PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers women's basketball (3-0) continued a perfect start to the 2021-22 season with a defensively-charged 48-42 victory over Fairfield (1-1) on Sunday afternoon at Jersey Mike's Arena.
As the Scarlet Knight defense held its third consecutive opponent well under its scoring average, a Rutgers newcomer had a signature Jersey Mike's Arena moment to cement a home win. Grad transfer guard
Victoria Morris scored five straight RU points in the third quarter in a tight game at 33-30, including all three free throws after getting fouled behind the arc, then drained a loud triple with 32 seconds left in the contest to put the Scarlet Knights ahead 44-40.
For the third consecutive game and the third consecutive win, Rutgers found scoring from all over the court with 10 Scarlet Knights contributing to the final score. Morris led the crew with 12 points, her Rutgers high, while
Osh Brown pitched in eight to go with her game-high 11 rebounds – the grad transfer's 61
st career double-digit rebounding game.
Osh Brown surpassed the 1,500 career points plateau in the victory, finishing the contest with 1,503 following her four-year career at Ball State.
- Both teams started slow as Tyia Singleton scored four points in the opening quarter, but RU trailed 11-8.
- Destiny Marshall tied the score and launched RU ahead with five consecutive points in the second quarter, but Fairfield rebounded and took a slim 21-20 lead into half.
- Three-pointers by Sayawni Lassiter and Liz Martino kept the contest close before Morris' five-point personal run saw RU up 33-30 before a Stags layup closed the gap to a one-point advantage heading into the fourth.
- RU opened the final period on an 8-2 run, capped by another Lassiter three-pointer for the 41-34 lead. Fairfield scored six in a row before Morris' clutch triple, a Brown steal and layup, and Morris' two free throws to ice the win.
- Rutgers' highest scoring quarter has been the fourth in all three victories this season – 20 apiece against Saint Peter's and South Alabama, and 15 against Fairfield
- The nation's fourth best steals per game team last season, Rutgers swiped double-digit steals for a second time this season.
- Osh Brown, the NCAA active career leader in rebounds, brought down 11 for her 61st career double-digit rebounding effort.
- Osh Brown surpassed 1,500 career points – totaling 1,503 from four years at Ball State and three games at Rutgers.
- Sayawni Lassiter grabbed a career-high five steals. She has three or more steals in all three Rutgers wins this season.
- Victoria Morris reached double-digit scoring for the 70th time in her career.
- Rutgers opponents are averaging
- Rutgers has held all three opponents this season under their scoring averages, stretching that trend to 21 of the last 22 games and 108 in the last 117 dating back to 2017. Rutgers has held opponents to an average of 24.7 points under their scoring average this season.
- Liz Martino earned her first collegiate start.
- Rutgers moves to 3-0 all-time against Fairfield, following wins in 1984 and 1990, all in Piscataway.
- Rutgers improves to 52-8 at Jersey Mike's Arena over the past four-plus seasons.
- Rutgers has won 13 consecutive regular season non-conference contests dating back to the 2019-20 season.
- Acting head coach Timothy Eatman added to his win total, earning his third victory at the helm of the Scarlet Knights. It is his 47th career victory after spending four seasons leading Illinois-Chicago.
Acting Head Coach Timothy Eatman: "The game was like we thought it would be: a grind against a veteran team. They returned all their players and added some good players. They put a lot of pressure on us, packed the zone in, and made us move the basketball. Even though the game was a grind, it helped us as a program because it forced us to do the things we need to do in order to be successful, and that's sharing the basketball and moving from side to side. We were hungry and played hard."
Osh Brown on reaching 1,500 points: "I didn't know I was that close. When Coach told me in the locker room, I was kind of surprised. It was just another goal to conquer, but we still have the main goal, which is to win the Big Ten and go to the NCAA Tournament. We still have things to do. I got that tonight, but our next opponent is Stony Brook.
Victoria Morris on hitting the clutch three-pointer: "I was just excited to put the team up late in the game. The defender chased over the screen, I made a basketball play, and it went it."
Rutgers has another quick turnaround, welcoming Stony Brook to Jersey Mike's Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 11 a.m.
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