MOBILE, Ala. (Nov. 5, 2019) – Head coach
C. Vivian Stringer has added another monumental milestone to a Hall of Fame career with her 500
th career victory as head coach of Rutgers women's basketball. In Coach Stringer's first game of her 25
th season at the helm of the Scarlet Knights, Rutgers defeated South Alabama by a score of 77-56 on Tuesday night at the Mitchell Center.
The landmark victory was a fitting one for Stringer, who has made a career of coaching defensively tenacious squads. The Jaguars shot 27 percent from the field, including a 14 percent mark from three-point range. South Alabama scored 12 points below their offensive average from last season, which ended in 25 wins and a second-round appearance in the WNIT.
Taking the head coaching job at Rutgers in 1995, Coach Stringer embarks on the remainder of the 2019-20 season with a 500-277 record "On the Banks" for a .644 winning percentage.
"It's so hard to find the words on a night like this," Stringer said. "I am just so happy to be healthy and back coaching this team, and thinking back to every young woman that has come through this program, every coach, staff member and administrator that made this number possible, it's a very special feeling and one I am very grateful for.
"I get to wake up everyday and coach basketball and make a difference in young people's lives," Stringer added. "I never set out for 500 wins, honestly I lost track at one point, but there is no better place to do it than Rutgers University."
- Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes led the offense with a career-high 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting and a career-high-tying four 3-pointers. She was just as tough on defense with a team-high three blocks.
- Junior swing Tekia Mack was a presence on both ends of the court with her first career double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. The rebounds were a career high for Mack.
- Graduate student Khadaizha Sanders passed out eight assists to an offense that shot 45.2 percent from the field.
- The Scarlet Knights continued last year's theme of efficient free throw shooting with a 15-of-17 mark (.882) to start the season.
- Rutgers' bench outscored the Jaguars, 15-1, as RU also held significant advantages in paint points (44-28).
The momentum seemed to have started in the pregame locker room as the Scarlet Knights connected on their game plan on both ends of the court to start the game, hence setting a tone for a coast-to-coast lead on the scoreboard. South Alabama missed its first 10 shots and couldn't recover from the deficit.
- First-game hype led to a Rutgers 7-0 run as part of a 12-2 start to the game at the first media timeout. Sophomore guard Noga Peleg Pelc drained her first shot of the season from distance to establish the 10-point lead. Rutgers started the game 4-of-4 from the field, while the Scarlet Knight defense forced four turnovers and caused the Jaguars to miss their first 10 shots before the 2:43 mark in the first.
- In the second, it was more of the Rutgers defense dictating the pace of the game as South Alabama went without a field goal for a 4:36 span of game clock from 8:17 to 3:41.
- The Jags started their night 0-for-8 from three-point range until their first long-range bucket with 1:07 left in the half to cut the lead to 34-19, but Sanders' second-chance putback and Guirantes' three-pointer at the halftime buzzer sent Rutgers to the intermission with a 39-21 lead.
- South Alabama started the second half as Rutgers started the first. Rutgers halted an 8-0 run as freshman center Maori Davenport blocked a shot to start a Mack fast break lay-in and push the lead back to 12 points at 41-29. Despite a 1-of-8 stretch for USA, the Jaguars rebounded with a 6-0 run over the final two minutes of the third quarter.
- The Rutgers defense finished the game as it started, holding South Alabama to 1-of-11 shooting over the first seven minutes of the final period.
- The Scarlet Knights move to 15-10 in season openers under Coach Stringer.
- South Alabama managed 56 points, well under their 2018-19 scoring average of 68.0. Rutgers has now held 31 of its last 33 opponents under its scoring average.
- Game 1 starting lineup and their starts from last season: Khadaizha Sanders (0 – missed season with injury), Arella Guirantes (21), Tekia Mack (2), Mael Gilles (9) and Jordan Wallace (0).
- Collegiate debut: Maori Davenport picked up a block on her first defensive possession, then made her first shot from the field – a turnaround, midrange jumper in the paint. The Troy, Alabama native finished with seven points, two rebounds and two blocks.
- Collegiate debut: Hoover, Alabama native Joiya Maddox saw eight minutes on the court and netted her first three points on a three-point play with one minute remaining in the game.
- Guirantes tied her career high with four made three-point field goals.
- Guirantes reached 20 points for the fifth time in her career, while Mack earned her second career 20-point contest.
- All available players saw game action within 15 minutes of game time.
The Scarlet Knights host their home opener on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. against Coppin State at The RAC. Rutgers will celebrate Coach Stringer's 500
th victory as its head coach in a pregame ceremony just before tipoff. Tickets for the contest can be purchased
here.
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