Rutgers University
Penn State
Women's Basketball Welcomes Penn State to Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday
Jan 25 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The Rutgers women's basketball team (8-13, 2-7 B1G) will welcome Penn State to Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday, Jan. 26 for a 7 p.m. contest. The game will be streamed on B1G+.
On the Call
- Watch on B1G+ (Dom Savino & Dominique Patrick)
- Listen on Fox Sports New Jersey 1450 AM / 93.5 FM (Ralph Bednarczyk & Mark Peterson)
- Listen on WRSU
Last Time Out
Despite cutting a 25-point deficit to 11 points in the third quarter, the Scarlet Knights couldn't pull out the comeback win, falling to Michigan State on the road Jan. 22, falling 85-63.
Kaylene Smikle led the Scarlet Knights in scoring for the 13th time this season, netting 27 points. Kai Carter (11) and Chyna Cornwell (10) also joined her in double figures.
THREE-PEAT.
Kaylene Smikle was chosen as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the third time this season and the second time this month. The conference made the announcement on Monday afternoon.
KAYLENE SMIKLE IS LIKE THAT ‼️👌
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 23, 2023
📰: https://t.co/CVnV38GuPy#GoRU | #RUWBB | #B1GWBBall pic.twitter.com/Uou0nH4lE7
Smikle is the first freshman in program history to earn the honor three times in the same season and the first Scarlet Knight to earn any Big Ten weekly award three times since 2014-15 when Betniijah Laney accomplished the feat.
The weekly honor is also the third for Rutgers this season under head coach Coquese Washington. In addition, the honor is just the fourth Freshman of the Week for RU all-time, after Diamond Johnson picked up the first on Dec. 21, 2020 and Smikle was chosen earlier this season on Dec. 19, 2022 and Jan, 9, 2023.
Smikle led Rutgers in both contests this week, averaging 19.5 points, two rebounds, two assist and three steals against No. 14/16 Michigan (Jan. 19) and Michigan State (Jan. 22). With 27 points against the Spartans, Smikle has now reached 20+ points 10 times this season, the second most by any D1 freshman.
1,000-point Scorer
With 11 points against Michigan State, Carter reached the 1,000 point milestone. She hit a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the achievement. She is the only active Scarlet Knight to hit 1,000 career points.
https://twitter.com/RutgersWBB/status/1617278038663634951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1617278038663634951%7Ctwgr%5E2d19bda81ac830e7071078dcbbd6b155b5d189fa%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fscarletknights.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2F1%2F22%2Fwomens-basketball-comeback-falls-short-at-michigan-state.aspx
Making History
Thursday's victory 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.
1,000 reasons to celebrate 🤩#GoRU | #RUWBB pic.twitter.com/lPeNAOdFXQ
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 13, 2023
First Year Phenom
Freshman Kaylene Smikle continues to impress as she paces the team with 17.3 points per game in addition to averaging 21.1 points in Big Ten play.
Smikle is the only Scarlet Knight to net 20+ points in a game, accomplishing the feat 10 times, the second most among all D1 freshmen.
- 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)
- 27 points vs. Michigan State (Jan. 22)
The rookie has reached double-digit scoring in 17 of 21 outings this campaign. She has hit double figures in the last nine games and 20+ points in five of her last six outings.
The Farmingdale, New York product has also been solid from beyond the arc. Her 38 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 20 contests this slate and cashed in on two or more in eight of the last 10 games.
B1G Blocks
Rutgers has recorded 99 blocks over 21 games, leading the Big Ten in the statistic. The team leads the runner-up Northwestern by 10 stops.
Antonia Bates paces RU with 25 total blocks, ranking sixth in the Big Ten. Kassondra Brown also sits in the conference's top-10 with 19 denials. Both Bates and Brown have collected 3+ blocks on three occasions and have led the team in swats five and seven times, respectively.
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 or the same rebounds as the opposition in 12 outings this season, including all but two wins. This season, RU has outrebounded its opponents 795-757 (+38).
The team has recorded 30+ rebounds in 18 of 21 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 8.7 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 69 total offensive boards.
The Scarlet Knights Against the Top-25
RU will still meet five teams mentioned between the AP Top 25 and the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls this season:
- No. 2/5 Ohio State
- No. 6/6 Indiana
- No. 10/8 Iowa
- No. 13/17 Michigan
- No. 22/22 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 Penn State
Rutgers owns the 32-20 edge overall Penn State in the all-time series. The Scarlet Knights won the two meetings before the two teams clashed this season, including last season's meeting in the Big Ten Tournament, 75-50.
Scouting the Nittany Lions
Penn State has won two matches since playing Rutgers at the end of December. The team defeated (70-60) before going on a three-game slump. The Nittany Lions got the win over Wisconsin (74-69) in their most recent game. PSU is 0-5 on the road.
Makenna Marisa (17.9), Shay Ciezki (11.4) and Leilani Kapinus (11.3) paces the offense as they are all currently averaging double-digit scoring. Kapinus also paces the team off the boards with 6.0 rebounds per game in addition to leading the Big Ten with 3.4 steals per game.
Last Time Out Against PSU
The Scarlet Knights fell on the road to Penn State on Friday, Dec. 30, 90-72.
Kaylene Smikle netted a team-high 18 points for her 11th double-digit scoring outing of the season. Chyna Cornwell and Kassondra Brown also reach double figures with 13 apiece while Erica Lafayette added 10.
The Scarlet Knights outrebounded the Nittany Lions, 41-29 (+12). Brown paced the team with eight boards while Cornwell also secured seven off the glass.
Next Up
Rutgers will head to No. 6/6 Indiana on Sunday, Jan. 29 for a 2 p.m. game. The contest will be streamed on B1G+.
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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