Thursday, December 12
Piscataway, N.J.
7:00 PM (ET)
Rutgers University
vs
Southern
Game 10: Women's Hoops vs. Southern
Dec 11 | Women's Basketball
Scarlet Knights are 19-0 over the past three seasons in non-conference home games
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Dec. 11, 2019) - Rutgers women's basketball (8-1) continues a four-game homestand on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. against Southern (2-4) at the RAC, its second straight opponent that made the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Two games remain on the non-conference slate before Big Ten play begins at Wisconsin on Dec. 28.
The Scarlet Knights are looking to protect a flawless 5-0 home record this season. Over the past three seasons under head coach C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers is 19-0 in non-conference home games.
FAST START: Rutgers is 8-1, matching its best start to a season since 2014-15, which ended in a 22-win campaign and a trip to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. A 9-1 start will signal the Scarlet Knights' best since 2011 (NCAA Tournament First Round), and a 10-1 beginning to the season would be the best since 2005, a Sweet Sixteen year for C. Vivian Stringer's squad.
B1G HONORS: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes has been honored by the Big Ten in four of the first five weeks of the season. This week, Guirantes was named to the Big Ten Honor Roll and as a Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Honorable Mention with averages of 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 20 total free throws during a 2-0 week for the Scarlet Knights. Guirantes is now a two-time Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week and two-time B1G Honor Roll listee. She ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring with 19.1 points per game.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED: Rutgers defeated Virginia, 73-63, on Thursday at the RAC in the 13th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The victory helped the B1G top the ACC for the first time by a score of 9-5. The ACC now holds a 9-1-3 record against the Big Ten.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is once again receiving votes in both the AP (5 points) and and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (3 points) Polls. Rutgers was last receiving votes in both polls in Week 3, and ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation last season (AP, Jan. 21).
HOME COOKING: Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 210-48 (.813) at the RAC. RU is 50-5 over the last 55 at home, finished out 2018-19 at 13-2 and started this season 5-0. RU is 19-0 over the last three season in non-conference games at home.
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights start 8-1 for the first time since 2014 behind stifling defense. RU ranks No. 3 in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .297 and sixth in the nation in scoring defense at 50.1 points allowed per game. Rutgers leads the Big Ten in those crucial defensive categories, along with its 43.4 rebounds per game. RU has held all eight of nine opponents under its scoring average, and have done the same in 38 of its last 41 dating back to the start of last season.
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 nine 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).
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.
• At least two players have scored in double-figures in all nine games. RU is 6-0 when three or more score in double-digits.
• Rutgers is 8-0 when scoring more points in the paint and more points off turnovers than its opponents.
• Rutgers has held all nine opponents under 37 percent shooting this season.
• The Scarlet Knights have held 38 of its last 41 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 66 of its last 72 opponents under their scoring average.
• The victory over Georgia Tech marked Rutgers' third comeback for a win after trailing by six points or more this season after erasing an eight-point deficit against Harvard and an 11-point disadvantage to Vanderbilt.
• Arella Guirantes and Tekia Mack have each scored in double-figures in all nine contests.
• Guirantes set new career highs in free throws made and taken in the Towson win, connecting on 11-of-14 from the charity stripe.
• Nine different Scarlet Knights have scored at least one point on four occasions this season.
• Playing in her 97th career game, Sanders' six steals vs. Harvard were a career high and the most by a Rutgers player this season.
Rutgers, as a team or individually, is ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in six statistical categories through games played on Dec. 10, including a pair of Top 10 marks in key defensive figures..
• Team: FG% defense (3rd - .297)
• Team: Scoring defense (6th - 50.1)
• Team: Defensive rebounds/gm (23rd - 30.4)
• Team: 3FG% defense (25th - .252)
• Arella Guirantes: FT attempts (4th - 72)
• Arella Guirantes: FT made (9th - 51)
Rutgers wraps up non-conference play and a four-game home stand leading up to Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 15 against Marshall at 2 p.m. at the RAC.
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Scarlet Knights are looking to protect a flawless 5-0 home record this season. Over the past three seasons under head coach C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers is 19-0 in non-conference home games.
| THE SCOUT |
- The Jaguars (2-4) won both of its home games during the non-conference slate, but are 0-4 away from Baton Rouge. SU hasn't played a game in 18 days (Nov. 24 at Texas).
- Its the second game against a Big Ten opponent following a 73-39 loss at Nebraska on Nov. 20.
- Southern is coming off a SWAC Tournament title in 2018-19 and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
- SU lost two of their top scorers from the NCAA run last year. Senior guard Brittany Rose paces the attack with 10.5 points per game and 14 assists.
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| KNIGHT NOTES |
B1G HONORS: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes has been honored by the Big Ten in four of the first five weeks of the season. This week, Guirantes was named to the Big Ten Honor Roll and as a Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Honorable Mention with averages of 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 20 total free throws during a 2-0 week for the Scarlet Knights. Guirantes is now a two-time Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week and two-time B1G Honor Roll listee. She ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring with 19.1 points per game.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED: Rutgers defeated Virginia, 73-63, on Thursday at the RAC in the 13th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The victory helped the B1G top the ACC for the first time by a score of 9-5. The ACC now holds a 9-1-3 record against the Big Ten.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is once again receiving votes in both the AP (5 points) and and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (3 points) Polls. Rutgers was last receiving votes in both polls in Week 3, and ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation last season (AP, Jan. 21).
HOME COOKING: Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 210-48 (.813) at the RAC. RU is 50-5 over the last 55 at home, finished out 2018-19 at 13-2 and started this season 5-0. RU is 19-0 over the last three season in non-conference games at home.
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights start 8-1 for the first time since 2014 behind stifling defense. RU ranks No. 3 in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .297 and sixth in the nation in scoring defense at 50.1 points allowed per game. Rutgers leads the Big Ten in those crucial defensive categories, along with its 43.4 rebounds per game. RU has held all eight of nine opponents under its scoring average, and have done the same in 38 of its last 41 dating back to the start of last season.
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 nine 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).
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 |
• Rutgers is 8-0 when scoring more points in the paint and more points off turnovers than its opponents.
• Rutgers has held all nine opponents under 37 percent shooting this season.
• The Scarlet Knights have held 38 of its last 41 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 66 of its last 72 opponents under their scoring average.
• The victory over Georgia Tech marked Rutgers' third comeback for a win after trailing by six points or more this season after erasing an eight-point deficit against Harvard and an 11-point disadvantage to Vanderbilt.
• Arella Guirantes and Tekia Mack have each scored in double-figures in all nine contests.
• Guirantes set new career highs in free throws made and taken in the Towson win, connecting on 11-of-14 from the charity stripe.
• Nine different Scarlet Knights have scored at least one point on four occasions this season.
• Playing in her 97th career game, Sanders' six steals vs. Harvard were a career high and the most by a Rutgers player this season.
| NATIONAL RANKS |
• Team: FG% defense (3rd - .297)
• Team: Scoring defense (6th - 50.1)
• Team: Defensive rebounds/gm (23rd - 30.4)
• Team: 3FG% defense (25th - .252)
• Arella Guirantes: FT attempts (4th - 72)
• Arella Guirantes: FT made (9th - 51)
| UP NEXT |
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
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