

Since her return, the Kankakee, Illinois native has averaged 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

HAULING GLASS
Junior forward Caitlin Jenkins has been a monster on the boards for the Scarlet Knights this season.

Jenkins is not only averaging a team-leading 7.7 rebounds per game, ranking her 11th in the Big Ten, but has registered double digit rebounds in 11 contests this season. She has averaged 9.0 boards in the final three games of the regular season with Wisconsin, Iowa and Northwestern.

Most recently, Jenkins grabbed 10 rebounds in RU's overtime loss vs. Iowa on Feb. 21 and in back-to-back games with Michigan & No. 13/14 Michigan. Against the Hoosiers, nine of her boards came off the defensive glass.

Redshirt junior Stasha Carey has also been a force to be reckon with on the glass grabbing 14 rebounds in RU's overtime win over Minnesota on Jan. 13.

She sits behind Jenkins in the Big Ten stats checking in at 16th in rebounding in the league at 6.9 rebounds per contest.

Carey hauled in a season-high 15 rebounds in the Dec. 8 victory over Seton Hall and grabbed double digit boards in five games.

Prior to the meeting with the Pirates, the Cleveland, Ohio native hauled in nine boards in three-straight games with Siena, Virginia and Seton Hall.

B1G FORMAT CHANGE FOR 2018-19
The Big Ten Conference Administrators Council approved a change to the format of future women's basketball schedules at its annual meeting. The women's basketball schedule next season will feature 18 conference games, up from 16, that will allow teams to play five opponents twice and eight teams once (four home, four away) each season.

Follow Rutgers women's basketball at www.ScarletKnights.com and (@RutgersWBB) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all of the latest news and updates.

-RU-