ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Rutgers women's basketball (11-18, 5-12 B1G) couldn't hold out, falling to No. 12/17 Michigan (21-7, 11-6 B1G), 71-53.
Kaylene Smikle led scoring for the Scarlet Knights for the 17th game this season, netting 14 points. Kai Carter also registered double-digits with 13 points.
Smikle scored her 500th career point against the Wolverines in just 28 games. She is the third freshman in program history to hit the milestone.
Awa Sidibe and Chyna Cornwell paced the team off the glass with six rebounds apiece.
How it Happened
- Michigan got things going with a three on its second possession to take the early lead. Brown followed up with a three of her own shortly after to tie it up.
- The Wolverines rallied, earning five more points to take the 8-3 lead and force Rutgers' first timeout of the contest at 6:47.
- Out of the stop, the Scarlet Knights added layups on consecutive possessions to put the score within one, 8-7.
- UM came back with a 6-0 run to regain the 14-7 edge. Smikle broke up the spurt with a three-pointer with just under four minutes to play and cut the deficit, 14-10.
- The teams went onto trade points until Michigan netted four in a row to take an eight-point lead, their largest of the period. The opposition would keep the gap to end the first in front, 20-12.
- The Wolverines added a single free throw at the 8:33 mark in the first to once again kick off scoring. Rutgers rallied however, as Kai Carter netted five consecutive points to cut the deficit, 21-17, and force a Michigan timeout.
- Out of the stop, RU continued to cut the lead as Antonia Bates added a three to make it a three-point game after a UM bucket, 23-30.
- At the halfway point of the period, Carter hit two from the free throw line to cut Michigan's lead to one, 23-22.
- Until the end of the period, the Scarlet Knights held the Wolverines scoreless from the field for over six minutes, just allowing four shots from the charity stripe.
- Brown and Smikle added baskets in the final minute of the opening half to once again make it a one-point contest, 27-26. The basket for Smikle also marked her 500th career point.
- UM came out in the second half, scoring eight unanswered points to stay in front, 35-26. Sidibe put an end to the stretch with 6:11 to play.
TWEET
- The two teams trades trips up and down the floor as the Wolverines stayed in control, 39-32, at the 4:12 media timeout.
- Following the break, both teams added two baskets each to keep the gap at seven points, 43-36. Michigan continued onto go on a 6-0 stretch and take the double-digit advantage, 47-36.
- Each program added two more buckets before the end of the third but the Wolverines kept the advantage, 51-39.
- Rutgers this time started off scoring in the fourth with consecutive scores to cut the deficit, 51-43.
- UM netted their first point with 7:33 to go, adding a three-pointer to go back ahead by 11, 54-43. The Wolverines went onto outscore Rutgers 8-4 in the minutes leading up to the 4:33 media timeout.
- Sidibe scored a layup out of the stop but Michigan hit its sixth three of the game to force a Rutgers' timeout.
- Smikle scored out of the timeout but the Wolverines followed up with six consecutive points to keep the 18-point edge.
- Erica Lafayette scored the final bucket of the game for the Scarlet Knights as UM picked up the 71-53 win.
Knight Notes
- Smikle's 14 points marks her 24th double digit outing this campaign. She has scored 10+ points in 16 of the last 17 contests and leads the team with 17.5 points per game including an average 19.6 points in Big Ten play.
- Smikle added to her team-leading 50 three-pointers with one make from behind the arc on Thursday. She has at least one three-pointer in all but two games this season.
- The Scarlet Knights outscored the Wolverines in fast break points (8-2) and bench points (16-9).
- RU held Michigan to a game-low seven points in the second quarter of play, holding the opposition to 1-of-7 from the field in the span.
Next Up
Rutgers will host No. 25/RV Illinois in the regular season finale on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. The contest will be streamed on B1G+.
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