PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers women's basketball (7-7) heads into a holiday break in action on a high note, soundly defeating Wagner (7-2) by a score of 73-54 on Saturday afternoon at Jersey Mike's Arena for its third consecutive victory.
The Scarlet Knights produced their highest-scoring quarter of the season in the second period, netting 28 points while shooting 70 percent from the floor to take control of the game. Rutgers assisted 20 of its 28 field goals and went +13 on the boards, continuing a common theme during the three-game winning streak in which Rutgers has not trailed an opponent for a single second.
Jailyn Mason led all scorers with 17, including a three-pointer in the third quarter that eclipsed the 1,000 career points plateau for the grad transfer from Arkansas. Her five made three-pointers (5-of-7) were a career-best.
Sakima Walker poured in a career-high and efficient 13 points in 14 minutes on 5-of-7 shooting, while
Osh Brown recorded her third double-double of the year with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Tyia Singleton was the fourth Scarlet Knights in double-digits with 13, and
Shug Dickson tied a career-best with eight assists in the win.
Rutgers shot .538 from the floor, including a 40 percent mark from beyond the arc, becoming the only team to shoot better than 30 percent from three-point range against the Seahawks this season. RU also dominated down low with a 37-24 advantage in rebounding and 36-8 outcome in points in the paint.
- Lasha Petree, Tyia Singleton, and Sakima Walker combined on a 6-0 run midway through the first for a 12-6 lead before Wagner battled back to trail by two at 12-10 after 10 minutes of play.
- Petree's long three-pointer from the right wing sparked a 9-0 run over the first three minutes of the second quarter. The defense then forced three Wagner turnovers and used another long scoring run of 8-0 to take a commanding 29-15 lead midway through the second period. Rutgers shot 70% (12-of-17) in the frame for its highest-scoring quarter (28) of the season.
- Jailyn Mason's 1,000th career point came on a three-pointer as part of a 7-0 spurt for the Scarlet Knights, who again extended the lead to 15 at 49-34. Wagner's 6-0 stint to close the third brought down the deficit to 12 at 54-42.
- Tyia Singleton completed a three-point play to cap a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter, giving Rutgers its largest lead of the game at 22 points. Destiny Marshall scored six consecutive points during a 7-0 spurt to keep the 20-point advantage later in the fourth.
- Jailyn Mason's three-pointer in the third quarter gave the graduate student from Mason, Ohio 1,000 career points. She scored 956 points at Arkansas. She finished the game with 17 points, two shy of a career-high, for 1,008 career points. She set a new career-high with five made three-pointers.
- Osh Brown recorded her third double-double of the season and the 52nd of her career, extending her NCAA active career lead. She also added on her to NCAA active career leading 1,234 rebounds.
- Sakima Walker set a new career-high with 13 points, surpassing her 12 from her freshman season against Sacred Heart on Dec. 20, 2020.
- Shug Dickson's eight assists tied her career-high from March of last season when she played for Mizzou against Alabama.
- Sayawni Lassiter has passed out 13 assists over last two games while in the starting lineup.
- Rutgers boasted four players scoring in double-figures in a victory for the first time in 2021-22.
- Wagner ranked fifth in the country in three-point field goal percentage defense. Rutgers (6-of-14, 40%) is the first team this season to convert on 30 percent or more from beyond the arc against the Seahawks.
- With 20 assists on 28 baskets, Rutgers has now assisted 77 percent of its field goals over the past four games.
- Rutgers has outrebounded 12 of 14 opponents this season with an average margin of 7.7.
- The Scarlet Knights held Wagner eight points under their season scoring average. Rutgers has held opponents under their scoring average in 31 of its last 33, and 118 of its last 128 dating back to 2017-18.
- Double-figure scoring career marks: Mason (48th), Brown (75th), Singleton (8th), Walker (5th).
- Rutgers is undefeated at 7-0 when outscoring opponents in points off turnovers and points on the fast break. RU is 0-7 when trailing in those specialty categories.
- The Starting 5 of Shug Dickson, Sayawni Lassiter, Lasha Petree, Tyia Singleton, and Osh Brown was the ninth different starting variation employed by acting head coach Timothy Eatman this season.
- Rutgers moves to 6-0 all-time against Wagner in its first meeting with the Seahawks since 2014.
- Joiya Maddox missed the game with a non-COVID-related illness.
Rutgers takes a 12-day hiatus from game action, returning on Thu., Dec. 30 against No. 10 Indiana at 8 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.
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