Tuesday, December 31
Piscataway, N.J.
3:00 PM (ET)
Rutgers University
vs
No. 14/15 Indiana
Game 13: Women's Hoops vs. No. 14/15 Indiana
Dec 30 | Women's Basketball
Scarlet Knights host nationally ranked Hoosiers in Big Ten home opener looking for eighth straight victory
PISCATAWAY, N.J.. (Dec. 30, 2019) - Rutgers women's basketball (11-1, 1-0) hosts its Big Ten opener against No. 14/15 Indiana (11-2, 1-0) on New Year's Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. at the RAC, airing live on Big Ten Network with Jason Horowitz and Julianne Viani-Braen on the call.
Off to their best start to a season since 1990 and winners of seven straight, the Scarlet Knights improved to 5-1 in Big Ten openers on Saturday following a 15-point comeback and a 64-61 victory at Wisconsin.
HISTORIC START: Rutgers is 11-1, signaling its best start to a season during the C. Vivian Stringer era (since 1995) and best overall since the 1990-91 squad opened 13-0.
B1G TIME: C. Vivian Stringer, the all-time winningest coach in Big Ten play with 213 victories, leads the Scarlet Knights into the conference slate one year after RU's most successful season in the league since joining in 2014-15. Rutgers' 13 regular season Big Ten wins, the No. 3 Big Ten Tournament seed and the tourney semifinals finish in '18-19 were all program bests.
PLAYING B1G: Rutgers has owned the paint this season, outscoring opponents by an average of 16.1 points per game down low. The Scarlet Knights are 11-0 this season when outscoring opponents in the paint.
B1G HONORS: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes leads the Big Ten in scoring at 19.4 points per game. She has been honored by the Big Ten in five weekly honors this season. 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 Dec. 2-9. Guirantes is a two-time Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week and three-time B1G Honor Roll listee this season.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is once again receiving votes in both the AP (24 points) and and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (2 points) Polls. Rutgers received votes in both polls in Weeks 1-3, 5-8. RU is currently listed No. 32 in the RPI rankings.
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights start 11-1 for the first time since 1990 behind stifling defense. RU ranks No. 5 in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .308 and No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense at 50.9 points allowed per game. RU has held 11 of 12 opponents under its scoring average, and have done the same in 41 of its last 44.
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 projected starting lineup 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 out of Neumann Goretti in Philadelphia. Blue Star Basketball ranks the class No. 5 in the nation.
• At least two players have scored in double-figures in all 12 games. RU is 8-0 when three or more score in double-digits and 2-0 when five or more accomplish double-figure scoring.
• Nine different Scarlet Knights have scored at least one point on five occasions this season.
• Rutgers is 11-0 when scoring more points in the paint and more points off turnovers than its opponents.
• Arella Guirantes makes the most of her time (2nd in Big Ten in minutes per game) - ranking 4th in the nation in free throw attempts (86) and 3rd in the Big Ten in field goal attempts (177).
• Guirantes set new career highs in free throws made and taken in the Towson win, connecting on 11-of-14 from the charity stripe.
• RU has had at least a seven-game winning streak in each of the last three seasons.
• The Scarlet Knights have held 41 of its last 44 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 70 of its last 76 opponents under their scoring average.
• The victory at Wisconsin marked Rutgers' fourth comeback for a win after trailing by six points or more this season after erasing a six-point deficit to Georgia Tech, eight points against Harvard, and an 11-point disadvantage to Vanderbilt.
• KK Sanders passed out 16 assists compared to just one turnover over 55 minutes combined in the Southern and Marshall victories.
Rutgers, as a team or individually, is ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in five statistical categories through games played on Dec. 26, including a pair of Top 10 marks in key defensive figures..
• Team: FG% defense (5th - .308)
• Team: Scoring defense (7th - 50.9)
• Arella Guirantes: FT attempts (4th - 86)
• Arella Guirantes: FT made (8th - 65)
• Arella Guirantes: Points/gm (23rd - 19.4)
Rutgers heads back out on the road at Purdue on Sunday, Jan. 5 at noon on Big Ten Network.
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Off to their best start to a season since 1990 and winners of seven straight, the Scarlet Knights improved to 5-1 in Big Ten openers on Saturday following a 15-point comeback and a 64-61 victory at Wisconsin.
| PROMOTIONS |
- Ticket deals: $5 bleacher tickets, 2 for $20 lower bowl. Visit RutgersGameday.com for more information. Additionally, season ticket holders may claim two additional complimentary tickets to the game.
- Free Block R winter beanies to the first 500 fans at the RAC (Doors open at 2 p.m.).
- All You Can Eat Concession Pass for $20.
- Champagne available at locations where beer and wine are sold.
- Halftime Entertainment: Mutts Gone Nuts
| THE SCOUT |
- The Hoosiers (11-2, 1-0) won their Big Ten opener at home against Michigan State on Saturday, 79-67, despite trailing by 12 points in the second quarter.
- Freshman forward Mackenzie Holmes has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after coming off the bench to go 7-for-8 from the field and add 18 points, her ninth double figure scoring game this season. Her .713 field goal percentage ranks second in the nation.
- Indiana's two losses this season came against Top 10 teams - No. 2 Baylor (77-62 on Nov. 29) and No. 10 UCLA (68-58 on Dec. 22).
- The Hoosiers' .491 field goal percentage ranks sixth in the nation, while defending field goals at a ..326 rate for 11th in the country.
- Five Hoosiers average in double-digit scoring, led by Grace Berger's 13.2 per game and Ali Patberg's 13.0 per contest.
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| KNIGHT NOTES |
B1G TIME: C. Vivian Stringer, the all-time winningest coach in Big Ten play with 213 victories, leads the Scarlet Knights into the conference slate one year after RU's most successful season in the league since joining in 2014-15. Rutgers' 13 regular season Big Ten wins, the No. 3 Big Ten Tournament seed and the tourney semifinals finish in '18-19 were all program bests.
PLAYING B1G: Rutgers has owned the paint this season, outscoring opponents by an average of 16.1 points per game down low. The Scarlet Knights are 11-0 this season when outscoring opponents in the paint.
B1G HONORS: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes leads the Big Ten in scoring at 19.4 points per game. She has been honored by the Big Ten in five weekly honors this season. 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 Dec. 2-9. Guirantes is a two-time Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week and three-time B1G Honor Roll listee this season.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is once again receiving votes in both the AP (24 points) and and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (2 points) Polls. Rutgers received votes in both polls in Weeks 1-3, 5-8. RU is currently listed No. 32 in the RPI rankings.
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights start 11-1 for the first time since 1990 behind stifling defense. RU ranks No. 5 in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .308 and No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense at 50.9 points allowed per game. RU has held 11 of 12 opponents under its scoring average, and have done the same in 41 of its last 44.
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 projected starting lineup 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 out of Neumann Goretti in Philadelphia. Blue Star Basketball ranks the class No. 5 in the nation.
| TRENDING |
• Nine different Scarlet Knights have scored at least one point on five occasions this season.
• Rutgers is 11-0 when scoring more points in the paint and more points off turnovers than its opponents.
• Arella Guirantes makes the most of her time (2nd in Big Ten in minutes per game) - ranking 4th in the nation in free throw attempts (86) and 3rd in the Big Ten in field goal attempts (177).
• Guirantes set new career highs in free throws made and taken in the Towson win, connecting on 11-of-14 from the charity stripe.
• RU has had at least a seven-game winning streak in each of the last three seasons.
• The Scarlet Knights have held 41 of its last 44 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 70 of its last 76 opponents under their scoring average.
• The victory at Wisconsin marked Rutgers' fourth comeback for a win after trailing by six points or more this season after erasing a six-point deficit to Georgia Tech, eight points against Harvard, and an 11-point disadvantage to Vanderbilt.
• KK Sanders passed out 16 assists compared to just one turnover over 55 minutes combined in the Southern and Marshall victories.
| NATIONAL RANKS |
• Team: FG% defense (5th - .308)
• Team: Scoring defense (7th - 50.9)
• Arella Guirantes: FT attempts (4th - 86)
• Arella Guirantes: FT made (8th - 65)
• Arella Guirantes: Points/gm (23rd - 19.4)
| UP NEXT |
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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