B1G Tournament Starting 5: Women's Basketball vs. Penn State

Wednesday, March 2

Indianapolis, IN

2 PM ET

Rutgers University

Penn State

B1G Tournament Starting 5: Women's Basketball vs. Penn State

Mar 02 | Women's Basketball

Tournament Bracket Tournament Central Game Notes Watch on Big Ten Network Listen on Fox Sports New Jersey Listen on WRSU Live Stats RutgersWBB Media Guide 2021-22

The five things to know before the Scarlet Knights tip-off against the Nittany Lions in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wed., March 2 at 2 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - No. 13 seed Rutgers women's basketball (10-19) enters postseason play in the Big Ten Tournament First Round against 12th-seeded Penn State on Wednesday, March 2 at 2 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and live on Big Ten Network. The tournament game marks a rubber match for the Scarlet Knights and Nittany Lions, who each won a home contest while splitting the two-game 2021-22 season series.

The winner will advance to the Second Round to meet No. 5 Indiana on Thurs., March 3 at 2 p.m.

ON THE AIR

Watch on Big Ten Network (Sloane Martin, Christy Winters Scott, & Meghan McKeown)
Listen on Fox Sports New Jersey 93.5 FM (Ralph Bednarczyk & Mark Peterson)
Listen on WRSU 88.7 FM (Dylan McCoy & Doug Willig)

The 5 Things to Know

1. THE SCOUT

Penn State finished the season 11-17 overall and 5-13 in Big Ten action.
Makenna Marisa was named All-Big Ten First Team on Tuesday by the coaches and media. Marisa ranks eighth in the country averaging 22.5 points per game.
Leilani Kapinus earned All-Freshman Team honors after leading conference rookies with 56 steals and holding second with 32 blocks. She is one of eight DI players with 30+ blocks and 55+ steals this season.

2. THE HEAD-TO-HEAD

3. B1G OPPORTUNITY

Making its eighth appearance in the Big Ten Tournament, Rutgers is 5-7 all-time in the conference event. The Scarlet Knights have made the quarterfinal round in four consecutive years from 2018-2021 and in six of its seven appearances. This is the second appearance in the tournament's first round.

4. 55 ALIVE & WELL

Rutgers finished the regular season with the best scoring defense in the Big Ten for the third consecutive year, defending at 60.1 points allowed per game in 2021-22. Over the past nine games, Rutgers has faced four of the seven programs in the country to average more than 80.0 points per game (Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Iowa) and held them an average of 17 points under their scoring averages.

5. SPREAD THE LOVE

Twelve different Scarlet Knights have tied or led Rutgers in scoring in a game this season, and nine games featured at least 10 players scoring points. With eight returners (three upperclassmen) and eight newcomers, Rutgers entered the new season with 20% of last year's scoring and 11% of last season's assists.

#Trending

• Shug Dickson is coming off back-to-back 19-point games, her most in a game since 20 while playing for Mizzou in Feb. 2021 against Florida.

• Sayawni Lassiter scored a career-high 18 points in the regular season finale victory at Illinois, surpassing her previous high of 15 vs. Ohio State earlier this season. Her 7 field goals at Illinois are also a career-high.

• Rutgers' 28 points in the fourth quarter in the Penn State win 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.

• Rutgers' 10 turnovers in the Minnesota win are a season-low, besting the previous best mark of 12 against Minnesota at home on Jan. 6.

• Lasha Petree made three 3-pointers in a game for a third consecutive game vs. Iowa, and the seventh time overall this season.

• The 61-57 setback at No. 23/21 Ohio State marked Rutgers' fifth loss by five or less points in Big Ten play in 2021-22.

• Rutgers' nine three-point field goals in the Penn State win were a season-high and the most for the program since nine on Feb. 17, 2021 at Minnesota.

• Tyia Singleton tied a career-high with 13 rebounds at Nebraska, last produced against Ohio State last season on March 5.

• In six games from Jan. 27 to Feb. 17, Rutgers has held opponents an average of 15.7 points under their scoring averages.

• Osh Brown's 24 points against Ohio State (Jan. 23) marked a season-high and the third of now four 20+ point games of the season for the grad transfer.

• The Rutgers defense has held opponents under their scoring average in 43 of its last 48 games, and 130 of its last 143 dating back to 2017-18.

• Osh Brown's 20-point, 20-rebound double-double vs. DePaul was Rutgers' first in a game since Betnijah Laney's 24-24 against UNC on Dec. 5, 2014 in a 2OT game (21-20 at the end of regulation). It fell two shy of Brown's career-high of 22 rebounds, set in the 2021 NCAA Tournament last season, a Ball State program record.

• Rutgers passed out 21 assists on its 22 field goals in the St. Peter's victory, setting a school modern-era record (since 2001-02) for the highest percentage of field goals assisted (95%).

• In the St. Peter's win, Rutgers forced its most turnovers by an opponent (34) since 38 against Penn State during the 2014-15 season.

• The nation's fourth-best steals per game team last season, Rutgers grabbed 21 steals in the 2021-22 season opener, the most since 22 at Wisconsin in Game 2 last season on Dec. 11, 2020.

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