PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The Rutgers women's basketball team (5-8, 0-2 B1G) fell to Princeton (7-3, 0-0 Ivy), 56-77, on Thursday night at Jersey Mike's Arena.
Kaylene Smikle set a new career high netting 26 points, her third 20+ point performance in the last four games. The freshman guard also recorded eight boards and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
Brown secured a season-high 12 rebounds, while also adding nine points. Awa Sidibe was the other Scarlet Knight to score in double figure scoring, contributing 12 points.
The Scarlet Knights controlled the game's first half, taking a 32-22 lead into halftime, but the Tigers found their way back into the game in the third quarter. The team used a 17-0 run to propel themselves into the lead, which they would carry into the fourth quarter.
How it Happened
- Both teams remained scoreless for over two minutes to start the game. Princeton got on the board first with a pair of shots from the charity stripe at the 7:57 mark. The opposition kept it going with a three-pointer to take an early 5-0 lead.
- Smikle got Rutgers on the board with consecutive layups, but the Tigers kept their foot on the gas, retaining the 10-4 lead at the halfway point of the period.
- The Scarlet Knights stormed back though, going on a 7-0 run to take their first lead of the contest 11-10.
- An old-fashioned three-point play from Sidibe gave Rutgers a two-point advantage, but a layup from Princeton evened the score, 14-14, at the end of the first.
- The first five minutes of the second quarter consisted of back-and-forth scoring, with Rutgers taking a two-point lead into a media timeout at the 4:46 mark. Smikle tacked on to Rutgers' lead with a three-pointer, putting them up 25-19.
- A layup from Kassondra Brown with 2:04 remaining in the half gave Rutgers a five-point edge. A pair of free throws from Smikle put the Scarlet Knights up 29-22, their largest lead of the game.
- A three-pointer from Antonia Bates with 31 seconds to go sent Rutgers into the locker room up, 32-22. The Scarlet Knights used a 7-0 run at the end of the half, hitting 5-of-6 from the field, to give themselves a double-digit 10-point lead.
- Smikle led all scoring going into the locker room with 16 points, half of Rutgers' first half total.
- Five straight points from Rutgers kicked off the second half scoring. As the Scarlet Knights continued to extend their lead. Princeton cut the deficit with a pair of field goals, 39-28, and forced an RU timeout at the 6:52 mark. The Tigers came out of the stop hot, hitting three consecutive three's to continue a 13-0 stretch to further cut the difference, 39-37.
- The Scarlet Knights used another timeout but the Tigers kept the momentum going, continuing their 17-0 run to take back the 41-39 lead.
- A pair of Smikle free throws ended the Tiger's 17-0 run, evening the score at 41. Both teams traded free throws in the final seconds of the third quarter but Princeton stayed on top, 47-44.
- Entering a media timeout with 7:26 remaining in the game, Rutgers was down 52-46.
- Three-pointers from Sidibe and Smikle kept the Scarlet Knights in the game, as Rutgers was down by seven with just under four to play.
- However, Princeton stayed consistent, adding a layup to stay on top. The Tigers continued to tack onto their lead, as the Scarlet Knights fell, 77-56.
Gallery: (12-15-2022) WBB vs. Princeton
Knights Notes
- Smikle is the only Scarlet Knight to reach 20+ this season, accomplishing the feat five times off the bench. In addition Thursday's 26 points, she also netted 22 at Illinois (Dec. 7), 22 points against South Dakota State (Nov. 20), 23 against Cornell (Nov. 27) and 21 against Ohio State (Dec. 4).
- Smikle continues her streak of making at least one three-pointer in every game this season, hitting two against the Tigers.
- The Scarlet Knight's 11 team helpers mark their eight double-digit assist game this season.
- Rutgers shot 50.0 percent from the three-point range to mark a season-high. RU went 7-of-14 from behind the arc.
- RU won the battle of bench points, 35-10.
Volume Up
Next Up
Rutgers will finish out their three-game homestand against New Orleans on Sunday at 2 p.m. on Big Ten Network. The Scarlet Knights then have a 12-day break before heading to Penn State on December 30.
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