COLUMN: Rutgers women's basketball needs more production outside of top scorers
The Rutgers women's basketball team landed itself back in the win column with a home victory against Delaware State on Wednesday by a score of 82-48.
Sophomore guard Kaylene Smikle delivered a career-high 33 points against the Hornets (0-6, 0-0). Smikle was aided in part by senior center Chyna Cornwell, who had her third double-double of the season, and junior guard and forward Destiny Adams, who scored 19 points.
The win is a step in the right direction for the Scarlet Knights (4-5, 0-0). Much of Wednesday's performance can be considered positive, but a lack of consistency seems to be lingering and will hurt the team when they enter conference play.
Smikle has been an obvious asset for Rutgers. Her presence since joining the team last season has immediately impacted the Knights, helping lead them to victory time and time again. She even sits at the No. 2 spot in total points scored in the Big Ten this season with 151 points. Only Iowa's star guard Caitlin Clark is in front of her.
Aside from Smikle's offensive mastery, there has not been enough from the rest of the team to maintain Rutgers' upward trend. While the Knights' record is improving, they still hold a losing record and have the second-lowest winning percentage in the Big Ten.
If Rutgers wants to be competitive for the rest of the season, especially in its conference schedule, there needs to be an uptick in production across the roster. The dip in points per game (PPG) from player to player is stark when looking at the stat sheet.
Smikle is averaging 16.8 PPG, while Adams is close behind with 13.2 PPG. Cornwell has been a solid contributor as well, averaging 10.1 PPG. While these three have done a good job putting the ball in the basket, their production accounts for nearly 60 percent of the team's total scoring.
Sophomore guard Mya Petticord joined the team as a transfer this year and was expected to be a leader for the offense but is shooting just 31.8 percent from the field thus far. Sophomore guard and forward Antonia Bates is another player that the Knights need more out of, as she is averaging just 3.3 PPG despite playing more than 25 minutes per game.
It is not new information that the Big Ten is an incredibly competitive conference. With each new season, there are different obstacles to overcome to be able to stay a contender in the conference. For Rutgers, it has to be able to compete with high-scoring squads that are loaded with stars. Players outside of the top three scorers will need to step up to do so.
If the Knights want to make a name for themselves in the Big Ten, they are going to need to have more well-rounded efforts that drive production through four quarters.
Players like Petticord, Bates and freshmen guards Jillian Huerter and Lisa Thompson need to be shooting and scoring consistently in their given minutes. If not, they will not be able to keep up with their conference foes.
Rutgers needs a spark from other parts of the lineup, which will put the team in a position to play competitive games when Big Ten play begins on December 9.
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