Sunday, February 7
Piscataway, N.J.
2 PM ET
Rutgers University
vs
Nebraska
Game 9: Women's Hoops vs. Nebraska
Feb 06 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers women's basketball (5-3, 1-3) returns from a month-long hiatus for a Big Ten home game against Nebraska (9-6, 7-5) on Sunday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. ET, streaming live on Big Ten Network. The game is presented by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
The Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 20 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. In December, Rutgers scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time since 1990-91 and matched that intensity on the defensive end. RU currently leads the nation with 15.5 steals per game while ranking sixth in scoring margin at +24.6.
NET WORK: 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). Out of action since Jan. 3 due to a rise in positive COVID-19 tests within the program and the ensuing return-to-play protocol, the Scarlet Knights remain at No. 20 as of Feb. 6 in the NET rankings.
TRIPLE DOUBLE: Arella Guirantes became just the third player in Rutgers history to record a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists in the win over Manhattan on Dec. 23. It was the first since Khadijah Rushdan in 2011 and just the sixth triple-double performance in the Rutgers record books - Hall of Famer Tasha Pointer recorded four. It was the fifth triple-double across the country this season, and the third in the Big Ten. Guirantes earned a second consecutive and fourth career Big Ten Player of the Week honor following the triple-double.
WATCH OUT: Redshirt senior guard Arella Guirantes, the returning Big Ten scoring champion, was selected the Big Ten Coaches Preseason Co-Player of the Year and was unanimously voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team by the coaches and media. She 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.
RANKS: 13th in national scoring (22.5ppg), Top 5 in Big Ten in scoring, assists, blocks & steals
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 with 16.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during a 2-1 week. Johnson has scored in double-figures in all eight of her games, including 21, 23, 18 & 19 in the most recent four games.
THOU SHALL STEAL: Rutgers leads the country with 15.5 steals per game and is third in the nation in turnover margin at 9.4 through eight games. RU's 22 steals at Wisconsin were its most in a game since 23 against FDU in 2017 and the most in a conference game since 22 against Penn State in 2015.
THAT'S OFFENSIVE: Rutgers scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time in the C. Vivian Stringer era "On the Banks" - the first time since the 1990-91 season. The Scarlet Knights rank fifth in the nation in scoring margin through eight games at +24.6, scoring 81.2 points per game (16th in the nation).
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.
• Rutgers scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time since the 1990-91 squad scored 80-plus in five straight wins in January of a 23-7 campaign.
• Arella Guirantes has four career 30+ point games, all against Big Ten opponents.
• RU's 32 forced turnovers vs. SHU were the most in a game since forcing 38 against Penn State in 2014-15.
• Rutgers allowed just a .167 shooting percentage (4-28) by SHU, its lowest allowed in a game since Iona managed .167 (7-42) in 2011.
• RU had two 20-point scorers vs. SHU (Guirantes 25, Johnson 21) for the first time since the 2019-20 season opener at South Alabama (Guirantes 27, Mack 21).
• Rutgers' 25 assists vs. Hampton were the most in a game since 25 vs. FDU on Dec. 20, 2017.
• Zippy Broughton's points-assists double-double against Hampton (10pts, 10ast) was Rutgers' first since Ciani Cryor (12pts, 11ast) vs. Maryland on Dec. 31, 2018. It was Rutgers' best individual assists performance since Cryor's 10 at Indiana on Feb. 18, 2019.
• RU's 87 points against Maryland were the most scored on the Terps since 88 in 1978.
• 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 17.8 points per game, a look at the Top 5 freshman scoring averages in team history:
• Team: Steals/gm (1st - 15.5)
• Team: Turnover margin (3rd - 9.4)
• Team: Scoring margin (5th - 24.6)
• Team: Turnovers forced (6th - 23.3)
• Team: FT% (12th - .790)
• Arella Guirantes: Pts/gm (13th - 22.5)
• Arella Guirantes: Steals/gm (14th - 3.1)
• Team: FG% (15th - .473)
• Team: Blocks/gm (15th - 5.5)
• Team: Scoring offense (16th - 81.2)
• Zipporah Broughton: A/TO Ratio (16th - 3.0)
• Arella Guirantes: FT% (16th - .895)
• Diamond Johnson: 3FG% (16th - .462)
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 20 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. In December, Rutgers scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time since 1990-91 and matched that intensity on the defensive end. RU currently leads the nation with 15.5 steals per game while ranking sixth in scoring margin at +24.6.
| ON THE AIR |
- Watch on Big Ten Network+ (Play-by-play: Lou Brogno; Analyst: Tim Catalfamo)
- 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 Huskers (9-6, 7-5) survived a low-scoring, 53-50 win over Rutgers at Pinnacle Bank Arena (Jan. 3) to improve to 5-3 overall. Since then, the Huskers have gone 4-3 with a pair of wins over top-25 teams to move to 9-6 and 7-5 in the conference.
- Junior guard Sam Haiby leads Nebraska in scoring (17.3 ppg), assists (4.3 apg) and steals (1.3 spg) while ranking second on the team in rebounding (7.6 rpg). She has made four appearances on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll and owns five 20-plus scoring efforts. She also owns three double-doubles in the last six games. Haiby had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in the first meeting with Rutgers.
- Sophomore forward Isabelle Bourne is Nebraska's second-leading scorer (13.5 ppg) and third-leading rebounder (7.5 rpg) on the season. Bourne had 11 points and 12 rebounds in the first meeting with the Scarlet Knights.
- Senior center Kate Cain returns to her home area to face Rutgers. The Middletown, N.Y. native is coming off her second 20-point scoring effort of the season with 21 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots at Penn State (Feb. 4).
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| KNIGHT NOTES |
TRIPLE DOUBLE: Arella Guirantes became just the third player in Rutgers history to record a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists in the win over Manhattan on Dec. 23. It was the first since Khadijah Rushdan in 2011 and just the sixth triple-double performance in the Rutgers record books - Hall of Famer Tasha Pointer recorded four. It was the fifth triple-double across the country this season, and the third in the Big Ten. Guirantes earned a second consecutive and fourth career Big Ten Player of the Week honor following the triple-double.
WATCH OUT: Redshirt senior guard Arella Guirantes, the returning Big Ten scoring champion, was selected the Big Ten Coaches Preseason Co-Player of the Year and was unanimously voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team by the coaches and media. She 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.
RANKS: 13th in national scoring (22.5ppg), Top 5 in Big Ten in scoring, assists, blocks & steals
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 with 16.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during a 2-1 week. Johnson has scored in double-figures in all eight of her games, including 21, 23, 18 & 19 in the most recent four games.
THOU SHALL STEAL: Rutgers leads the country with 15.5 steals per game and is third in the nation in turnover margin at 9.4 through eight games. RU's 22 steals at Wisconsin were its most in a game since 23 against FDU in 2017 and the most in a conference game since 22 against Penn State in 2015.
THAT'S OFFENSIVE: Rutgers scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time in the C. Vivian Stringer era "On the Banks" - the first time since the 1990-91 season. The Scarlet Knights rank fifth in the nation in scoring margin through eight games at +24.6, scoring 81.2 points per game (16th in the nation).
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 |
• Arella Guirantes has four career 30+ point games, all against Big Ten opponents.
• RU's 32 forced turnovers vs. SHU were the most in a game since forcing 38 against Penn State in 2014-15.
• Rutgers allowed just a .167 shooting percentage (4-28) by SHU, its lowest allowed in a game since Iona managed .167 (7-42) in 2011.
• RU had two 20-point scorers vs. SHU (Guirantes 25, Johnson 21) for the first time since the 2019-20 season opener at South Alabama (Guirantes 27, Mack 21).
• Rutgers' 25 assists vs. Hampton were the most in a game since 25 vs. FDU on Dec. 20, 2017.
• Zippy Broughton's points-assists double-double against Hampton (10pts, 10ast) was Rutgers' first since Ciani Cryor (12pts, 11ast) vs. Maryland on Dec. 31, 2018. It was Rutgers' best individual assists performance since Cryor's 10 at Indiana on Feb. 18, 2019.
• RU's 87 points against Maryland were the most scored on the Terps since 88 in 1978.
• 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 17.8 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 |
• Team: Turnover margin (3rd - 9.4)
• Team: Scoring margin (5th - 24.6)
• Team: Turnovers forced (6th - 23.3)
• Team: FT% (12th - .790)
• Arella Guirantes: Pts/gm (13th - 22.5)
• Arella Guirantes: Steals/gm (14th - 3.1)
• Team: FG% (15th - .473)
• Team: Blocks/gm (15th - 5.5)
• Team: Scoring offense (16th - 81.2)
• Zipporah Broughton: A/TO Ratio (16th - 3.0)
• Arella Guirantes: FT% (16th - .895)
• Diamond Johnson: 3FG% (16th - .462)
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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