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Rutgers University Athletics

Scoreboard

Big Ten Conference
Guirantes
41
Illinois Illini 10-10,1-8 Big Ten
72
Winner Rutgers RU 16-4,6-3 Big Ten
Illinois Illini
10-10,1-8 Big Ten
41
Final
72
Rutgers RU
16-4,6-3 Big Ten
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Illinois Illini 19 7 6 9 41
Rutgers RU 25 19 14 14 72

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Hoops Sweeps Illinois in Return to Win Column

Scarlet Knights end a brief two-game skid with a 31-point win at home

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Jan. 30, 2020) – Rutgers women's basketball (16-4, 6-3) conquered Illinois (10-10, 1-8) to the tune of a 72-41 victory at the RAC on Thursday evening, a resounding rebound from the Scarlet Knights' first consecutive losses of the season last week.
 
The Scarlet Knights dominated around the hoop to fuel a big win. Rutgers held a 52-32 advantage on the boards, outscored Illinois 44-12 in points in the paint and picked up a season-high 10 blocks compared to one from the Illini.


STAT SHEET
  • Arella Guirantes led all scorers with 20 points, her ninth 20-point game of the season, and finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine. The redshirt junior added four assists, two blocked shots and two steals.
  • Jordan Wallace did get her double, pouring in 14 points with her 10 boards. The senior also blocked two shots, passed out two assists and grabbed five of her rebounds on the offensive glass.
  • Khadaizha Sanders helped Rutgers off to a quick start with 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter.
  • Maori Davenport scored six points, the most for the freshman in a Big Ten contest.
  • Danielle Migliore netted eight points in the fourth quarter to help ice the victory, also the graduate transfer's most in a Big Ten contest and matching her season high as a Scarlet Knight.



TURNING POINT
Rutgers survived a few punches in the first quarter and eventually stretched a 19-0 run from the end of the first into most of the second quarter. Three Scarlet Knights were already in double-figures and the Illini had no answer for the Rutgers defense, which provided an 18-point lead that would only continue to grow in the second half.



HOW IT HAPPENED
  • A high-scoring first quarter featured dueling scoring runs. Illinois raced ahead 5-0 in the opening minute but was promptly answered by a 10-0 Rutgers run on the back of Guirantes' five points. Illinois bounced back for a 14-12 lead following an 8-0 run, but Rutgers had the last laugh in the first – ending on a 6-0 rally and making four of their final five field goals of the period for a 25-19 lead.
  • The Rutgers rally stretched to 19-0 before an Illinois three-pointer marked the visitors' first points of the second quarter at the 4:00 mark. Guirantes, Wallace and Sanders all had 10 points with under three minutes to play as the lead ballooned to 18 points heading into intermission.
  • The Rutgers defense continued to lock down in the third quarter, keeping the Illini in a 4:10 scoring drought into the media timeout, when Rutgers led 52-28 on a 6-0 run.
  • High-octane Rutgers defense allowed the Scarlet Knights to survive a three-plus minute scoring drought in the fourth. The lead still managed to hover around the 30-point mark as Guirantes eclipsed 20 points for the ninth time this season.
KNIGHT NOTES
  • Ranked No. 9 in the nation in field goal percentage defense, Rutgers bolstered their ranking by holding Illinois to .264 shooting. It was their lowest field goal percentage allowed in a Big Ten game since Michigan managed a .262 mark in a 57-50 Rutgers win in Ann Arbor on Feb. 8, 2015.
  • Rutgers now leads the all-time series against Illinois, 7-1, all in Big Ten play. This is the second time RU has swept a season series against the Illini - joining 2016.
  • The 31-point margin of victory was Rutgers' highest in a Big Ten game since a 76-37 (+39) defeat of Illinois on Jan. 3, 2018.
  • Rutgers' +20 rebounding margin was the most in a Big Ten game since a +21 mark against Illinois on Jan. 9, 2019 in a 71-60 win on the road.
  • Guirantes produced her ninth 20-point game of the season and 13th of her career. She is the Big Ten's second leading scorer at 19.4 points per game.
  • RU has had at least two double-digit scorers in 19 of 20 games and are now 14-1 when three or more score in double-figures.
  • Rutgers has outscored 18 of 20 opponents in points in the paint this season (44-12 vs. Illinois) and improve to 16-2 in those games. RU averages 15.8 points outscoring opponents in the paint this year.
  • Rutgers has outscored 18 of 20 opponents in points off turnovers this season (19-8 vs. Illinois) and improve to 16-2 in those contests.
  • Rutgers is 9-2 at home this season and 35-7 since the start of 2017-18.
  • Holding the Illini 23 points under their 64.6 season scoring average, Rutgers has held 19 of 20 opponents under their season median in 2019-20 and in 49 of 52 dating back to the start of last season.
  • Rutgers rolled out the starting lineup of Khadaizha Sanders, Mael Gilles, Arella Guirantes, Tekia Mack and Jordan Wallace for the 19th time in 20 games. Rutgers returned just 29 percent of its games started experience from last winter's NCAA Tournament run.
  • Sanders is 15 assists from becoming the 10th player in RU history with 400 for a career.



UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights fly to Minnesota on Sunday, Feb. 2 for a 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT) tipoff.
 

Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@RutgersWBB) for all of the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersWBB). For all Rutgers Athletics news follow us on Twitter(@RUAthletics), Instagram (@RUAthletics), Snapchat (@RUAthletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics). For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
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