Rutgers University
Purdue
Women's Basketball to Host Purdue on Thursday Night
Feb 08 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The Rutgers women's basketball team (10-14, 4-8 B1G) will welcome Purdue (15-7, 6-6 B1G) to Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.
The contest will be streamed on B1G+. The Boilermakers are currently recieving votes in the USA TODAY Sports women's basketball coaches poll.
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
Rutgers came out on top over Wisconsin (7-17, 2-10 B1G) in 73-67 battle on Sunday afternoon in front of a packed Jersey Mike's Arena for the program's annual Play4Kay game.
The Scarlet Knights welcomed over 5,000 fans "On The Banks" Sunday afternoon as the team celebrated fighters and survivors, uniting in the fight against ALL cancers affecting women. They were honored in a special halftime ceremony as well as throughout the contest.
Survivors, Thrivers, Warriors 💖#GoRU | #RUWBB | #KnightsUnited pic.twitter.com/rjVbi8vPv1
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) February 5, 2023
The win marks the Scarlet Knights' sixth straight double-digit win season, and first under head coach Coquese Washington.
The back-and-forth contest included 13 lead changes. Rutgers reclaimed the lead on a free throw from Kaylene Smikle with 2:16 left in the contest. The Scarlet Knights never conceded their lead after that, scoring 12 of the game's last 18 points to secure the win.
Free throws were a big factor in the victory as Rutgers shot 76.7 percent from the charity stripe (23-of-30) in the contest. The Scarlet Knights outscored the Badgers 25-16 in the fourth quarter, with 15 of Rutgers' points in the quarter coming from the line.
Chyna Cornwell secured her eighth double-double of the season, scoring 16 points on 75.0 percent shooting from the field (6-of-8), and grabbing 11 rebounds.
The double-doubles just keep comin' 🤩#GoRU | #RUWBB | #KnightsUnited pic.twitter.com/k3HqzOvUAj
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) February 7, 2023
Awa Sidibe had a career day as well, dishing out eight assists to eclipse her previous career-high of six. The senior also had 15 points, six rebounds, and went 7-of-8 at the foul line.
Seeing pink 🤩💓#GoRU | #RUWBB | #B1GWBBall | #KnightsUnited | #LetsBeatCancerTogether pic.twitter.com/aAgXbSbtFw
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) February 5, 2023
Kassondra Brown and Kaylene Smikle also found themselves in double digit scoring, netting 14 and 13 points, respectively. The freshman, Smikle, was perfect at the charity stripe going 6-of-6.
First Year Phenom
Freshman Kaylene Smikle continues to impress as she paces the team with 17.3 points per game in addition to averaging 20.2 points in Big Ten play.
Smikle is the only Scarlet Knight to net 20+ points in a game, accomplishing the feat 11 times, including versus eight Big Ten opponents:
- 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 at Minnesota (Jan. 12)
- 21 points at Maryland (Jan. 15)
- 27 points at Michigan State (Jan. 22)
- 25 points at Indiana (Jan. 29)
The rookie has reached double-digit scoring in 20 of 24 outings this campaign. She has hit double figures in the last 12 games and 20+ points in six of her last nine outings.
The Farmingdale, New York product has also been solid from beyond the arc. Her 43 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 22 of 24 contests this slate and cashed in on two or more in nine of the last 13 games.
B1G Blocks
Rutgers has recorded 110 blocks over 24 games to tie with Northwestern at the top of the Big Ten in the static. RU was the first team in the league to hit triple digits.
Antonia Bates paces RU with 26 total blocks, ranking seventh in the Big Ten. Kassondra Brown also sits 11th in the conference with 20 denials. Both Bates and Brown have collected 3+ blocks on three occasions and have led the team in swats six and seven times, respectively.
Doubling Up
The Scarlet Knights have combined for 10 double-doubles this season including three in Big Ten play.
Chyna Cornwell leads the team with eight double-doubles, including three in Big Ten play:
- vs. Seton Hall (Nov. 11) – 10 points, 10 rebounds
- vs. Cornell (Nov. 27) – 11 points, 16 rebounds
- at Illinois (Dec. 7) – 10 points, 11 rebounds
- vs. Hampton (Dec. 10) – 18 points, 14 rebounds
- vs. New Orleans (Dec. 18) – 15 points, rebounds
- at Maryland (Jan. 15) – 15 points, 13 rebounds
- vs. Penn State (Jan. 26) – 16 points, 10 rebounds
- Vs. Wisconsin (Feb. 5) – 16 points, 11 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 14 outings this season, including all but three wins. This season, RU has outrebounded its opponents 902-865 (+37).
The team has recorded 30+ rebounds in 20 of 24 outings and 40+ boards in 10 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.
In addition, the Conover, North Carolina native paces the Big Ten with 80 total offensive rebounds.
Milestones on Milestones
With 11 points against Michigan State (Jan. 22), Kai 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.
1⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 22, 2023
📺 @BigTenPlus
📊 https://t.co/jYZDXYwoSM#GoRU | #RUWBB | #B1GWBBall pic.twitter.com/QoqsmthpRh
The next game against Penn State (Jan 29), Carter also notched her 500th career rebound, recording eight total boards in the win.
1,000 points and 500 rebounds... what a time to be Kai Carter 🤩
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 27, 2023
📺 @BigTenPlus
📊 https://t.co/IQ5v58OZii#GoRU | #RUWBB | #B1GWBBall pic.twitter.com/TDOcOQEPqG
Making History
The team's win over Minnesota (Jan. 12) 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
The Scarlet Knights Against the Top-25
RU will still meet four teams mentioned between the AP Top 25 and the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls this season:
- No. 5/6 Iowa
- No. 12/14 Michigan
- NR/RV Illinois
- NR/RV Purdue
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 Purdue
Purdue owns the 8-7 edge over Rutgers in the all-time series. The Scarlet Knights won five meetings in a row before the Boilermakers picked up victories in the two most recent contests in 2022.
Scouting the Boilermakers
Purdue was on a three-game high, defeating two ranked opponents in No. 22 Illinois (62-52) and No. 2/5 Ohio State (73-65) before falling to No. 4/5 Indiana (46-69) in its most recent outing.
The Boilermakers have three players currently averaging double-digit scoring in Lasha Petree (13.8), Abbey Ellis (11.8) and Caitlyn Harper (10.9). Jeanae Terry paces the team off the glass with 7.9 rebounds per game.
Next Up
The Scarlet Knights will travel to No. 5/6 Iowa to face the Hawkeyes on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
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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