PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Feb. 22, 2020) – Inside a raucous RAC during a thrilling Big Ten game with 13 lead changes, there was consistent doubt as to who would come out on top. There was absolutely no doubt, however, as to who would be taking the final shot with Rutgers in possession in a tie ballgame against Ohio State on Saturday afternoon.
Already sporting a career-high point output,
Arella Guirantes sealed it with an exclamation point by hitting the game-winning, cross-up jumper with under four seconds to go. It gave her 36 points before she joined her team on defense for the final stop and a massive 59-57 victory over the Buckeyes (17-10, 10-6). The Scarlet Knights move to 19-8 and 9-7 with two games remaining in the regular season.
"I wasn't afraid to fail," Guirantes said of the final shot, and many before it. "There was no fear."
Guirantes shot 15-of-21 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc with four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Her 36 points are the most by a Scarlet Knight in a single game since Rutgers Hall of Famer Cappie Pondexter netted 40 against South Florida on Jan. 11, 2006, when Guirantes was seven years old.
"This was a team win, for sure, and Arella was in a special kind of zone," said head coach
C. Vivian Stringer. "Look at those percentages. She took big time shots. Our backs were against the wall, this was a must-win and we did it together."
Rutgers' defense, which stamped the win by getting the final stop, turned in a shutdown fourth quarter that only allowed seven Buckeye free throws. The visitors did not make a single field goal in the final period – going 0-of-12 from the floor.
- Jordan Wallace added nine and Tekia Mack had six to help the offense push past the Buckeyes. Those two also each had six rebounds to lead the squad on the boards.
- Zipporah Broughton played 14 meaningful minutes with four points, three assists and two steals.
- Ohio State took the rebounding battle, 34-29, but Rutgers made up for it with a 30-16 advantage in points in the paint and an 18-9 edge in points off turnovers.
- Rutgers outshot Ohio State .456 to .367 and prevailed despite the Buckeyes connecting on 9-of-20 three-pointers (45 percent).
"There was no answer for her." – Vera Jones (BTN Analyst)
- Rutgers made three straight shots for a 6-0 run, with buckets by Guirantes and two by Wallace. Guirantes made four of her first five shots from the floor as RU led early, 12-9. As the quarter began, it ended with Guirantes' brilliance. She cemented 12 first-quarter points on a one-legged step-back shot to beat the horn and send RU into the second up 18-12.
- Both offenses were firing into the second as both made three straight from the field – setting a slim 28-27 lead in Rutgers' favor with 3:35 ahead of halftime. At the point, the lead had changed hands seven times already. OSU went ahead on another three-pointer, 31-28, with two to play and finished making 4-of-5 for the 34-30 advantage at the break.
- The beginning of the third had a different tone, with the defenses taking over. The only scoring in the opening 2:30 was a Buckeye triple. Things heated up in a hurry thanks to Guirantes, the hottest hand on the floor. She capped off a 9-0 run (started by back-to-back buckets by Wallace) with a three-pointer to tie it up at 39-39. The Buckeyes had an answer in the form of a 9-2 rally in the final 90 seconds of the quarter to secure their lead at 50-44.
- The final period started with another pair of cold spells with Rutgers trailing by a couple of possessions. Ohio State never recovered, missing all 12 of its shots in the final quarter. Guirantes went on a personal 6-0 run, and Mael Gilles hit a reverse layup to seal an 8-0 spurt and a 52-51 lead, erasing the Buckeyes' seven-point lead with 8:38 left in the game.
- Rutgers allowed free throws, but Guirantes' incendiary play continues despite the entire building knowing she would be taking the shots in the clutch. She hit a midrange jumper and a three-pointer with 1:18 to go to put RU up by four, 57-53.
- The Buckeyes tied the game at 57-57 with a 4-of-4 mark from the line surrounding a costly Rutgers turnover.
- Guirantes got the ball with 16 seconds left, called for space and attacked. She drifted back toward the paint off a shot fake and a cross-over with time winding down and elevated for a 12-foot jumper. The shot went through the twine, sending the Rutgers Faithful into a frenzy with just 3.9 seconds left.
- The victory marks Rutgers' highest RPI win of the season as it stands. Ohio State is No. 22.
- Guirantes is Rutgers' first 30-point scorer since Stasha Carey's 30 against Michigan State on Jan. 20, 2019.
- Guirantes' 36 points are the most in a game for a Scarlet Knights since RU Hall of Famer Cappie Pondexter netted 40 against South Florida on Jan. 11, 2006.
- Guirantes produced her 12th 20-plus point game of the season, and 16th of her career.
- Guirantes has 1,192 career points and is now the 29th highest scorer to ever play for Rutgers – surpassing April Sykes (2008-12).
- Guirantes set a new career-high with 15 made field goals, surpassing her previous best of 10 (set four times).
- RU is 39-7 over the past three seasons at the RAC for an .848 win percentage.
- Rutgers outscored Ohio State 18-9 in points off turnovers, marking the 23rd time in 27 games RU has outscored opponents off miscues.
- Rutgers outscored Ohio State 30-16 in points in the paint, marking the 23rd time in 27 games RU has outscored opponents down low. RU averages 12.8 more points in the paint this season.
- RU swiped 12 steals and improves to 12-2 this season in games with 10 or more steals.
- Holding Ohio State 15 points under its 72.2 season scoring average, Rutgers has held 25 of 27 opponents this season under their scoring medians and in 55 of the last 59 dating back to the start of 2018-19.
- Ohio State leads the all-time series 12-6 since 1988 and now 6-2 as Big Ten opponents in the regular season.
With two games remaining in the regular season, both at home, Rutgers stands in sixth place in the Big Ten. The top four seeds receive a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament in March, while seeds 5-10 secure a single bye. Seeds 5 and 6 play their first game against a team that played in the opening round.
The Scarlet Knights are back home on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. against Wisconsin in the penultimate game of the regular season.
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