Sunday, November 24
Baton Rouge, La.
8:00 PM (ET)
Rutgers University
at
LSU
Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)
Game 5: Women's Hoops at LSU
Nov 22 | Women's Basketball
Scarlet Knights look for first 5-0 start since 2014
BATON ROUGE, La. (Nov. 22, 2019) - Rutgers women's basketball (5-0) travels to LSU (4-1) on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) to kick off a three-game road stint.
The Scarlet Knights are seeking their first 5-0 start to a season since 2014.
The Tigers (4-1) have won three straight games after their lone loss of the season to No. 12 ranked Florida State, 80-72, in the Maravich Center on Nov. 9. LSU has outscored opponents by an average of 11.2 to start the year along with a plus-7.2 rebounding margin. Senior forward Ayana Mitchell, a Preseason All-SEC Team selection and mentioned on the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy watch lists, is averaging just shy of a double-double with 11.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Khayla Pointer leads the crew with 15.0 points per game, including a team-best 4-of-9 mark from three-point range.
Last season, Rutgers topped the Tigers, 57-43, at the RAC on Dec. 15. LSU got 21 points from Pointer, but Mitchell was held to eight points as the Tigers shot 31 percent from the field. Arella Guirantes led the Scarlet Knights with 16 points.
5-0 ON THE LINE: Rutgers women's basketball is seeking its first 5-0 start to a season since 2014-15. That season, their first in the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights started 6-0 on their way to a 24-win campaign and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.
CVS MILESTONES: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer, who won her 500th game as Rutgers' head coach in the season opener on Nov. 5, is tied with UNC's Syliva Hatchell for fifth place all-time in NCAA women's basketball victories, and fourth place in Division I with 1,023 career wins. A win at LSU puts her in sole possession of fifth place.
B1G HONOR: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes was named to the Big Ten Honor Roll for her performance during the week ending Nov. 17. This marks Guirantes' second career Big Ten Honor Roll. As the reigning Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week from Opening Week and Rutgers' first such honoree since 2015, Guirtantes continued her assault on the stat sheet in Week 2. She averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 block during a 2-0 week that pushed the Scarlet Knights to 4-0 to start the 2019-20 campaign. Guirantes shot 6-of-10 from three-point range and had a career-high five assists vs. Niagara.
WIN FOR THE AGES: The Scarlet Knights defeated Coppin State, 107-33, on Nov. 9 at the RAC home opener, scoring its most points in a game since 1989. The 107-point onslaught was also the most at the RAC since 1988 and the most by any Stringer-led team since her penultimate game at Cheyney State in 1983. In the victory, Rutgers made 12 three-pointers, a new RAC record and tying the program record from 2006.
NEW-LOOK KNIGHTS: Rutgers women's basketball enters the 2019-20 season without four of the top five leaders in games started from last winter. The eight returning Scarlet Knights (seven letterwinners) make up 29 percent of last year's games started. The first four starting lineups with last year's number of starts in parantheses: Khadaizha Sanders (0 – missed season with injury), Arella Guirantes (21), Tekia Mack (2), Mael Gilles (9) and Jordan Wallace (0).
SPEAKING OF THE STARTERS: The aforementioned Sanders (16), Guirantes (17), Mack (21), Gilles (16) and Wallace (10) all scored in double-figures against Coppin State, marking the first time all five Rutgers starters scored in double-digits since Dec. 20, 2013. Mack scored 21 points in each game during Opening Week, earning the honor of Big Ten Player of the Week from a private selection process by College Sports Madness.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is receiving votes in both the AP (2 points) and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (6 points) Polls to start the season. The Scarlet Knights ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation last season (AP, Jan. 21).
• RU has made 32 three-point field goals, the most in school history through four games.
• During the record three-point shooting season of 2006-07 (180 makes), Rutgers had 21 through four games. RU is averaging 4.0 three-point makes now, and averaged 5.0 per game during 2006-07. This season's percentage (.390) is outpacing that of 2006-07 (.359).
• Rutgers has held opponents to .231 shooting over the last three games, the best three-game FG% defense in school history.
• The Scarlet Knights have held 34 of its last 36 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 62 of its last 67 opponents under their scoring average.
• Against Harvard, three players recorded double-doubles in the same game for the first time since the 2018-19 season opener against St. Francis. It was Arella Guirantes' fourth career double-double (19pts, 11reb), Tekia Mack's second (10pts, 10reb) and Jordan Wallace's first (14pts, 10reb).
• RU is outscoring opposition 182-66 in the paint, 104-27 off turnovers and 110-23 in fast break points.
• Rutgers trailed for the first time on the scoreboard 122:28 into the season, and went on to erase an eight-point deficit before its 28-point victory over Harvard.
• Playing in her 97th career game, Sanders' six steals vs. Harvard were a career high and the most by a Rutgers player this season.
• At least nine different Scarlet Knights have scored a field goal in each of Rutgers' last three games.
Rutgers, as a team or its individuals, is ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in 11 statistical categories through games played on Nov. 20.
• Team: FG% defense (2nd - .243)
• Team: Scoring defense (5th - 43.0)
• Team: Rebounds/gm (10th - 49.3)
• Team: Scoring offense (12th - 83.6)
• Team: FG% (18th - .489)
• Team: Assist-to-turnover ratio (18th - 1.46)
• Team: Assists/gm (18th - 19.0)
• Team: Blocks/gm (21st - 5.8)
• KK Sanders: assists/gm (9th - 7.0)
• Tekia Mack: double-doubles (19th - 2)
• Arella Guirantes: points/gm (21st - 21.8)
The Scarlet Knights head out on a Thanksgiving trip to the Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam at World Resorts Bimini. RU faces Vanderbilt on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. With a win over Vandy, Rutgers will play the winner of Georgia Tech/Seton Hall on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. With a loss, Rutgers will play the loser of that game on Friday, Nov. 29 at 7:45 p.m.
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Scarlet Knights are seeking their first 5-0 start to a season since 2014.
| THE SCOUT |
Last season, Rutgers topped the Tigers, 57-43, at the RAC on Dec. 15. LSU got 21 points from Pointer, but Mitchell was held to eight points as the Tigers shot 31 percent from the field. Arella Guirantes led the Scarlet Knights with 16 points.
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| KNIGHT NOTES |
CVS MILESTONES: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer, who won her 500th game as Rutgers' head coach in the season opener on Nov. 5, is tied with UNC's Syliva Hatchell for fifth place all-time in NCAA women's basketball victories, and fourth place in Division I with 1,023 career wins. A win at LSU puts her in sole possession of fifth place.
B1G HONOR: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes was named to the Big Ten Honor Roll for her performance during the week ending Nov. 17. This marks Guirantes' second career Big Ten Honor Roll. As the reigning Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week from Opening Week and Rutgers' first such honoree since 2015, Guirtantes continued her assault on the stat sheet in Week 2. She averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 block during a 2-0 week that pushed the Scarlet Knights to 4-0 to start the 2019-20 campaign. Guirantes shot 6-of-10 from three-point range and had a career-high five assists vs. Niagara.
WIN FOR THE AGES: The Scarlet Knights defeated Coppin State, 107-33, on Nov. 9 at the RAC home opener, scoring its most points in a game since 1989. The 107-point onslaught was also the most at the RAC since 1988 and the most by any Stringer-led team since her penultimate game at Cheyney State in 1983. In the victory, Rutgers made 12 three-pointers, a new RAC record and tying the program record from 2006.
NEW-LOOK KNIGHTS: Rutgers women's basketball enters the 2019-20 season without four of the top five leaders in games started from last winter. The eight returning Scarlet Knights (seven letterwinners) make up 29 percent of last year's games started. The first four starting lineups with last year's number of starts in parantheses: Khadaizha Sanders (0 – missed season with injury), Arella Guirantes (21), Tekia Mack (2), Mael Gilles (9) and Jordan Wallace (0).
SPEAKING OF THE STARTERS: The aforementioned Sanders (16), Guirantes (17), Mack (21), Gilles (16) and Wallace (10) all scored in double-figures against Coppin State, marking the first time all five Rutgers starters scored in double-digits since Dec. 20, 2013. Mack scored 21 points in each game during Opening Week, earning the honor of Big Ten Player of the Week from a private selection process by College Sports Madness.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is receiving votes in both the AP (2 points) and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (6 points) Polls to start the season. The Scarlet Knights ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation last season (AP, Jan. 21).
| TRENDING |
• During the record three-point shooting season of 2006-07 (180 makes), Rutgers had 21 through four games. RU is averaging 4.0 three-point makes now, and averaged 5.0 per game during 2006-07. This season's percentage (.390) is outpacing that of 2006-07 (.359).
• Rutgers has held opponents to .231 shooting over the last three games, the best three-game FG% defense in school history.
• The Scarlet Knights have held 34 of its last 36 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 62 of its last 67 opponents under their scoring average.
• Against Harvard, three players recorded double-doubles in the same game for the first time since the 2018-19 season opener against St. Francis. It was Arella Guirantes' fourth career double-double (19pts, 11reb), Tekia Mack's second (10pts, 10reb) and Jordan Wallace's first (14pts, 10reb).
• RU is outscoring opposition 182-66 in the paint, 104-27 off turnovers and 110-23 in fast break points.
• Rutgers trailed for the first time on the scoreboard 122:28 into the season, and went on to erase an eight-point deficit before its 28-point victory over Harvard.
• Playing in her 97th career game, Sanders' six steals vs. Harvard were a career high and the most by a Rutgers player this season.
• At least nine different Scarlet Knights have scored a field goal in each of Rutgers' last three games.
| NATIONAL RANKS |
• Team: FG% defense (2nd - .243)
• Team: Scoring defense (5th - 43.0)
• Team: Rebounds/gm (10th - 49.3)
• Team: Scoring offense (12th - 83.6)
• Team: FG% (18th - .489)
• Team: Assist-to-turnover ratio (18th - 1.46)
• Team: Assists/gm (18th - 19.0)
• Team: Blocks/gm (21st - 5.8)
• KK Sanders: assists/gm (9th - 7.0)
• Tekia Mack: double-doubles (19th - 2)
• Arella Guirantes: points/gm (21st - 21.8)
| UP NEXT |
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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