Thursday, November 28
Bimini, Bahamas
3:00 PM (ET)
Rutgers University
vs
Vanderbilt
Game 6: Women's Hoops vs. Vanderbilt in the Bahamas
Nov 27 | Women's Basketball
Welcome to Paradise
BIMINI, Bahamas (Nov. 27, 2019) - Rutgers women's basketball (4-1) kicks off the 2019 Junkanoo Jam on the beautiful island of Bimini against Vanderbilt (5-1) on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. ET.
The Scarlet Knights won the Junkanoo Jam title in 2005, and are seeking its first Thanksgiving Week tournament win since 2015 at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
With a victory over Vanderbilt, Rutgers will play on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. against the winner of Georgia Tech/Seton Hall. A loss would have Rutgers play the loser of that game on Friday, Nov. 29 at 7:45 p.m.
The Commodores (5-1) have won three straight games and are looking for its first four-game winning streak since 2016. Its lone loss came against No. 4 UConn, 62-50. A pair of sophomores lead Vanderbilt early with Brinae Alexander scoring in double-figures in all six games and Jordyn Cambridge ranking fifth in the nation in steals. The Commodores pride themselves on depth with four different leading scorers and four different leading rebounders. On the whole, Vanderbilt holds a +9.0 rebounding margin.
JAMMIN: Rutgers makes its first trip to the Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam since 2005, when it claimed the tournament title with a 66-56 victory over NC State in the championship behind 24 points from future WNBA superstar Cappie Pondexter.
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights started 4-1 for the second straight season behind stifling defense. RU ranks in the nation's Top 10 statistically in a pair of crucial defensive categories through the first three weeks of the season. Rutgers ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .264 and seventh in scoring defense at 47.2 points allowed per game. RU has held all five opponents under its scoring average, and have done the same in 35 of its last 37 dating back to the start of last season.
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 in the Bahamas puts her in sole possession of fifth place.
B1G HONOR: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes was honored by the Big Ten in each of the first two weeks of the season. Following Opening Week, she was named Rutgers' first Big Ten Player of the Week since 2015 by averaging 22 points and six rebounds per game. She followed it up with a mention on the Big Ten Honor Roll in Week 2 with 21.5 points and nine rebounds per game.
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, while returning 45% of its points and 35% of its rebounds. The eight returning Scarlet Knights (seven letterwinners) make up 29 percent of last year's games started. The first five starting lineups with last year's number of starts in parantheses: Khadaizha Sanders (0 – 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 St., marking the first time all five RU starters scored in double-digits since Dec. 20, 2013.
FUTURE IS BRIGHT: C. Vivian Stringer and her staff have secured the No. 8 nationally ranked recruiting class for 2020 according to ESPN, led by the signing of No. 6 ranked prospect Diamond Johnson. Blue Star Basketball ranks the class No. 5 in the nation.
• RU has made 34 three-point field goals, the most in school history through five games.
• During the record three-point shooting season of 2006-07 (180 makes), Rutgers had 24 through five games. RU is averaging 6.8 three-point makes now, and averaged 5.0 per game during 2006-07. This season's percentage (.374) is outpacing that of 2006-07 (.359).
• The Scarlet Knights have held 35 of its last 37 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 63 of its last 68 opponents under their scoring average.
• Maori Davenport established an early career high with six rebounds at LSU, the first time she led Rutgers in rebounding.
• Arella Guirantes and Tekia Mack have each scored in double-figures in all five contests.
• 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).
• 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 eight different Scarlet Knights have scored a field goal in each of Rutgers' last four games.
Rutgers, as a team or its individuals, is ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in six statistical categories through games played on Nov. 25.
• Team: FG% defense (3rd - .264)
• Team: Scoring defense (7th - 47.2)
• Team: 3FG% defense (15th - .216)
• Team: Rebounds/gm (21st - 46.8)
• Team: FG% (21st - .480)
• KK Sanders: assists/gm (13th - 6.6)
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. Looking ahead, Rutgers returns to New Jersey to host Virginia in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. at the RAC, airing live on Big Ten Network.
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Scarlet Knights won the Junkanoo Jam title in 2005, and are seeking its first Thanksgiving Week tournament win since 2015 at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
With a victory over Vanderbilt, Rutgers will play on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. against the winner of Georgia Tech/Seton Hall. A loss would have Rutgers play the loser of that game on Friday, Nov. 29 at 7:45 p.m.
Welcome to paradise! The Scarlet Knights have arrived in Bimini! The first women's team to arrive on island! #JunkanooJam pic.twitter.com/BKUd1VW6qx
— Junkanoo Jam (@JunkanooJam) November 26, 2019
| THE SCOUT |
We ended last season in the Big Dance. What better way to start the Junkanoo Jam than a little dancing? pic.twitter.com/UIuFiNcXao
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) November 26, 2019
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| KNIGHT NOTES |
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights started 4-1 for the second straight season behind stifling defense. RU ranks in the nation's Top 10 statistically in a pair of crucial defensive categories through the first three weeks of the season. Rutgers ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .264 and seventh in scoring defense at 47.2 points allowed per game. RU has held all five opponents under its scoring average, and have done the same in 35 of its last 37 dating back to the start of last season.
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 in the Bahamas puts her in sole possession of fifth place.
B1G HONOR: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes was honored by the Big Ten in each of the first two weeks of the season. Following Opening Week, she was named Rutgers' first Big Ten Player of the Week since 2015 by averaging 22 points and six rebounds per game. She followed it up with a mention on the Big Ten Honor Roll in Week 2 with 21.5 points and nine rebounds per game.
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, while returning 45% of its points and 35% of its rebounds. The eight returning Scarlet Knights (seven letterwinners) make up 29 percent of last year's games started. The first five starting lineups with last year's number of starts in parantheses: Khadaizha Sanders (0 – 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 St., marking the first time all five RU starters scored in double-digits since Dec. 20, 2013.
FUTURE IS BRIGHT: C. Vivian Stringer and her staff have secured the No. 8 nationally ranked recruiting class for 2020 according to ESPN, led by the signing of No. 6 ranked prospect Diamond Johnson. Blue Star Basketball ranks the class No. 5 in the nation.
| TRENDING |
• During the record three-point shooting season of 2006-07 (180 makes), Rutgers had 24 through five games. RU is averaging 6.8 three-point makes now, and averaged 5.0 per game during 2006-07. This season's percentage (.374) is outpacing that of 2006-07 (.359).
• The Scarlet Knights have held 35 of its last 37 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 63 of its last 68 opponents under their scoring average.
• Maori Davenport established an early career high with six rebounds at LSU, the first time she led Rutgers in rebounding.
• Arella Guirantes and Tekia Mack have each scored in double-figures in all five contests.
• 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).
• 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 eight different Scarlet Knights have scored a field goal in each of Rutgers' last four games.
| NATIONAL RANKS |
• Team: FG% defense (3rd - .264)
• Team: Scoring defense (7th - 47.2)
• Team: 3FG% defense (15th - .216)
• Team: Rebounds/gm (21st - 46.8)
• Team: FG% (21st - .480)
• KK Sanders: assists/gm (13th - 6.6)
| UP NEXT |
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
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