INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (March 6, 2020) – Fifth-seeded Rutgers women's basketball (22-9) fell 78-60 to No. 4 seed and No. 20/22 nationally ranked Indiana on Friday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, exiting the Big Ten Tournament in the quarterfinal round.
 
The Scarlet Knights could not overcome the Hoosiers' 24-9 advantage in points off turnovers, while RU shot 30 percent from the floor and tallied just two assists in the game. Indiana also outscored Rutgers in the paint, which was only done by six opponents this season.
 
"That was a hard-fought battle," said head coach C. Vivian Stringer. "I'm not surprised at all. We had a tough game at our place, as well. The players really desperately wanted to win, and we weren't seeing the shots fall."
 
The Scarlet Knights will await their next postseason destiny on Selection Monday, airing live on ESPN on March 16 at 7 p.m.

STAT SHEET

• Arella Guirantes scored a game-high 30 points, powered by a school record-tying 15 made free throws in 16 attempts. The redshirt junior added four rebounds, an assist and a steal.
• Khadaizha Sanders added 14 points with a made three, a 3-of-3 mark from the line and an assist.
• Mael Gilles and Tekia Mack each contributed seven points, with Mack grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds – tying her career-high.
• Indiana outrebounded the Scarlet Knights, 38-33, made six 3-pointers and shot 24-of-27 from the free throw line (89 percent).

TURNING POINT

Rutgers kept punching in the third quarter, but as in any heavyweight fight, the punches wear a combatant down as they are being countered into the late rounds. Indiana consistently had an answer for Rutgers' runs, including a 7-0 run in the third period and a crucial 4-0 answer to Guirantes' three-point play with 3:09 to go in the game. The old-fashioned three points made it 58-67 before the response put the Hoosier lead into double-figures for the remainder.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Guirantes' aggression led to a quick six points via a 4-of-4 mark from the free throw line. Indiana countered with a similar attack, getting to the line and knocking down four shots, as well, to hold a 9-8 lead at the media break. Sanders halted a 9-0 Indiana run with a fast break after a Gilles steal, followed by a Guirantes three-pointer on the next RU possession to cut the deficit to 18-13. Sanders sent RU to the second with some momentum, hitting a cross-up, midrange jumper with five seconds left to set Indiana's lead at 20-17.
• Two Hoosier runs of 5-0 and 4-0 set up their first double-digit lead at 29-19. Guirantes broke Rutgers' 0-of-5 cold spell with a layup, but Indiana held its lead until Sanders hit a pullup three on RU's final possession of the half, the defense followed with a stop and Indiana took its 38-30 advantage into the locker room.
• Sanders came out gunning in the third with four quick points, but an ensuing three-minute scoring drought handed Indiana a 15-point lead on a 7-0 run, which was ended by Tyia Singleton's basket with 3:24 left in the period.
• RU got back within single digits to start the final period with more Guirantes free throws, and a full-court press that caused a turnover and led to two Sanders free throws. RU suffered a critical 2:15 scoring drought to allow Indiana to take back a double-figure lead at 62-49 before Gilles' three-pointer quieted the Hoosiers with 6:08 to play. Another RU cold stretch (0-of-4) gave Indiana enough of a cushion to move to the semifinals despite a valiant Rutgers fight.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Guirantes set a Big Ten Tournament record with 15 free throws made, topping the old mark of 14 by Ohio State's Jessica Davenport against Indiana on March 2, 2007.
• Guirantes also ties Purdue's FahKara Malone for the second-most free throw attempts in a single tournament game with 16 (Malone tried 16 foul shots against Indiana on March 7, 2008; in the aforementioned game on 3/2/07, OSU's Davenport attempted a tournament-record 17 free throws).
• Guirantes' 15-of-16 free throw mark (94.8%) ranks 10^th all-time in the Big Ten Tournament record book for free throw percentage in a game, and is the best free throw performance since 2016 at the championship tournament. This comes eight days after she set a Rutgers record with 14 makes without a miss on Feb. 27 in a win over Wisconsin at the RAC.
• The 15 made free throws tie a Rutgers overall record for a single game (most since Monique Oliver's 15 in 2010, also tying Regina Howard from 1987).
• Indiana cuts Rutgers' lead in the all-time series to 6-5. The series between the two in the Big Ten Tournament is now tied 1-1.
• Guirantes' 30 points is the most scored by a Rutgers player in the Big Ten Tournament - surpassing her own record from this season's second round game on Thursday. Her 57 points for the B1G Tournament is a Rutgers record – surpassing Kahleah Copper's 42 points in two games from 2016.
• Guirantes now has 15 20-or-more point performances this season, and 19 for her career. It was her second 30-point game of the year.
• Guirantes now has 171 made free throws this season, a new school record, having already surpassed on Thursday the 155 by RU Hall of Famer Sue Wicks during her National Player of the Year season in 1987-88.
• RU outscored Indiana 14-5 in fast break points, moving to 17-2 this season when they accomplish that feat.
• RU is scoring 66.5 points per game, as it stands the 5th most offensively productive C. Vivian Stringer team "On the Banks" behind four NCAA Tournament teams ('99, '15, '98 & '03).

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.
- RU -