PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers women's basketball hosts Sacred Heart in a non-conferece matchup on Sunday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. at the RAC.

The Scarlet Knights improved to 3-1 by passing out 25 assists and having all 10 players score a bucket in a 94-45 victory over Hampton (0-2) on Friday at the RAC. The 25 assists were the most in a game by Rutgers since 25 against FDU in December 2017. The Scarlet Knights shot 55 percent from the floor while making 11 three-pointers and 13-of-14 from the free throw line.

ON THE AIR

• Watch on Big Ten Network + (Play-by-play: Lou Brogno, Color Analyst: Dom Savino)
• Listen on WCTC 1450 AM (Play-by-play: Ralph Bednarczyk, Color Analyst: Mark Peterson)
• Listen on WRSU 88.7 FM (Play-by-play: Chris Tsakonas)

FAN INFORMATION

• Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, there will be no men's and women's basketball general admission single game or season ticket sales to home games at this time.
• Visit shop.fancutouts.com/products/rutgers-university to purchase a fan cutout(s) for all winter sports at the RAC with proceeds benefiting the R Fund student-athlete scholarship campaign.

THE SCOUT

• The Pioneers are 1-1 with a doubleheader split against LIU on back-to-back days Dec. 15-16. Like so many programs across the country, SHU has had multiple games canceled or postponed due to COVID-19.
• Sacred Heart has been picked to finish second in the NEC this season in the Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Senior Adrianne Hagood was named to the Preseason All-NEC team. She led SHU last year at 15.6 points per game on her way to Second-Team All-NEC honors. Sacred Heart brings back its top six scorers from a year ago.
• The Pioneers were 13-17 overall last year with a 9-9 mark in NEC play. They were primed to play in the NEC Tournament semifinals before the event was canceled by COVID-19.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

 
 

KNIGHT NOTES

WATCH OUT: Redshirt senior guard Arella Guirantes, the returning Big Ten scoring champion, was selected the Big Ten Coaches Preseason Co-Player of the Year and was unanimously voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team by the coaches and media. She is on four national watch lists: the Wooden Award for Most Outstanding Player, the Naismith Trophy and Wade Trophy for National Player of the Year, and the Meyers Award for the top shooting guard.
        RANKS: 14th in national scoring (24.0ppg), Top 10 in Big Ten in scoring, 3pt shooting, assists, blocks & steals

SHINE ON: True freshman Diamond Johnson, the No. 6 overall recruit in the nation according to ESPN, is one of 20 named to the Nancy Lieberman watch list for the country's best point guard. The Neumann Goretti product scored 15 points against Monmouth, the most in a Rutgers freshman debut since Betnijah Laney recorded 18 points against California in 2011. Johnson has scored in double-figures in all four of her games.

THOU SHALL STEAL: Rutgers ranks second in the country with 16.0 steals per game and 13th in the nation in turnover margin at 8.25 through four games. RU's 22 steals at Wisconsin were its most in a game since 23 against FDU in 2017 and the most in a conference game since 22 against Penn State in 2015.

F.A.M.I.L.Y.: In a complete team victory over Hampton on Friday (94-45), all 10 players who checked into the game scored at least one basket. RU passed out 25 assists, its most in a game in three years, while four players reached double-digit scoring in the third consecutive game.

TRAPEZOID OF TERROR: Since the 2002-03 season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 221-51 (.813) at the RAC. RU is 42-8 (.840) over the last three+ seasons at home, including 13-2 and 14-2 marks in 18-19 and 19-20, respectively.

RARE, YET FAMILIAR, COMPANY: Arella Guirantes' 20.6 points per game last season marked one of five recorded 20+ point averages for a single season under C. Vivian Stringer since 1981. One of the other four? Current Rutgers assistant coach Michelle Edwards' 20.0 points per game at Iowa from the 1987-88 season. 

WELCOME TO THE B1G: Rutgers is one of the youngest teams in the nation with eight newcomers and 71 percent of the roster starting the season with two years experience or less in Division I. RU is one of just 32 teams across the nation with 10 or more players on the roster with two years experience or less.

IN THE POLLS: Rutgers began the season receiving votes in both national polls: 1 point in the AP media poll and 7 points in the coaches poll. RU is up to 12 points in this week's coaches poll.

FUTURE IS NOW: 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, one of four recruits ranked in the Top 55 - Sakima Walker (#21), Chyna Cornwell (#48) and Liz Martino (#53). Blue Star Basketball ranks the class No. 5 in the nation.
 

#TRENDING

• Rutgers' 25 assists vs. Hampton were the most in a game since 25 vs. FDU on Dec. 20, 2017.
• Zippy Broughton's points-assists double-double against Hampton (10pts, 10ast) was Rutgers' first since Ciani Cryor (12pts, 11ast) vs. Maryland on Dec. 31, 2018. It was Rutgers' best individual assists performance since Cryor's 10 at Indiana on Feb. 18, 2019.
• RU's 87 points against Maryland were the most scored on the Terps since 88 in 1978.
• RU's 87 points against Maryland were Rutgers' most in a Big Ten game since joining the conference in 2014-15 ... and most in a conference game since 90 vs. Seton Hall in the Big East in 2013.
• Mael Gilles' 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. Maryland marked her second B1G double-double, and second in three games dating back to the season finale last year vs. Iowa.
• Arella Guirantes now has three career 30+ point games, all against Big Ten opponents.
• Guirantes' 30+point double-double vs. Maryland was Rutgers' first since Kahleah Copper had 30 and 10 against St. Joseph's on Nov. 13, 2015.
• With Diamond Johnson at 15.3 points per game, a look at the Top 5 freshman scoring averages in team history:
  • 1. Cappie Pondexter (02-03) - 18.3ppg
  • 2. Patti Sikorski (76-77) - 15.8ppg
  • T3. Kathy Glutz (76-77) - 15.5ppg
  • T3. June Olkowski (78-79) - 15.5ppg
  • 5. Sue Wicks (84-85) - 14.9 ppg 

NATIONAL RANKS

• Team: Steals/gm (2nd - 16.0)
• Team: Turnovers forced (11th - 23.5)
• Team: Turnover margin (13th - 8.25)
• Arella Guirantes: Pts/gm (14th - 24.0)
• Team: FT% (16th - .808)
• Team: Blocks/gm (16th - 6.2)
• Tekia Mack: Steals/gm (20th - 3.67) 
• Arella Guirantes: Blocks/gm (23rd - 2.5)

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