LINCOLN, Neb. — The Rutgers women's basketball team (7-17, 1-10 B1G) defeated Nebraska (14-8, 6-5 B1G), 71-70, for its first Big Ten win of the season on Saturday.
Kassondra Brown led the way with a season-high 21 points in addition to five rebounds and four assists. Destiny Adams also reached double figure with 11 points, while also adding six boards and three helpers.
Chyna Cornwell paced the team off the glass with eight rebounds, as RU won the battle off the glass, 36-30.
The down to the wire contest featured eight ties and three lead changes. The Huskers fought back from a 11-point deficit in the third quarter to put the game within one with just seconds to play. The Scarlet Knights stayed strong on defense however, coming up with multiple big stops to secure the one-point victory.
How it Happened
- Antonia Bates and Lisa Thompson got Rutgers on the board to start the contest, but Nebraska cashed in on three of its first four possessions to take an early 7-5 lead.
- The teams kept it close just before the quarter's halfway point, 9-7, as Adams cashed in on a layup off a great pass from Kassondra Brown.
- The two teams continued to trade baskets, as Brown broke through with her own six-point run, hitting a three followed by a three-point play to tie the score, 13-13, just after the 4:08 media timeout.
- The Huskers answered out of the break but Brown continued to show out for her team, hitting two free throws to keep the score knotted, 15-all.
- Nebraska scored five consecutive points to regain the slight advantage, 20-15, forcing RU to call its first timeout with 1:55 to play.
- Brown added another three, along with a jumper from Chyna Cornwell, to fight back in the final moments of the opening period. The Huskers remained on top by just one point, 21-20.
- The Scarlet Knights outscored Nebraska 7-2 in the opening minutes of the second to take its first lead of the outing, 27-24. A jumper from Erica Lafayette gave the team the edge.
- Nebraska stormed back though, scoring five consecutive points to tie the contest up once again, 29-29. Mya Petticord had the answer for Rutgers however, recording another three-point play to put the team back in front, 32-29, at the 4:34 media timeout.
- Following the stop, both squads continued the swap the lead, until the Huskers went ahead by two possessions with a 9-4 stretch, 38-34. The Scarlet Knights battled back however, as Adams and Huerter secured back-to-back field goals to end the first half all knotted up, 38-38.
- Brown ended the 20-minute span 15 points to lead both teams while Antonia Bates dished out a game-high six helpers.
- RU started off the third with six unanswered points, including three from Adams alone, to take back control, 44-38.
- Nebraska added four points but the Scarlet Knights kept working, as Cornwell extended the lead, 46-42 with just over 7:30 to go.
- Adams cashed in on back-to-back layups to give her team the 50-44 lead heading into the 4:25 media timeout.
- Despite two shots from the line for the Huskers, Rutgers continued to go to the rim, going on another 8-3 run to stay up, 58-49. Lafayette hit two three's in the stretch.
- Brown recorded one more layup to head into the final 10 minutes with the 60-49 advantage.
- The teams traded buckets to start the final period, but Nebraska broke away, scoring five points to make the score 64-59 and force another Scarlet Knights timeout with 7:15 left in the contest. Nebraska added two free throws out of the stop to put the score within three, 64-61.
- Jillian Huerter came back with a deep three to extend the difference back to six. Both teams made a pair of shots at the charity stripe to keep the gap at the 4:50 media timeout, 69-63.
- After the stop, the Huskers hit another three to bring it back to a one possession game, 69-66. The opposition followed up with its first timeout at 2:24. Nebraska folowed up with a bucket to put the game within one point, 69-68.
- Mya Petticord cashed in on a layup in traffic to once again extend Rutgers' lead, 71-68, and force another Nebraska timeout.
- The Huskers hit a layup of their own to once again put the outing within a single point, 71-70. Nebraska got the ball back with just nine seconds to play but did not convert. The opposition got the ball back once again with 1.8 seconds left but once again could not cash in to give Rutgers the 71-70 victory.
Knights Notes
- Rutgers has now won back-to-back contests against Nebraska, as the team also came out on top last season at home, 57-45. RU is now 8-5 against the Huskers in the all-time series.
- The 71-70 win marks the first Big Ten win for the team this season and their first overall victory since the beginning of December.
- Brown scored 21 points, her season best, and first 20+-point game at Rutgers. She has now reached double figures 11 times this season and led the team in scoring four times.
- Adams ended the night with 11 points. She has now recorded double-digit points in the past nine contests, 10+ points 19 times.
- Bates matched a career-high seven assists for the second consecutive game, adding to her team-leading 69 helpers this season. The junior has recorded five or more assists four times in the team's last six contests.
- RU out-rebounded Nebraska, 36-30. The Scarlet Knights have recorded more boards than their opponent 15 times this slate.
- With 18 assists on Saturday, Rutgers has now accumulated 10+ helpers on 17 occasions, including its last six contests.
- Rutgers ended the contest going 28-of-47 (.596) from the field, a season-best for the squad. RU has went 7-of-15 (.467) from three-point range, their second-best percentage this season.
- Both Brown and Lafayette hit two three's, one short of their respective career highs.
- RU out-scored Nebraska in the paint (34-28) and off the bench (34-30). The team also won the second (18-17) and third (22-11) quarters.
Next Up
The Scarlet Knights will return home to host Maryland on Tuesday, Feb. 6 (8:30 p.m.) for their Black Excellence Game. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
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