Saturday, November 30
Bimini, Bahamas
2:00 PM (ET)
Rutgers University
vs
Georgia Tech
Game 7: Women's Hoops vs. Georgia Tech in the Bahamas
Nov 29 | Women's Basketball
Junkanoo Jam Championship on the line
BIMINI, The Bahamas (Nov. 29, 2019) - Rutgers women's basketball (5-1) faces undefeated Georgia Tech (5-0) in the championship game of the Junkanoo Jam on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. at Gateway Christian Academy.
The Scarlet Knights are seeking its second Junkanoo Jam title in as many tries, having won the tournament in 2005. Georgia Tech defeated Seton Hall 79-54 in the opening round, while Rutgers took care of Vanderbilt, 62-56, to set up the Big Ten vs. ACC championship game.
The Yellow Jackets (5-0) are one of 36 teams in the nation without a loss. GT shot 63.3 percent in the second half to pull away from Seton Hall and take game one in the Junkanoo Jam, 79-54. Fueled by 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists from Lorela Cubaj, four Yellow Jackets finished in double-figures. Georgia Tech is the No. 1 team in the nation in scoring defense with 40.4 points allowed per game through five contests, while ranking sixth in field goal percentage defense at .295. The Jackets are also proficient on the boards with a No. 5 nationally ranked rebounding margin at +16.2.
JAMMIN: Rutgers makes its first trip to the Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam since 2005, when it claimed the tournament title with a 66-56 victory over NC State in the championship behind 24 points from future WNBA superstar Cappie Pondexter.
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights started 5-1 for the second time in three seasons behind stifling defense. RU ranks in the nation's Top 10 statistically in a pair of crucial defensive categories through the first three weeks of the season. Rutgers ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .264 and seventh in scoring defense at 48.7 points allowed per game. RU has held all six opponents under its scoring average, and have done the same in 36 of its last 38 dating back to the start of last season.
CVS MILESTONES: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer, who won her 500th game as Rutgers' head coach in the season opener on Nov. 5, took sole possession of fifth place all-time in NCAA women's basketball victories, and fourth place in Division I with 1,024 career wins.
B1G HONOR: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes was honored by the Big Ten in each of the first two weeks of the season. Following Opening Week, she was named Rutgers' first Big Ten Player of the Week since 2015 by averaging 22 points and six rebounds per game. She followed it up with a mention on the Big Ten Honor Roll in Week 2 with 21.5 points and nine rebounds per game.
WIN FOR THE AGES: The Scarlet Knights defeated Coppin State, 107-33, on Nov. 9 at the RAC home opener, scoring its most points in a game since 1989. The 107-point onslaught was also the most at the RAC since 1988 and the most by any Stringer-led team since her penultimate game at Cheyney State in 1983. In the victory, Rutgers made 12 three-pointers, a new RAC record and tying the program record from 2006.
NEW-LOOK KNIGHTS: Rutgers women's basketball enters the 2019-20 season without four of the top five leaders in games started from last winter, while returning 45% of its points and 35% of its rebounds. The eight returning Scarlet Knights (seven letterwinners) make up 29 percent of last year's games started. The first six starting lineups with last year's number of starts in parantheses: Khadaizha Sanders (0 – injury), Arella Guirantes (21), Tekia Mack (2), Mael Gilles (9) and Jordan Wallace (0).
SPEAKING OF THE STARTERS: The aforementioned Sanders (16), Guirantes (17), Mack (21), Gilles (16) and Wallace (10) all scored in double-figures against Coppin St., marking the first time all five RU starters scored in double-digits since Dec. 20, 2013.
FUTURE IS BRIGHT: C. Vivian Stringer and her staff have secured the No. 8 nationally ranked recruiting class for 2020 according to ESPN, led by the signing of No. 6 ranked prospect Diamond Johnson. Blue Star Basketball ranks the class No. 5 in the nation.
• Rutgers is 5-0 when scoring more points in the paint, off turnovers and on the fast break.
• RU has made 36 three-point field goals, the most in school history through six games.
• During the record three-point shooting season of 2006-07 (180 makes), Rutgers had 24 through five games. RU is averaging 6.0 three-point makes now, and averaged 5.0 per game during 2006-07. This season's percentage (.374) is outpacing that of 2006-07 (.359).
• The Scarlet Knights have held 36 of its last 38 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 64 of its last 69 opponents under their scoring average.
• The victory over Vanderbilt marked Rutgers' second comeback for a win after trailing by eight points or more this season after erasing an eight-point deficit against Harvard.
• Maori Davenport established an early career high with six rebounds at LSU, the first time she led Rutgers in rebounding.
• Arella Guirantes and Tekia Mack have each scored in double-figures in all six contests.
• Against Harvard, three players recorded double-doubles in the same game for the first time since the 2018-19 season opener against St. Francis. It was Arella Guirantes' fourth career double-double (19pts, 11reb), Tekia Mack's second (10pts, 10reb) and Jordan Wallace's first (14pts, 10reb).
• Playing in her 97th career game, Sanders' six steals vs. Harvard were a career high and the most by a Rutgers player this season.
Rutgers, as a team, is ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in four statistical categories through games played on Nov. 28.
• Team: FG% defense (4th - .276)
• Team: 3FG% defense (6th - .208)
• Team: Scoring defense (7th - 48.7)
• Team: FG% (24th - .474)
Rutgers returns to New Jersey to host Virginia in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. at the RAC, airing live on Big Ten Network.
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The Scarlet Knights are seeking its second Junkanoo Jam title in as many tries, having won the tournament in 2005. Georgia Tech defeated Seton Hall 79-54 in the opening round, while Rutgers took care of Vanderbilt, 62-56, to set up the Big Ten vs. ACC championship game.
| THE SCOUT |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| KNIGHT NOTES |
D-FENCE: The Scarlet Knights started 5-1 for the second time in three seasons behind stifling defense. RU ranks in the nation's Top 10 statistically in a pair of crucial defensive categories through the first three weeks of the season. Rutgers ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .264 and seventh in scoring defense at 48.7 points allowed per game. RU has held all six opponents under its scoring average, and have done the same in 36 of its last 38 dating back to the start of last season.
CVS MILESTONES: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer, who won her 500th game as Rutgers' head coach in the season opener on Nov. 5, took sole possession of fifth place all-time in NCAA women's basketball victories, and fourth place in Division I with 1,024 career wins.
B1G HONOR: Redshirt junior guard Arella Guirantes was honored by the Big Ten in each of the first two weeks of the season. Following Opening Week, she was named Rutgers' first Big Ten Player of the Week since 2015 by averaging 22 points and six rebounds per game. She followed it up with a mention on the Big Ten Honor Roll in Week 2 with 21.5 points and nine rebounds per game.
WIN FOR THE AGES: The Scarlet Knights defeated Coppin State, 107-33, on Nov. 9 at the RAC home opener, scoring its most points in a game since 1989. The 107-point onslaught was also the most at the RAC since 1988 and the most by any Stringer-led team since her penultimate game at Cheyney State in 1983. In the victory, Rutgers made 12 three-pointers, a new RAC record and tying the program record from 2006.
NEW-LOOK KNIGHTS: Rutgers women's basketball enters the 2019-20 season without four of the top five leaders in games started from last winter, while returning 45% of its points and 35% of its rebounds. The eight returning Scarlet Knights (seven letterwinners) make up 29 percent of last year's games started. The first six starting lineups with last year's number of starts in parantheses: Khadaizha Sanders (0 – injury), Arella Guirantes (21), Tekia Mack (2), Mael Gilles (9) and Jordan Wallace (0).
SPEAKING OF THE STARTERS: The aforementioned Sanders (16), Guirantes (17), Mack (21), Gilles (16) and Wallace (10) all scored in double-figures against Coppin St., marking the first time all five RU starters scored in double-digits since Dec. 20, 2013.
FUTURE IS BRIGHT: C. Vivian Stringer and her staff have secured the No. 8 nationally ranked recruiting class for 2020 according to ESPN, led by the signing of No. 6 ranked prospect Diamond Johnson. Blue Star Basketball ranks the class No. 5 in the nation.
| TRENDING |
• RU has made 36 three-point field goals, the most in school history through six games.
• During the record three-point shooting season of 2006-07 (180 makes), Rutgers had 24 through five games. RU is averaging 6.0 three-point makes now, and averaged 5.0 per game during 2006-07. This season's percentage (.374) is outpacing that of 2006-07 (.359).
• The Scarlet Knights have held 36 of its last 38 opponents under their scoring average. Since the beginning of 2017-18, RU has held 64 of its last 69 opponents under their scoring average.
• The victory over Vanderbilt marked Rutgers' second comeback for a win after trailing by eight points or more this season after erasing an eight-point deficit against Harvard.
• Maori Davenport established an early career high with six rebounds at LSU, the first time she led Rutgers in rebounding.
• Arella Guirantes and Tekia Mack have each scored in double-figures in all six contests.
• Against Harvard, three players recorded double-doubles in the same game for the first time since the 2018-19 season opener against St. Francis. It was Arella Guirantes' fourth career double-double (19pts, 11reb), Tekia Mack's second (10pts, 10reb) and Jordan Wallace's first (14pts, 10reb).
• Playing in her 97th career game, Sanders' six steals vs. Harvard were a career high and the most by a Rutgers player this season.
| NATIONAL RANKS |
• Team: FG% defense (4th - .276)
• Team: 3FG% defense (6th - .208)
• Team: Scoring defense (7th - 48.7)
• Team: FG% (24th - .474)
| UP NEXT |
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Players Mentioned
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