Game 13: Women's Hoops vs. Illinois

Saturday, February 20

Piscataway, N.J.

12 PM ET

Rutgers University

Illinois

Feb 19 | Women's Basketball

Rutgers Game Notes Watch on the Fox Sports App Live Stats Listen on WCTC Listen on WRSU

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers women's basketball (9-3, 5-3) looks to build on a four-game winning streak when Illinois (3-14, 1-13) comes to the RAC on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 12 p.m., airing live on Big Ten Network.

The Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 12 in the latest NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, a new selection guide for at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament valuing offensive and defensive efficiency alongside results-oriented data. RU has won four consecutive games by an average of 19.3 points in their return to the court after a five-week COVID-19-related hiatus, including triumph at No. 21/20 Northwestern.

RU will be wearing its throwback uniforms for the first time, honoring the 1981-82 team that won the AIAW National Championship.

ON THE AIR

Watch on Big Ten Network (Play-by-play: Lisa Byington; Analyst: Christy Winters Scott)
Listen on WCTC 1450 AM (Play-by-play: Ralph Bednarczyk; Analyst: Mark Peterson)
Listen on WRSU 88.7 FM (Play-by-play: Jake Schmied and Alex Carmenaty)

THE SCOUT

The Illini (3-14, 1-13) topped Purdue, 54-49, on Feb. 7 for their lone Big Ten victory this season, but have lost three-straight heading into the Rutgers matchup.
Illinois is coming off back-to-back losses to ranked teams against No. 15/14 Indiana (58-50) and at No. 9/10 Maryland (103-58).
Jada Peebles and Jeanae Terry both lead the team in scoring with 11.8 points per game. Terry also holds the rebounding and assists lead at 8.4 (sixth in the Big Ten) and 4.2, respectively, per contest.
Eva Rubin has 1.2 blocks per game to rank sixth in the conference.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

KNIGHT NOTES

NET WORKING: On Jan. 4, Rutgers was listed No. 13 in the first-ever NCAA Evaluation Tool rankings, which replace RPI as a guide for selecting at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament. The NET rankings take into account Adjusted Net Efficiency (offensive vs. defensive points per possession weighted on quality of opponent) and Team Value Index (results-oriented). RU remains at No. 12 as of Feb. 18 following four wins by an average of 19.3 points in their return to the court after a five-week COVID-19-related hiatus, including triumph at No. 21/20 Northwestern.

ARELLA RISING: Redshirt senior guard Arella Guirantes is on five national watch lists: the Wooden Award for Most Outstanding Player, the Naismith Trophy and Wade Trophy for National Player of the Year, a Top 10 semifinalist for the Meyers Shooting Guard Award, and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Only Player to rank Top 5 in Big Ten in scoring, assists, blocks & steals
Triple-double on Dec. 23 vs. Manhattan (6th in RU history) with 17 points, 10 rebounds & 11 assists
Three 30+ point performances vs. No. 9 Maryland, Iowa & Purdue

SHINE ON: True freshman Diamond Johnson, the No. 6 overall recruit in the nation according to ESPN, is one of 10 named to the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List semifinalists for the country's top point guard. The Neumann Goretti product earned Rutgers' first ever Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor on Dec. 21. Johnson has scored in double-figures in all 11 of her games and has scored 14 or more in seven consecutive contests.
Ranks 2nd in the NCAA with a .537 three-point shooting percentage (36-67).

MACK ATTACK: Senior wing Tekia Mack returned from an injury on Dec. 31 and has played in nearly every minute since returning (5 games). Mack scored a career-high 26 points in the 78-62 victory against Nebraska and added her fifth career double-double (16 points, 13 rebounds) in the win at No. 21/20 Northwestern. She ranks fifth in the nation with her 3.4 steals per game, and tied a RAC record last time out with 8 against Minnesota.

THOU SHALL STEAL: Rutgers ranks fourth in the country with 13.3 steals per game and is fifth in the nation in turnover margin at 8.0 through 12 games. Three Scarlet Knights make up the Top 5 in the Big Ten in steals per game with Tekia Mack (3.4), Arella Guirantes (2.3) and Mael Gilles (2.3).

THAT'S OFFENSIVE: Rutgers has scored 80 or more points in three Big Ten games this season. Before this year, Rutgers has had a total of three 80+ games since joining the conference in 2014-15. RU scored 80+ in five consecutive games for the first time since the 1990-91 season. The Scarlet Knights rank seventh in the nation in scoring margin through eight games at +22.8, scoring 79.7 points per game (19th in the nation).

TRAPEZOID OF TERROR: Since the 2002-03 season, RU has gone 225-51 (.815) at the RAC. RU is 46-8 (.852) over the last three+ seasons at home, including 13-2 and 14-2 marks in 18-19 and 19-20, respectively.

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.

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

• Tekia Mack tied a RAC record with eight steals vs. Minnesota, the most in any Rutgers game since Syessence Davis had 10 at Penn State in Jan. 2015 (the school record).
• Arella Guirantes' five blocks at Purdue were the most in a game since Caitlin Jenkins had six vs. Siena in December 2017.
• Rutgers' win at No. 21/20 Northwestern was its first ranked road win since a 73-65 victory at No. 4 Maryland on Dec. 31, 2018.
• In consecutive games, Tyia Singleton set new career highs in rebounding (11 vs. Nebraska) and point scoring (17 vs. Northwestern).
• Diamond Johnson has made 19 consecutive free throws heading into the Illinois game, and has not missed since at Wisconsin on Dec. 11.
• Currently graded .785 from the charity stripe, RU is strongly challenging its single-season free throw percentage record of .734 ('80-81).
• RU has outscored opponents in the paint in 11 of 12 games this season.
• RU is 7-0 with a lead at halftime.
• The Scarlet Knights have outscored opponents by an average of 16.6 in points off turnovers (28.3 - 11.7).
• Arella Guirantes has five career 30+ point games, all against Big Ten opponents.
• 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.
• 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 18.6 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

• Diamond Johnson: 3FG% (2nd - .537)
• Team: Steals/gm (4th - 13.3)
• Team: Turnover margin (5th - 8.1)
• Team: Scoring margin (7th - 22.8)
• Team: FG% (8th - .484)
• Team: Turnovers forced (9th - 21.3)
• Team: 3ptFG% (10th - .392)
• Arella Guirantes: FT% (12th - .910)
• Team: FT% (14th - .785)
• Arella Guirantes: Pts/gm (15th - 22.0)
• Team: Scoring offense (19th - 79.7)
• Arella Guirantes: Assists/gm (20th - 5.5)
• Team: Blocks/gm (25th - 5.2)

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