Rutgers University
9-9,1-6Big Ten
Penn State
7-12,0-8Big Ten
Women's Basketball Gets B1G Win At Penn State
Jan 18 | Women's Basketball
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Rutgers women's basketball team (9-9, 1-6 B1G) won its first Big Ten contest at Penn State (7-12, 0-8 B1G), 76-72, on Sunday afternoon.
Nene Ndiaye led five Scarlet Knights in double digits with 20 points. Imani Lester was close behind with 19 points and paced RU with eight rebounds. Faith Blackstone and Kaylah Ivey ended with 12 points each and Lauryn Swann recorded 10.
MANI COMIN' THRU ‼️#GoRU | #RUWBB | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/DlJIzbUaqS
— Rutgers Women's Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 18, 2026
The two teams went back and forth the entire game, which featured eight lead changes and seven ties.
How it Happened
- Kaylah Ivey and Nene Ndiaye both hit threes, and Imani Lester added a layup to get Rutgers out to an early 8-3 lead.
- With just over six minutes to play, the teams matched layups, but Penn State added two free throws to cut the gap to three points, 10-7.
- The Nittany Lions kept it going, adding onto a 6-0 run to take the 11-10 lead, but it wouldn't last long. Just before the 4:57 media timeout, Lester cashed in on a three-point play to give RU back the 13-11 edge.
😤💪
— Rutgers Women's Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 18, 2026
📺 B1G+
📊 https://t.co/GMaK2pueml#GoRU | #RUWBB | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/aaWoe8XBtQ
- Ivey added to the lead with her second three following the pause. Nene Ndiaye kept it going with a jumper, completing an 8-0 run for Scarlet Knights.
- PSU put an end to the drought with 3:25 to play. From there, the teams traded buckets till the end of the quarter, but Rutgers maintained the five-point advantage, 22-17.
- Penn State hit a jumper to start the second period, but Lester answered immediately with back-to-back buckets. Nene Ndiaye kept a 7-0 run going with a three to keep her team up by double digits, 29-19.
Anotha one 🤩
— Rutgers Women's Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 18, 2026
📺 B1G+
📊 https://t.co/GMaK2pueml#GoRU | #RUWBB | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/1KfBiLPjEa
- The opposition answered with a 9-2 stretch of their own, however, forcing an RU timeout with 5:40 to go, 31-28.
- Out of the pause, Lester hit another contested layup in a low shot clock, but Penn State came back with a three-point play to put the score within two points.
- With 1:29 remaining, the Nittany Lions made one free throw, but Lauryn Swann netted both of her shots at the line on the other end to keep the three-point gap, 35-32.
- PSU added one more shot from the charity stripe before halftime, but the Scarlet Knights still remained in control, 35-33.
- The opposition began the second half with consecutive layups to take the lead back, 37-35. Rutgers called its second timeout with 9:15 on the clock.
- Penn State kept it going out of the pause with another layup, but Nene Ndiaye responded with a three.
- PSU hit another basket, but it was Swann to come up with a big deep shot this time, to tie the score, 41-all, with 7:21 to go.
- After another break in action, the Nittany Lions five points in a row, but Nene Ndiaye netted both shots at the line to keep the two-point difference, 45-43.
- Ivey followed up with a jumper for five RU points in a row to tie the score once again, 45-45.
- The opponent hit on a jumper, but Kennedy Brandt made a big three to give Rutgers back the 48-47 edge.
KENNEDY BRANDT FOR THREEEEE 👌
— Rutgers Women's Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 18, 2026
📺 B1G+
📊 https://t.co/GMaK2pueml#GoRU | #RUWBB | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/uRIGhqeMgm
- The teams continued to trade ties and the lead, but Penn State ended the third on a 5-2 run to take the 55-52 lead into the final 10 minutes.
- Faith Blackstone hit four free throws to start the fourth quarter, in addition to a layup from Lester. The opposition netted a layup before they called their first timeout with 8:48 to go, RU ahead, 58-57.
- Nene Ndiaye and Blackstone extended the lead back out to 61-57, thanks to a free throw and layup respectively.
- PSU knotted the score back up, 61-all, with another pair of scores and just over six minutes on the clock.
- The teams continued to trade points through the middle of the period, but the Scarlet Knights put together a four-point stretch to go ahead, 69-64, with 3:28 remaining.
- Penn State added a free throw, but Lester did one better with a layup to stay on top by six points, at 2:42.
- In the final two minutes, Blackstone and Lester combined for four points and Ivey scored the final free throw to secure the 76-72 win.
Knights Notes
- Nene Ndiaye netted 20 points at Penn State, her most in Big Ten play this season and her 16th performance with double-digits this season. She has reached 20+ points in five outings this campaign.
- Lauryn Swann's 10 points mark her second consecutive outing with 10+ points as a Scarlet Knight.
- Ndiaye and Ivey both secured three deep shots each, their most in conference play.
- Ivey recorded six helpers against the Nittany Lions. She has dished three or more dimes 12 times this season, including 10 of the last 12 outings.
- Rutgers is now 36-21 against Penn State in the all-time series and has won the past three meetings.
- RU won the battle of the boards, 39-36.
- Sunday's performance marks the seventh time this campaign four or more Scarlet Knights have reached 10+ points.
Next Up
Rutgers will return to Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network versus No. 8/7 Michigan.
Follow Along
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@RutgersWBB) for all of the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersWBB). For all Rutgers Athletics news follow us on Twitter(@RUAthletics), Instagram (@RUAthletics), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics). For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
