PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers women's basketball team (9-13, 1-10 B1G) dropped an overtime thriller to Illinois (16-5, 6-4 B1G), 69-65, at Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday night.
Kiyomi McMiller led the Scarlet Knights with 22 points, along with seven rebounds and four assists. Destiny Adams also reached double figures, netting 19 points, including 17 in the second half, to go along with six rebounds and five steals in the contest.
Awa Sidibe recorded a career-high four blocks on Thursday night, while Mya Petticord added nine points off the bench.
How it Happened
- The Scarlet Knights got on the board first with a deep three-point shot from Kiyomi McMiller.
- Illinois got its first points on two shots from the free throw line, but Destiny Adams and McMiller knocked down back-to-back shots for an early 7-2 lead.
- The Illini kept fighting and brought the game to a 9-9 tie with 5:23 remaining.
- RU came back to regain the lead, rattling off an 11-point run over 2:51. McMiller drained another three-pointer and Mya Petticord added four points, while Chyna Cornwell and Awa Sidibe collected their first points of the night.
- Illinois then scored six points to end the first quarter, and Rutgers was still up, 20-15.
- After the break, Illinois cashed in on a three-point play but Sidibe answered with a layup.
- The Fighting Illini answered with an eight-point streak, before a Rutgers timeout at 7:31.
- After Illinois made a three-pointer and took its biggest lead of the game, seven points, the Scarlet Knights came fighting back with scores from Petticord and Zachara Perkins.
- McMiller then answered an Illini three-point shot with a layup and brought RU within four.
- With just over two minutes remaining, Illinois made consecutive shots from the charity stripe, but a layup from Sidibe and two free throws from McMiller ended the first half, Illinois up 34-32.
- Adams tied the game up right out of the locker room with a layup, but Illinois quickly got its offense going with a field goal to go back up two.
- Rutgers caught fire with a 7-0 run, thanks to Cornwell and five points from Adams, capped off by a three-point-play.
- However, the Fighting Illini wouldn't go quietly, retaking the lead with a six-point stretch and 3:25 remaining.
- The Scarlet Knights also did not give up, ending the third priod on an 8-0 run, with Adams and Petticord doing the damage and taking a 49-42 lead into the fourth quarter.
- Illinois scored first after the break with a shot from beyond the arc, but Adams quickly answered with a fast break layup.
- After the Illini made another three-point shot, Adams continued to minimize the damage with a free throw.
- However, Illinois retook the lead with five points and 5:54 remaining. But a McMiller jumper changed the lead again to put RU back in control by one, 54-53.
- The Illini scored again to grab the one-point advantage right before the 4:46 media timeout.
- With just under four minutes to go and down by one, Perkins sank a huge three-point shot to put the Scarlet Knights up by two.
- Illinois answered right away with another three-point shot to go back up one.
- After RU called a timeout with 2:03 remaining, McMiller drained two shots from the line to tie the game and take the one-point lead back.
- Once again, Illinois had the answer with a jumper in the paint to change the lead.
- With 42 seconds left, a layup from Adams put the Scarlet Knights up by one, but the Illini would make one more free-throw to send the contest into overtime, knotted at 61.
- McMiller struck first in overtime, sinking a jumper and putting RU up by two. However, the Illini went on an 8-2 run to steal the overtime thriller, 69-65.
Gallery: (1-30-2025) RU WBB vs. Illinois
Knights Notes
- With 19 points, Destiny Adams has now collected double-digit points in 10 straight Big Ten games and 19 contests this season.
- Adams also recorded five steals on the night, her fifth outing with 5+ steals this campaign. She paces RU takeaways 56.
- Kiyomi McMiller collected her 17th game this season with double-digit points after scoring 22 against the Fighting Illini. She has also accumulated seven 20-point games.
- McMiller also tallied four assists to lead the team in the statistic for the 12th time this slate. She tops RU with 61 helpers and has reached 3+ dimes in 10 outings, including the last three.
- Awa Sidibe blocked a career high four shots in the contest, surpassing her previous best of three, which she accomplished twice.
- The Scarlet Knights won the turnover battle, 17-10. RU also came out on top in blocks, 9-2, and the steals, 9-3.
- The game consisted of 13 lead changes and eight ties.
- In a game of runs, each team recorded an 11-0 stretch, while both teams combined for five streaks of seven points or more points.
- RU won the first quarter (20-15) and the third (17-8)
- The last time the Scarlet Knights played in overtime was against Penn State on Jan. 26, 2023. The most recent overtime outing Rutgers dropped was back on Feb. 21, 2018 versus Iowa.
Volume Up
Looking Ahead
RU will have a week between games as the team will travel to Indiana for a midweek contest on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m.
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