MINNEAPOLIS — The No. 11-seeded Rutgers women's basketball team (12-19, 5-13 B1G) will face No. 6 (RV) Illinois (21-8, 11-7) on Thursday, March 2 at the Target Center. The contest will begin 25 minutes after the conclusion of the fifth game, which begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.
This will be the second meeting between the two teams in four days, as the two met on Feb. 26 to close out the regular season. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
On the Call
- Watch live BTN (Sloane Martin & Christy Winters Scott)
- Listen on Fox Sports New Jersey 1450 AM / 93.5 FM (Ralph Bednarczyk & Mark Peterson)
- Sirius XM (Channel 195)
- Listen live on WRSU
Last Time Out
Rutgers defeated No. 14-seeded Northwestern, 63-59, on Wednesday evening in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Kaylene Smikle scored a dominant 21 points in the first half on her way to 26 total points to lead the Scarlet Knights on offense. She added four three's in addition to five rebounds and four steals in the outing.
Chyna Cornwell also showed out for her team, recording a monster 15-point and 16-rebound double-double. The junior added three blocks against the Wildcats as well.
Awa Sidibe and Kai Carter added 11 points apiece to round out the group of four in double figure scoring.
Milestones on Milestones
With 11 points against Michigan State on Jan. 22, Kai Carter reached the 1,000-point milestone. She hit a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the achievement. She is the only active Scarlet Knight to hit 1,000 career points.
The next game against Penn State (Jan 29), Carter also notched her 500th career rebound, recording eight total boards in the win.
Making History
The team's win over Minnesota (Jan. 12) marked the 1,000th program win for Rutgers. The six-point win also marked head coach Coquese Washington's 100th Big Ten win.
The Scarlet Knights are the 22nd Division I program to reach 1,000 wins and the fourth this season. RU is also the third current Big Ten program to reach the milestone along with Maryland and Ohio State.
First Year Phenom
Freshman Kaylene Smikle continues to impress as she paces the team with 17.8 points per game in addition to averaging 19.5 points in conference play.
She is the only Scarlet Knight to net 20+ points in a game this season and has accomplished the feat 14, including versus 11 Big Ten opponents, to pace all freshmen in the league:
- 22 points vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 20)
- 23 points vs. Cornell (Nov. 27)
- 21 points vs. Ohio State (Dec. 4)
- 22 points at Illinois (Dec. 7)
- 26 points vs. Princeton (Dec. 15)
- 29 points vs. Maryland (Jan. 2)
- 20 points vs. Nebraska (Jan. 7)
- 20 points at Minnesota (Jan. 12)
- 21 points at Maryland (Jan. 15)
- 27 points at Michigan State (Jan. 22)
- 25 points at Indiana (Jan. 29)
- 28 points at Iowa (Feb. 12)
- 21 point vs. Northwestern (Feb. 12)
- 26 points vs. Northwestern (March 1)*
*Big Ten Tournament game
The rookie has reached double-digit scoring in 26 of 31 outings this campaign including in the most recent 18 of 19 games.
With 14 points against Michigan (Feb. 23) Smikle became the third Scarlet Knight in program history to pass the 500-point milestone. Then, with a three to start off the second quarter against Northwestern (March 1), Smikle became the all-time leading freshman in program history, ending the contest with 551 points.
The Farmingdale, New York product has also been solid from beyond the arc. Her 55 three-pointers lead the Scarlet Knights while her five three's against South Dakota State rank as the highest performance in a single game for RU. She has hit at least one three in all but two outings this slate.
Smikle has been a threat on defense as well, leading RU with 68 steals to rank third in the Big Ten and first among freshmen. She has secured 3+ takeaways on 13 occasions and 5+ grabs three times. The guard has led Rutgers in the statistic 15 times this slate.
B1G Blocks
Rutgers has recorded 125 blocks over 30 regular season games to rank third in the Big Ten. RU was the first team in the league to hit triple digits.
Antonia Bates paces RU with 29 total blocks, while Smikle is close behind with 24 swats.
Doubling Up
The Scarlet Knights have combined for 11 double-doubles this season including three in Big Ten play.
Chyna Cornwell leads the team with nine double-doubles, including four in Big Ten play:
- vs. Seton Hall (Nov. 11) – 10 points, 10 rebounds
- vs. Cornell (Nov. 27) – 11 points, 16 rebounds
- at Illinois (Dec. 7) – 10 points, 11 rebounds
- vs. Hampton (Dec. 10) – 18 points, 14 rebounds
- vs. New Orleans (Dec. 18) – 15 points, rebounds
- at Maryland (Jan. 15) – 15 points, 13 rebounds
- vs. Penn State (Jan. 26) – 16 points, 10 rebounds
- vs. Wisconsin (Feb. 5) – 16 points, 11 rebounds vs. Northwestern (March 1) - 15 points, 16 rebounds*
*Big Ten Tournament game
In addition, Awa Sidibe (11 pts, 10 reb) recorded a double-double against Seton Hall (Nov. 11) while Kassondra Brown (10 pts, 10 reb) also hit the accomplishment Minnesota (Jan. 12).
Strong Off the Boards
Rutgers has secured more or the same rebounds as the opposition in 16 outings this season, including all but three wins.
The team has recorded 30+ rebounds in 25 of 31 outings and 40+ boards in 12 games. The Scarlet Knights grabbed a season-high 53 off the glass against Cornell (Nov. 27) for its highest rebounding margin (+23). She has reached 15+ rebounds on three occasions.
Cornwell leads the Scarlet Knights off the boards, with 8.7 rebounds per game to rank among the top in the Big Ten.
Cornwell's 16 rebounds on Wednesday evening against Northwestern (March 1) set the new Big Ten Tournament program high. The previous best of 15 was set by Betnijah Laney against Indiana (March 5, 2015).
Washington Returns to the Big Ten
The Washington era at Rutgers signals the head coach's return to the Big Ten, after serving as the head coach at Penn State for 12 seasons. From 2012-14, the Lady Lions claimed three consecutive Big Ten regular-season titles, becoming one of four programs in conference history to win three or more regular-season crowns in a row. She guided Penn State to two Sweet 16 appearances in 2012 and 2014 while developing 17 players to All-Big Ten status on 32 separate occasions.
Washington earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors three times (2012-14), WBCA Regional Coach of the Year twice (2012, 2013), and was named a finalist for WBCA National Coach of the Year two times (2012, 2013). She was also selected as the 2011 and 2014 Black Coaches Association (BCA) Female Coach of the Year.
Successful Staff
Washington won't be the only new face on the sidelines this season as she named Tasha Pointer, Nikki McCray-Penson and John Hampton assistant coaches during the offseason.
Pointer returns "On The Banks," bringing 18 total years of coaching experience, including eight seasons on the sidelines with the Scarlet Knights from 2007-15. As a player from 1997-2001, Pointer led Rutgers to the 2000 Final Four, the hallmark of a 128-game career that produced program-record totals of 839 assists and 292 steals while scoring 1,456 points. Pointer was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008, which was also her first year on the coaching staff that guided the Scarlet Knights to an NCAA Elite Eight, a Sweet 16, and a WNIT Championship during seven overall trips to the postseason.
McCray-Penson comes to Piscataway, New Jersey with 15 years of college coaching experience, most recently as a head coach at Mississippi State and Old Dominion, which followed a standout college playing career at Tennessee, nine seasons in the WNBA and two gold-medal winning performances with Team USA at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.
Hampton, the former head coach at Clarkson University, has spent the last seven seasons at St. Joseph's, including the last three as the Hawks' assistant head coach. At St. Joe's, Hampton helped lead the Hawks to the postseason twice, an Atlantic 10 Tournament title game, a Hawk Classic crown, and a WNIT victory. Hampton graduated from Mansfield University in 2008, where he joined the men's basketball program as a walk-on and went on to earn the team's MVP twice in 2007 and 2008. He was selected as a PSAC All-Conference honoree as a senior.
Last Time Against Illinois
Rutgers dropped a 75-53 decision to then-#25/RV Illinois on Feb. 26 at Jersey Mike's Arena in the team's regular season finale.
Kaylene Smikle led the way for the Scarlet Knights on Sunday afternoon, netting 18 points and grabbing six rebounds. The freshman also recorded four steals, her fourth performance in the last five games with three or more swipes.
Chyna Cornwell and Kassondra Brown were the other double-digit scorers for RU, recording 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Awa Sidibe added eight points, six boards and three assists in the game.
History Against The Fighting Illini
Rutgers owns the dominating 9-3 edge over Illinois in the all-time series. The Scarlet Knights have picked up wins in the last six meetings before this season. The team dropped only two decisions to the Fighting Illini on Jan. 7, 2017, 41-78, in addition to the two contests earlier this slate.
Scouting the Illini
After earning consecutive wins over Minnesota (69-62) and Nebraska (72-64), Illinois has gone back and forth in its last four outings. The team dropped a 71-82 decision to then-No. 8/8 Maryland before picking up an 85-62 victory over Penn State. The Fighting Illini fell to Nebraska on Feb. 22, 57-90, before winning in their final regular season game against Rutgers (75-53).
Makira Cook (17.9), Genesis Bryant (14.8), Adalia McKenzie (13.9) and Kendall Bostic (10.6) are all averaging double-digit points for the Illini. Bostic is also averaging a double-double with 9.9 rebounds per game, as well.
Next Up
Should Rutgers defeat Illinois on Thursday, the team will go onto face No. 5/6 Maryland in the ninth game of the Big Ten Tournament. The contest will begin 25 minutes following the completion of the eighth game, which starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 3.
Follow Along
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