Rutgers University
Michigan
Women's Basketball Hosts No. 14/16 Michigan Thursday Night
Jan 18 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The Rutgers women's basketball team (8-11, 2-5 B1G) will return to Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday, Jan. 19 to host No. 14/16 Michigan at 8:30 p.m.
The contest will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, the team's fourth appearance on national television in five games. This will also be RU's second consecutive game against a top-25 opponent.
On the Call
- Watch on BTN (Jason Horowitz & Christy Winters Scott)
- Listen on Fox Sports New Jersey 1450 AM / 93.5 FM (Ralph Bednarczyk & Mark Peterson)
- Listen on WRSU
Last Time Out
The Scarlet Knights fell on the road win against then-No. 9/11 Maryland (14-4, 5-2 B1G) on Sunday afternoon, falling 80-56.
Chyna Cornwell recorded her sixth double-double of the season, netting 15 points in addition to collecting 13 rebounds. Kaylene Smikle paced the Scarlet Knights with 21 points, her ninth 20+ point performance. Smikle also added five rebounds, four steals and two blocks in the outing.
Making History
The team's victory over Minnesota marked the 1,000th program win for Rutgers. The six-point win also marked head coach Coquese Washington's 100th Big Ten win.
Milestones on milestones.
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 13, 2023
Congrats on 100 wins in the Big Ten, Coach @CoqueseWashing ♥️#GoRU | #RUWBB pic.twitter.com/ujSxkmRKki
The Scarlet Knights are the 22nd Division I program to reach 1,000 wins and the fourth this season. RU is also the third current Big Ten program to reach the milestone along with Maryland and Ohio State.
First Year Phenom1,000 reasons to celebrate 🤩#GoRU | #RUWBB pic.twitter.com/lPeNAOdFXQ
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 13, 2023
Freshman Kaylene Smikle continues to impress as she paces the team with 17.1 points per game in addition to averaging 21.6 points in Big Ten play.
Smikle is the only Scarlet Knight to net 20+ points in a game, accomplishing the feat nine times, including five times off the bench.
- 22 points vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 20)
- 23 points vs. Cornell (Nov. 27)
- 21 points vs. Ohio State (Dec. 4)
- 22 points at Illinois (Dec. 7)
- 26 points vs. Princeton (Dec. 15)
- 29 points vs. Maryland (Jan. 2)
- 20 points vs. Nebraska (Jan. 7)
- 20 points vs. Minnesota (Jan. 12)
- 21 points vs. Maryland (Jan. 15)
The two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week has reached double-digit scoring in 15 of 19 outings this campaign. She has hit double figures in the last seven games and 20+ points in the last four.
The Farmingdale, New York product has also been solid from beyond the arc. Her 36 three-pointers lead the Scarlet Knights while her five three's against South Dakota State rank as the highest performance in a single game this season for RU. She has hit at least one three in 18 of 19 contests this slate and cashed in on two or more in seven of the last eight games.
Doubling Up
The Scarlet Knights have combined for eight double-doubles this season including two in Big Ten play.
Chyna Cornwell leads the team with six double-doubles, tied for second in the big Ten, including back-to-back outings against Illinois (Dec. 7) and Hampton (Dec. 10):
- vs. Seton Hall – 10 points, 10 rebounds
- vs. Cornell – 11 points, 16 rebounds
- at Illinois – 10 points, 11 rebounds
- vs. Hampton – 18 points, 14 rebounds
- vs. New Orleans – 15 points, rebounds
- vs. Maryland – 15 points, 13 rebounds
In addition, Awa Sidibe (11 pts, 10 reb) recorded a double-double against Seton Hall (Nov. 11) while Kassondra Brown (10 pts, 10 reb) also hit the accomplishment Minnesota (Jan. 12).
Strong Off the Boards
Rutgers has secured more rebounds than the opposition in 11 outings this season, including all but two wins. This season, RU has outrebounded its opponents 736-690 (+46).
The team has recorded 30+ rebounds in 17 of 19 outings and 40+ boards in nine games. The Scarlet Knights grabbed a season-high 53 off the glass against Cornell (Nov. 27) for its highest rebounding margin (+23).
Chyna Cornwell leads the Scarlet Knights off the boards, with 9.1 rebounds per game to rank third in the Big Ten. Her 16 rebounds against Cornell also measures up as the second-best single game performance this season.
Cornwell also paces the league with 66 total offensive boards.
The Scarlet Knights Against the Top-25
RU will meet six teams mentioned between the AP Top 25 and the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls:
- No. 2/2 Ohio State
- No. 6/6 Indiana
- No. 10/9 Iowa
- No. 17/20 Michigan
- No. 11/11 Maryland
- No. 21/23 Illinois
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 Michigan
Rutgers owns the 6-4 all-time edge over Michigan. The Scarlet Knights won the first four meetings between the programs, but the teams have since gone back and forth on decisions. The Wolverines came out on top in the most recent outing, 47-76, on Jan. 9, 2022.
Scouting the Wolverines
Michigan started off its season on a nine-game high, highlighted by a win over then-No. 21 Baylor, 84-75. After falling to Toledo, 68-71, the Wolverines have won six of their last eight, falling to only then-No. 3 Ohio State, 57-66, and then-No. 16 Iowa, 85-94. The team also defeated then-No. 6 North Carolina in the run, 76-68, to go 2-2 against ranked opponents so far this season.
Emily Kiser (17.2), Laila Phelia (16.3) and Leigha Brown (16.0) pace the team with double-digit points per game. In addition, Kiser paces the team off the glass, averaging 7.0 rebounds.
Next Up
Rutgers will travel to Michigan State on Sunday, Jan. 22 for a 3 p.m. ET contest.
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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