PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Nov. 17, 2019) – Rutgers women's basketball (4-0) held its third straight opponent under 30 percent shooting in a 74-46 victory over Harvard (3-2) on Sunday afternoon at the RAC.
The Scarlet Knights begin a season 4-0 for the third straight year. Three players registered double-doubles in the same game for the first time in over a year, all leading to head coach
C. Vivian Stringer tying UNC's Sylvia Hatchell for fifth place all-time in NCAA women's basketball coaching wins at 1,023.
"It's the small things that are going to be important in the biggest games," Stringer said. "We did those things well today; in transition, rebounding, sharing the basketball. We're proud of the things we did, and we're excited to get better."
- Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes was Rutgers' scoring leader for the third time this season, netting 19 on 7-of-18 shooting with two 3-pointers, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.
- Senior center Jordan Wallace played her self-proclaimed game of her career with her best point and rebound outputs as a collegiate player. She put together 14 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double.
- Graduate student guard Khadaizha Sanders contributed 14 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting. She passed out seven assists compared to three turnovers and picked up six steals on defense.
- Junior wing Tekia Mack had 10 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.
- Rutgers won the battle down low with a 49-38 advantage on the glass and a commanding 52-12 in points in the paint.
- Transition offense and the press defense resulted in a 30-8 lead in fast break points for Rutgers.
Harvard led by eight points at 16-8, handing Rutgers its first deficit of the young season. Rutgers response? A 24-3 run lasting most of the second quarter to make sure they didn't trail again to the Crimson. Guirantes found her three-point stroke during the tail end of the run, giving her multiple makes from three-point land in three of four games. Seven different Scarlet Knights scored points during the 24-3 spurt.
- Down 16-8 and facing its first deficit of the 2019-20 season, Rutgers responded with a 6-0 run to keep it close. Sophomore guard Zipporah Broughton got it started with the assist on senior center Jordan Wallace's lay-in and converted a layup of her own on the fast break off Khadaizha Sanders' dime.
- Rutgers got its lead back thanks to a 24-3 run from the end of the first through most of the second quarter, with a Harvard three-pointer in the middle of 8-0 and 16-0 RU rallies. Guirantes knocked down two treys and scored eight points during the latter. Another Crimson triple and two free throws 15 seconds before half kept the deficit at 39-27 heading into the locker rooms.
- Mack scored six straight points as part of an 8-0 run to start the third. Toward the end of the period, Harvard's scoring drought of 2:25 caused a 63-35 advantage for RU.
- The two sides traded baskets in the fourth, but the Scarlet Knight defense remained clamped down with just 11 points allowed as Coach Stringer's patented press caused a 10-second turnover and another steal by Sanders.
- With 1,023 career victories, C. Vivian Stringer ties UNC's Sylvia Hatchell for fifth place all-time in NCAA women's basketball coaching wins. She is also tied for fourth all-time in NCAA Division I coaching victories.
- Three players recorded double-doubles for the first time since the 2018-19 season opener against St. Francis. It was Guirantes' fourth career double-double, Mack's second and Wallace's first.
- Rutgers starts a season 4-0 for the third consecutive season.
- Guirantes has made multiple three-pointers in 3-of-4 contests this season. A 25 percent career three-point shooting before this year, Guirantes is connecting at a .527 clip this season with 10 makes after making 23 as a sophomore.
- Sanders' six steals were a career high and the most by a Rutgers player this season.
- Holding Harvard 17 points below its early season average, the Scarlet Knights have now held all four opponents under their scoring averages to start the year, and dating back to 34 of its last 36 since the beginning of 2018-19.
- Rutgers didn't trail on the scoreboard until 122:28 into the 2019-20 season.
- Coach Stringer employed the starting lineup of Sanders, Gilles, Guirantes, Mack and Wallace for the fourth straight game to start the season. Their 2018-19 starts in parentheses: Sanders (0 – missed season with injury), Guirantes (21), Mack (2), Gilles (9) and Wallace (0).
- RU improves to 48-5 at the RAC since the beginning of 2017-18, and 208-48 (.812) since 2002-03.
The Scarlet Knights travel to LSU on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT).
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