Rutgers University
9-19,1-16Big Ten
Indiana
16-13,5-12Big Ten
Women's Basketball Defeated by Indiana
Feb 25 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers women's basketball team (9-19, 1-16 B1G) fell to Indiana (16-13, 5-12 B1G), 79-69, in its final home contest of the 2025-26 season. The Scarlet Knights were ahead at halftime and only trailed for five minutes and 33 seconds over the course of the entire night. The close game featured seven lead changes and eight ties.
Zachara Perkins (15) led a group of five Scarlet Knights in double figures for the second game in a row. Lauryn Swann (14), Nene Ndiaye (14), Imani Lester (10) and Kaylah Ivey (10) scored 10+ against the Hoosiers as well.
How it Happened
- Kaylah Ivey and Imani Lester both hit jumpers before a three from Indiana to give Rutgers the early 4-3 lead. The Scarlet Knights continued on a 7-0 run to extend their edge, 11-3, before the Hoosiers used their first timeout with 5:07 to go.
Light work 💪
— Rutgers Women's Basketball (@RutgersWBB) February 26, 2026
📺 B1G+
📊 https://t.co/0W7xFR0bow#GoRU | #RUWBB | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/hOKl9h8RZf
- IU added a layup out of the break, but so did Zachara Perkins and Antonia Bates to keep the lead. The visiting team responded with back-to-back threes to force an RU timeout with 2:38 to go, 15-11.
- Indiana hit another two threes out of the stop, but Faith Blackstone combated the points with a layup to knot the score 17-17. Rutgers ended the opening 10 minutes with a layup from Perkins and a second three from Ivey to stay ahead, 22-17.
- The Hoosiers kicked off the second quarter with five points in a row to tie it up once again, 22-all. Nene Ndiaye made both of her shots at the line to give Rutgers back the advantage with just under eight minutes remaining.
- The opponent made another deep shot, but Lauryn Swann put her team ahead once again with free throws, 26-25.
- Indiana tied it up for the third time, 26-26, with a shot at the charity stripe before the 4:59 media timeout.
- Both teams added baskets following the pause to stay even with under three minutes to play.
- Bates netted a reverse layup but kept it balanced with a jumper. The Scarlet Knights ended the half on a 4-0 run to take the 34-30 lead into the locker room.
All heart ❤️ All hustle 💨#GoRU | #RUWBB | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/0E7ljaVZYn
— Rutgers Women's Basketball (@RutgersWBB) February 26, 2026
- RU started off the third quarter with back-to-back threes from Swann and Perkins before IU fought back with seven points of their own to put the contest within three, 40-37. Rutgers used its second timeout with 6:59 on the clock.
- Imani Lester put an end to the stretch with a layup after the break, but Indiana came back with another six points to regain the slight edge, 43-42, at the 4:41 media timeout.
- Nene Ndiaye came out of the stop strong, recorded five points of her own to put RU back in control by one, 47-46.
- Lester and Swann added more to the lead with free throws, 51-46, with under two minutes left. Perkins capped a 6-0 stretch with a layup before the opponent chimed in with two shots at the line.
- Nene Ndiaye hit a big three-point play just before the buzzer, but IU netted fur points in the final moments to keep it close, 56-52.
COUNT IT 😤
— Rutgers Women's Basketball (@RutgersWBB) February 26, 2026
📺 B1G+
📊 https://t.co/0W7xFR0bow#GoRU | #RUWBB | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/tXHapFNwPL
- Indiana outscored Rutgers 8-4 in the opening two minutes of the final quarter to cut the difference down to one, 60-59.
- The Scarlet Knights recorded a pair of layups, but the opposition countered with a layup and a three-point play to knot the score, 64-all.
- Swann hit a free throw, but Indiana took back the lead with a layup, 66-65, before the 4:32 media timeout.
- After the pause, the Hoosiers recorded eight points in a row to go ahead, 74-65. Swann and Nene Ndiaye combined for four points to chip away at the difference, but Indiana kept control with five points to come away with the 79-69 victory.
Knights Notes
- Zachara Perkins paced Rutgers with 15 points. She has led the team in scoring six times and hit double figures in 17 outings.
- Imani Lester recorded 10 points against the Hoosiers. She has reached 10+ points in 16 games this season.
- With 14 points, Nene Ndiaye has reached double figure points in a team-leading 21 games this season.
- Lauryn Swann also netted 14 points, her 6th contest of the slate with more than 10 points.
- Kaylah Ivey ended with 10 points, netting two three-pointers against the Nittany Lions. She has hit multiple deep shots in 17 outing this slate.
- Wednesday's contest marks the third time this season and the second game in a row that five Scarlet Knights have netted 10+ points.
- RU shot 93.3 percent from the free throw line, going 14-of-15. Nene Ndiaye was a perfect 7-for-7.
- The Scarlet Knights grabbed 13 steals to the Hoosier's four. Both Lester and Antonia Bates paced the squad with fur takeaways.
- Rutgers won the first half 34-30.
Volume Up
Next Up
Rutgers will finish out the 2025-26 regular season at Nebraska on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. ET
Follow Along
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