PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Nov. 8, 2019) - Rutgers women's basketball hosts its 2019-20 home opener at the RAC against Coppin State on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. 

Beginning her 25th season as Rutgers' head coach with a victory at South Alabama, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer earned her 500th win at the helm of the Scarlet Knights. The winningest coach in Rutgers basketball history, her record of 500-277 is good for a .644 win percentage since taking the job in 1995. The milestone came just short of the one-year anniversary of Stringer joining the 1,000 career win club, becoming just the fifth NCAA Division I women's hoops coach to accomplish the legendary feat. Stringer is the fourth winningest active coach in women's basketball.
 

PROMOTIONS

• Celebrate Coach C. Vivian Stringer's 500th win at Rutgers with a pre-game ceremony. 
• Season Ticket Holder Appreciation - All season ticket holders can claim two complimentary tickets for the game.
• Halftime performance: Drums of Thunder

THE SCOUT

Playing its first game of the 2019-20 season, Coppin State went 5-25 overall a year ago with a 4-12 mark in the MEAC. Leading the returners is senior Chance Graham, who is ten rebounds away from breaking the Coppin State program record and was named to the preseason All-MEAC First Team. The Eagles scored 57.2 points per game last winter, while excelling in causing turnovers with 7.3 steals per game.
 

HEAD-TO-HEAD

 
 

KNIGHT NOTES

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. Tuesday's season opening starting lineup 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).

ABOUT LAST YEAR: A historic 2018-19 season saw head coach C. Vivian Stinger reach the 1,000 career win milestone before the Scarlet Knights went on to their best Big Ten regular season finish in third place. Rutgers reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the first time and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, its first appearance since 2015.

IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is receiving votes in both the AP (2) and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (4) Polls to start the season. The Scarlet Knights ranked as high as No. 14 last season (AP, Jan. 21).

HOME SWEET HOME: Rutgers has won two straight home openers and are 18-6 overall under C. Vivian Stringer in a season's first home game. Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 205-48 (.810) at the RAC. RU is 45-5 over the last two seasons at home and finished out 2018-19 at 13-2.

RUTGERS RECRUITS: Three Scarlet Knights made their Rutgers debuts in Tuesday's victory at South Alabama.
• Freshman center Maori Davenport is the No. 15 overall prospect and No. 2 post players according to espnW. She earned an invitation to tryout for the USA Women's U19 World Cup Team, and earned a gold medal with the FIBA American U18 Championship team. Davenport picked up a block on her first defensive possession on Tuesday, 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.
• Freshman guard Joiya Maddox is the No. 28 guard prospect according to espnW after earning First Team USA Today All-USA Alabama honors and three consecutive Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Team awards. 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.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Alexis Morris transfers in from Baylor and will be eligible to begin play in 2020 at Purdue on Jan. 5. Morris was a five-star recruit who scored 9.4 points per game as a rookie in 2017-18.
 

TRENDING

• Rutgers is 18-6 in home openers during the C. Vivian Stringer era.
• The Scarlet Knights have held 31 of its last 33 opponents last season under their scoring average. Over the past two seasons, RU has held 60 of its last 65 opponents under their scoring average.
• Guirantes, who ended the 2018-19 season scoring 16.4 points per game over the final seven games, opened the new season with a career-high 27 points at South Alabama.
• Rutgers connected on 15-of-17 free throws (.882) in the season opener at South Alabama. RU put together its second best free throw efficiency season since 2002-03 last year, connecting on a .727 clip as a team.
• Mack earned her first career double-double at South Alabama with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
• Returning from a season-long injury, Sanders dished out eight assists to go with nine rebounds, three steals and a block at South Alabama.
 

UP NEXT

The Scarlet Knights continue a three-game home stand on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. against Niagara. Tickets are available to purchase here or by calling 1-866-445-4678.

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