PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The results of the 2021-22 Big Ten season for Rutgers women's basketball (8-17, 1-12) have certainly not been for lack of effort. On Sunday against Penn State (9-15, 3-11), it was an all-out effort in a 28-point fourth quarter that pushed the Scarlet Knights to its first Big Ten victory of the season, 71-62, over the Nittany Lions at Jersey Mike's Arena.
Trailing 56-53 with four minutes left in the game, Rutgers ripped off a 14-0 run deep into the final minute of play and led 67-56.
Osh Brown's three-point play tied the game and gave RU its first lead since early in the second quarter.
Sayawni Lassiter hit one of her three 3-pointers and
Victoria Morris added a dagger of a three for a 63-56 advantage with less than a minute left. The non-stop defensive effort on the other end held Penn State scoreless for three consecutive minutes.
Brown grabbed her ninth double-double of the year with 20 points and 11 rebounds, going 12-of-15 from the free throw line, while adding three steals and a block.
Lasha Petree netted 17 on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-of-4 day from the free throw line. Morris added 12 and Lassiter finished with 11.
Rutgers won the rebounding battle (39-32) for the 20
th time in 25 games and got to the line 29 times, its most in a Big Ten game this year, while making 24 for an 83 percent clip. The Scarlet Knights made nine three-pointers as a team, its most in a game in 2021-22 and its most since almost one year prior – nine at Minnesota on Feb. 17, 2021.
- Sayawni Lassiter remained hot from three-point range, hitting her first two from distance and helping Rutgers go on an 11-0 run in the first period to lead 21-16 after 10 minutes. Osh Brown had seven points in the period.
- Jailyn Mason hit a clutch three to tie it at 28-28 before Penn State closed the second quarter on a 6-2 advantage on two made threes. Penn State opened the period on a 10-0 run and led 34-30 at halftime.
- Rutgers went 9-of-10 from the free throw line in the third quarter, keeping the pressure on and never trailing by more than five during the period until Penn State's buzzer-beater made it 49-43 heading into the fourth.
- Penn State stretched its lead to eight with the first bucket of the fourth quarter before a Rutgers timeout, prompting the furious 14-0 fourth-period rally. Petree set the stage with back-to-back three-pointers for RU to cut the deficit to one at 54-53.
- Rutgers' 28 points in the fourth quarter was its most in the final period of a game all season, and its most in a fourth quarter since scoring 28 at Iowa on Dec. 31, 2020.
- Osh Brown recorded her ninth double-double of the season and the NCAA active-leading 58th of her career.
- Sayawni Lassiter has scored in double-figures in two consecutive games for the first time in her career. She has made eight three-point field goals over the span, shooting 62 percent from beyond the arc.
- Lasha Petree made three 3-pointers in a game for the fifth time this season.
- Rutgers' nine three-point field goals were a season-high and the most for the program since nine on Feb. 17, 2021 at Minnesota.
- Rutgers' 29 free throw attempts were the most in a game since 30 in a win over South Alabama on Nov. 12.
- Rutgers had four players score in double-figures for the fourth time this season.
- Rutgers has outrebounded 20 of 25 opponents this season with an average margin of +5.8, which ranks third in the Big Ten.
- Holding Penn State nine points under their scoring average, Rutgers has held opponents an average of 17.2 under their scoring averages over the last five contests.
- Rutgers has held 41 of its last 44 opponents under their scoring averages, going back to 128 of its last 139 since 2017-18.
- Osh Brown reached 20 points or more in a game for the 27th time in her career.
- Double-figure scoring career marks: Brown (84th), Sayawni Lassiter (4th), Victoria Morris (74th), Lasha Petree (78th)
- The Starting 5 of Sayawni Lassiter, Jailyn Mason, Lasha Petree, Tyia Singleton, and Osh Brown took the floor as the starting unit.
- Rutgers is now 30-19 against Penn State all-time since 1977, including a 11-2 mark as Big Ten regular season opponents.
Rutgers heads to Minnesota for a Big Ten road game on Thurs., Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT).
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