Rutgers University
Texas
Women's Basketball to Close Battle4Atlantis Against No. 3/5 Texas
Nov 21 | Women's Basketball
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS – The Rutgers women's basketball team (3-3) will wrap up the Battle4Atlantis Tournament at Imperial Arena against No. 3/5 Texas on Monday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
On the Call
- The games will be streamed on FloHoops except for the Championship game (ESPN) and the third place contest (ESPNU).
- Jill Painter Lopez (PxP) and Isis Young (Analyst) will be on the call in addition to Dani Wexelman (Reporter).
- Listen on WRSU 88.7 FM
Last Time Out
The Scarlet Knights fell to RV/RV South Dakota State on Sunday evening, 75-56, in the second round of Battle4Atlantis.
Despite the decision, Kaylene Smikle had a career day, netting 22 points and five three-pointers to lead the Scarlet Knights. The freshman is the first player this season to reach 20+ points in a contest.
A @kaylene_smikle appreciation post 🤩🏀#GoRU | #RUWBB pic.twitter.com/ev3mPFBS1n
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) November 21, 2022
Battle4Atlantis
This will be Rutgers first trip to the Bahamas since 2019 when the team defeated Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech to win the Junkanoo Jam Championship. This will be the team's first trip to Battle4Atlantis.
In addition to Tennessee, UCLA, South Dakota State, Louisville, Gonzaga, Texas and Marquette will also be participating in the three-day tournament.
Strong Off the Boards
In all three wins for Rutgers this season, Rutgers has secured more rebounds than its opposition.
The team has recorded 30+ rebounds in five of six outings, including a season-high 50 against NJIT (Nov. 13). The team also earned its highest rebounding margin against the Highlanders, +20.
Chyna Cornwell leads the Scarlet Knights off the boards, with 7.7 rebounds per game.
The Scarlet Knights Against the Top-25
RU is set to face 10 teams mentioned between the AP Top 25 and the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls, including six Big Ten and four nonconference opponents:
- No. 3/5 Texas #
- No. 4/6 Iowa*
- No. 8/15 Ohio State*
- No. 11/5 Tennessee #
- No. 12/11 Indiana*
- No. 19/18 Maryland*
- No. 22/22 Nebraska*
- No. 23/23 Michigan*
- RV/RV South Dakota State #
- RV/RV Princeton
*Big Ten contest
# Battle4Atlantis
Staying Home
The Scarlet Knights will compete in 12 nonconference games this season before jumping into Big Ten play.
Of the 12 games, RU will play eight at their home court of Jersey Mike's Arena, including the first four. The only time the team will leave "On The Banks" will be for three games at the Battle4Atlantis Tournament, held in Paradise Island, Bahamas and to face Boston College for the ACC/B1G Challenge.
Washington Returns to the Big Ten
The Washington era at Rutgers signals the head coach's return to the Big Ten, after serving as the head coach at Penn State for 12 seasons. From 2012-14, the Lady Lions claimed three consecutive Big Ten regular-season titles, becoming one of four programs in conference history to win three or more regular-season crowns in a row. She guided Penn State to two Sweet 16 appearances in 2012 and 2014 while developing 17 players to All-Big Ten status on 32 separate occasions.
Washington earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors three times (2012-14), WBCA Regional Coach of the Year twice (2012, 2013), and was named a finalist for WBCA National Coach of the Year two times (2012, 2013). She was also selected as the 2011 and 2014 Black Coaches Association (BCA) Female Coach of the Year.
Successful Staff
Washington won't be the only new face on the sidelines this season as she named Tasha Pointer, Nikki McCray-Penson and John Hampton assistant coaches during the offseason.
Pointer returns "On The Banks," bringing 18 total years of coaching experience, including eight seasons on the sidelines with the Scarlet Knights from 2007-15. As a player from 1997-2001, Pointer led Rutgers to the 2000 Final Four, the hallmark of a 128-game career that produced program-record totals of 839 assists and 292 steals while scoring 1,456 points. Pointer was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008, which was also her first year on the coaching staff that guided the Scarlet Knights to an NCAA Elite Eight, a Sweet 16, and a WNIT Championship during seven overall trips to the postseason.
McCray-Penson comes to Piscataway, New Jersey with 15 years of college coaching experience, most recently as a head coach at Mississippi State and Old Dominion, which followed a standout college playing career at Tennessee, nine seasons in the WNBA and two gold-medal winning performances with Team USA at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.
Hampton, the former head coach at Clarkson University, has spent the last seven seasons at St. Joseph's, including the last three as the Hawks' assistant head coach. At St. Joe's, Hampton helped lead the Hawks to the postseason twice, an Atlantic 10 Tournament title game, a Hawk Classic crown, and a WNIT victory. Hampton graduated from Mansfield University in 2008, where he joined the men's basketball program as a walk-on and went on to earn the team's MVP twice in 2007 and 2008. He was selected as a PSAC All-Conference honoree as a senior.
Scarlet Knights on the Big Screen
The Scarlet Knights are set for eight appearances between the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports 1.
- vs. Ohio State – Dec. 4 – 12 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. New Orleans – Dec. 18 – 2 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. Maryland – Jan. 2 – 2 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. Nebraska – Jan. 7 – 2 p.m. (BTN)
- at Minnesota – Jan. 12 – 8:30 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. Michigan – Jan. 19 – 8:30 p.m. (BTN)
- at Iowa – Feb. 12 – 3 p.m. (FS1)
- at Wisconsin – Feb. 20 – 8 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. Illinois – Feb. 26 – 2 p.m. *Could be flexed to B1G+
The entire Big Ten Tournament run will also be broadcast nationally.
The remaining 11 home games on the schedule not set to air on TV will be streamed on Big Ten+.
History Against Texas
Texas owns the 7-5 all-time edge over Rutgers. The teams last met in 2009 at the finals of Paradise Jam, held in the US Virgin Islands. The Longhorns came away with a slight 70-67 win, snapping a four-game win streak for the Scarlet Knights.
Scouting The Longhorns
After winning its opening bout against Louisiana (68-45), Texas has dropped in most recent three contests to then-No. 5/6 UConn (76-83), Marquette (61-68) and No. 6/4 Louisville (63-71).
The trio of Sonya Morris (12.5 ppg), Aaliyah Moore (11.8 ppg) and Taylor Jones (11.5 ppg) lead the Longhorns in scoring. Moore also paces the team off the boards, averaging 6.3 rebounds.
The Longhorns were one of three programs in NCAA DI Women's Basketball to be represented on all five position award 20-player watchlists from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fall/Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The Longhorns honored were: (Rori Harmon-Nancy Lieberman Award, Sonya Morris-Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, Shay Holle-Cheryl Miller Award, Aaliyah Moore-Katrina McClain Award and Taylor Jones-Lisa Leslie Award).
Next Up
Rutgers will return home to Jersey Mike's Arena to face Cornell on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 2 p.m.
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.
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