PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers women's basketball (4-1) battled to defeat FDU (2-3), 59-49, on Sunday afternoon at Jersey Mike's Arena.
Zachara Perkins led a group pf four Scarlet Knights in double figures with a career best 17 points. Imani Lester (13), Nene Ndiaye (10) and Kaylah Ivey (10) joined her.
Antonia Bates and Perkins tied their career highs with 10 and nine rebounds, respectively. The Scarlet Knights defeated FDU on the boards, 42-33.
The contest featured nine lead changes and nine ties, but RU ultimately came out on top thanks to a strong 20-14 fourth quarter performance.
How it Happened
- FDU got out to an early 2-0 lead with a bucket on its first possession. RU tied it up shortly after with a steal from Zachara Perkins and score from Nene Ndiaye.
- The Knights hit back-to-back layups to go up, 6-2. However, Nene Ndiaye brought it back to a two-point game with a pair of free throws.
- Kaylah Ivey hit her first three of the day, but FDU followed up with five consecutive points to take an 11-7 edge and force a timeout for the Scarlet Knights.
- The Knights added another basket out of the break to extend their lead to six. Imani Lester got on the board with two shots at the charity stripe to make the score 13-9 with just under five minutes to play.
- After over two minutes of no scoring, Lester cashed in on another pair of free throws to bring the difference back to two points, 13-11, at the 2:15 mark.
- With under a minute to play, Perkins recorded her first two shots at the line to tie the score, 13-all. The score would stay until the end of the period.
- Nene powered to the basket once again to start the second to give RU its first lead of the day, 15-13.
- Both teams added layups, but FDU came back with a corner three to regain the 18-17 advantage with 6:29 to play.
- Yacine Ndaiye followed up with one free throw to tie the score once again, 18-18.
- The Knights once again took the advantage, but Nene Ndiaye made the most of her time at the line, hitting another two shots to knot the score, 20-all, just before the 4:57 media timeout.
- Following the stop, FDU cashed in on three shots from the line to get back in front, 23-20.
- Lester and Perkins combined for five in a row to retake the lead, 25-23.
- However, FDU rebounded with a deep shot of their own, 26-25.
- Perkins had the final say in the opening half, hitting the final shot of the second quarter to give RU the upper hand heading into the locker room, 27-26.
- Lester struck first out of the break with a layup off an inside look from Nene Ndiaye. FDU came back with a three though, to tie it up, 29-29.
- Janae Walker contributed a layup before the 4:51 media stop to give RU the advantage, 31-29.
- Perkins followed up with a big three in addition to another layup from Walker to give Rutgers a 36-29 lead.
- With under two minutes to go, Lester recorded a field goal sandwiched between two FDU field goals. Lester came back with one more field goal, but the opposition got another two points before the end of the third to make the score 39-35.
- FDU started the final 10 minutes with two shots from beyond the arc to retake the lead, 41-39.
- Perkins tied it back up with a layup, but FDU did the same to go back up, 43-41.
- Bates hit a contested layup to tie the score back at 43-all with 6:20 to play. The score stayed knotted at the 4:52 media timeout.
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- The teams stayed locked with a three-pointer each, but Nene Ndiaye and Ivey combined for four points to go ahead, 50-46, and force an FDU timeout with 3:21 to go.
- Ivey, Perkins and Lester netted seven consecutive points to give the Scarlet Knights a double-digit lead, 57-46.
- FDU added three more points, around two free throws from Perkins, but ultimately Rutgers held on to claim the victory, 59-49.
Gallery: (11-16-2025) WBB vs. FDU
Knights Notes
- Zachara Perkins netted a career best 17 points, her fourth game with 10+ points this campaign. She also went 3-for-3 from deep, another career-high.
- Perkins's nine rebounds versus FDU also matches her career best, which she was now hit three times.
- Nene Ndiaye reached double-digits for the fifth straight contest with 10 points. She paces RU with 16.6 points per game.
- Ndiaye was also perfect from the free throw line, going 6-for-6.
- With 13 points, Imani Lester has hit double figure scoring in three games and Kaylah Ivey has reached the standard in four outings, with 10 points against the Knights.
- Ivey recorded two shots from beyond the arc on Sunday and has multiple threes in all five contests this season.
- Antonia Bates brought in a team best 10 rebounds, tying her career high.
- Rutgers won the battle of the boards, 42-33. RU has out-rebounded its opponent in all but one game this season.
- RU came out on top in every quarter, except tying the first 13-13. The team kept FDU to just nine points in the third, the fourth single digit period by an opponent this slate.
- Rutgers is now 7-0 in the all-time series against FDU.
Volume Up
Next Up
Rutgers will take its first road trip of the season to Auburn on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. ET.
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