Sunday, January 12
Piscataway, N.J.
2:00 PM (ET)
Rutgers University
vs
Nebraska
Photo by: Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics
Game 16: Women's Hoops vs. Nebraska
Jan 11 | Women's Basketball
Opponents with identical records battle for second place in the Big Ten
PISCATAWAY, N.J.. (Jan. 11, 2020) - Rutgers women's basketball (13-2, 3-1) hosts Nebraska (13-2, 3-1) in a battle for second place in the Big Ten on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. at the RAC.
The Scarlet Knights have started 3-1 or better in conference play in each of the last three seasons. The hot start to the Big Ten slate comes on the heels of Rutgers' best start to a season (11-1) since the 1990-91 squad opened 18-1.
HISTORIC START: Rutgers is 13-2, 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 215 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 15.2 points per game down low. The Scarlet Knights are 13-1 this season when outscoring opponents in the paint. Rutgers has also held rebounding advantages in each of the last nine games.
B1G HONORS: Redshirt Jr. guard Arella Guirantes leads the Big Ten in scoring at 19.9 points per game (15th nationally). She has been honored by the Big Ten in five weekly honors this season. Guirantes is a two-time Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week and three-time B1G Honor Roll in 2019-20.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is once again receiving votes in both the AP (14 points) and and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (7 points) Polls. Rutgers received votes in both polls in Weeks 1-3, 5-8. RU is currently listed No. 44 in the RPI rankings.
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights' 13 wins have been fueled by stifling defense. RU ranks No. 5 in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .319 and No. 6 in the nation in scoring defense at 52.1 points allowed per game. RU, who leads the Big Ten in points allowed and field goal percentage defense, has held 14 of 15 opponents under its scoring average, while doing the same in 44 of its last 47 dating back to last season.
HOME COOKING: Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 212-49 (.814) at the RAC. RU is 52-6 over the last 58 at home, finished out 2018-19 at 13-2 and started this season 7-1.
NEW-LOOK KNIGHTS: Rutgers women's basketball entered the 2019-20 season without four of the top five leaders in games started from last winter, returning 45% of its points and 35% 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 15 games. RU is 11-0 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 six occasions this season.
• Rutgers is 13-1 when scoring more points in the paint and more points off turnovers than its opponents.
• Arella Guirantes has scored at least 21 points in each of the last four games - all Big Ten 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.
• RU has made 37 of its last 44 free throws for an .841 percentage over its last four games.
• Guirantes has made 26 straight free throws.
• The Scarlet Knights have held 44 of its last 47 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 73 of its last 79 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.
• Rutgers never trailed in its last two victories on the road at Purdue and Illinois.
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 - .319)
• Team: Scoring defense (6th - 52.1)
• Arella Guirantes: FT made (14th - 73)
• Arella Guirantes: Points/gm (15th - 19.9)
• Arella Guirantes: FT attempts (20th - 94)
Rutgers heads back out on the road at Penn State on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Scarlet Knights have started 3-1 or better in conference play in each of the last three seasons. The hot start to the Big Ten slate comes on the heels of Rutgers' best start to a season (11-1) since the 1990-91 squad opened 18-1.
| ON THE AIR |
- Watch on BTN+ (Play-by-play: Lou Brogno, Color: Tim Catalfamo)
- Listen on WCTC 1450 AM (Play-by-play: Ralph Bednarczyk, Color: Mark Peterson)
- Listen on WRSU 88.7 FM (Play-by-play: Brant Wolff and Jake Schmied)
| PROMOTIONS |
- Title Sponsor: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
- Letterwinners Day
- Kids' Corner (opens at 1 p.m.): Kids' Yoga, Arts & Crafts, Bounce House
- Father-Daughter Day: Dads (and grandfathers, brothers, uncles, godfathers) and their daughters are invited to spend the afternoon full of making memories at the RAC! A special package will include tickets to the game, commemorative stadium cup, photobooth and on-court experience.
| THE SCOUT |
- The Huskers (13-2, 3-1) are off to their best 15-game start under Coach Amy Williams and NU's best start since opening 15-1, including 3-0 in the Big Ten during a 16-game conference season in 2011-12 - Nebraska's first season in the league.
- Nebraska won all three of its home Big Ten contests against Iowa (78-69), Minnesota (72-58) and Wisconsin (65-50), while dropping its only road test at Michigan State in overtime, 78-70.
- The Huskers lead the Big Ten and rank 11th nationally with 5.9 blocks per game.
- Kate Cain, a Lisa Leslie Award candidate, has been a leader early for the Huskers in Big Ten play, averaging 12.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and a Big Ten-best 3.3 blocks through four games. Cain, a 6-5 junior from Middletown, N.Y., opened league play with three straight double-doubles. Cain claimed her first spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll (Jan. 6) by averaging 14.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 5.0 blocks last week. She hit 70 percent (14-20) of her shots from the field.
- Leigha Brown comes off the bench for 24.7 minutes per game and leads the team in scoring at 13.7 points per contest. Sam Haiby (11.7 ppg) joins Brown and Cain in double-figure scoring for the Huskers.
- NU's bench has outscored opponent reserves in 14 of the first 15 games (not Michigan State) in 2019-20. The Husker bench has outscored opposing benches in 42 of the last 45 games overall, including double-digit edges in 31 of the last 45 games.
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| KNIGHT NOTES |
B1G TIME: C. Vivian Stringer, the all-time winningest coach in Big Ten play with 215 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 15.2 points per game down low. The Scarlet Knights are 13-1 this season when outscoring opponents in the paint. Rutgers has also held rebounding advantages in each of the last nine games.
B1G HONORS: Redshirt Jr. guard Arella Guirantes leads the Big Ten in scoring at 19.9 points per game (15th nationally). She has been honored by the Big Ten in five weekly honors this season. Guirantes is a two-time Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week and three-time B1G Honor Roll in 2019-20.
IN THE POLLS: Rutgers is once again receiving votes in both the AP (14 points) and and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (7 points) Polls. Rutgers received votes in both polls in Weeks 1-3, 5-8. RU is currently listed No. 44 in the RPI rankings.
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights' 13 wins have been fueled by stifling defense. RU ranks No. 5 in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .319 and No. 6 in the nation in scoring defense at 52.1 points allowed per game. RU, who leads the Big Ten in points allowed and field goal percentage defense, has held 14 of 15 opponents under its scoring average, while doing the same in 44 of its last 47 dating back to last season.
HOME COOKING: Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 212-49 (.814) at the RAC. RU is 52-6 over the last 58 at home, finished out 2018-19 at 13-2 and started this season 7-1.
NEW-LOOK KNIGHTS: Rutgers women's basketball entered the 2019-20 season without four of the top five leaders in games started from last winter, returning 45% of its points and 35% 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 six occasions this season.
• Rutgers is 13-1 when scoring more points in the paint and more points off turnovers than its opponents.
• Arella Guirantes has scored at least 21 points in each of the last four games - all Big Ten 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.
• RU has made 37 of its last 44 free throws for an .841 percentage over its last four games.
• Guirantes has made 26 straight free throws.
• The Scarlet Knights have held 44 of its last 47 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 73 of its last 79 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.
• Rutgers never trailed in its last two victories on the road at Purdue and Illinois.
| NATIONAL RANKS |
• Team: FG% defense (5th - .319)
• Team: Scoring defense (6th - 52.1)
• Arella Guirantes: FT made (14th - 73)
• Arella Guirantes: Points/gm (15th - 19.9)
• Arella Guirantes: FT attempts (20th - 94)
| UP NEXT |
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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