Rutgers women's basketball readies for tough tests against Princeton, Virginia Tech
The Rutgers women's basketball team will go from one test to two more when it takes on Princeton and Virginia Tech this week. The Scarlet Knights (6-6, 0-1) fell to Indiana 66-56 in their first Big Ten game of the season last weekend.
The two out-of-conference games will be the last for Rutgers before it finishes the regular season with 17 consecutive Big Ten matchups.
On Wednesday, the Knights will take on the Tigers (7-3, 0-0). Rutgers will look to exact revenge after the in-state rival Princeton defeated the Knights last year by a score of 77-56.
In Tuesday's media availability, head coach Coquese Washington talked about how similar the Tigers are to the Hoosiers (8-1, 1-0).
"They run a lot of the same offensive sets and concepts," Washington said. "Defensively, they play very similarly. They're gonna switch everything. They switch ball screens. They try to play fast and get up and down the court."
Washington mentioned Madison St. Rose as a player to watch from beyond the arc as well as Kaitlyn Chen as the dynamic point guard of the offense.
St. Rose leads Princeton in three-pointers made and averages 15.9 points per game (PPG), while Chen leads the team with 16.6 PPG. Ellie Mitchell will be a force to be reckoned with down low, as she leads the team with 119 total rebounds.
"We know that they're a team that plays very well together," Washington said of the Tigers. "They play very good team basketball."
This season, Princeton ranks third in the Ivy League with 67.9 PPG while allowing opponents to score 63.9 PPG.
After Wednesday night's game, Rutgers will be tested again with a home game on Sunday against the Hokies (7-2, 0-0), who are coming off a commanding 98-50 victory over Long Island and an 85-40 victory over Radford. Virginia Tech has won 6 of its last 7 games and will be looking for another win against the Knights.
Returning players have had a huge effect on the Hokies' success this season.
"They have all that experience from last year, advancing to the Final Four," Washington said of Virginia Tech. "Along with their talent, they bring that experience with them. That's good to have. It's good to be old sometimes."
Washington calls Elizabeth Kitley one of the top post players in the country while complimenting Georgia Amoore for her abilities as the team's point guard.
Kitley leads the Hokies with 21.7 PPG, 11.4 rebounds per game and 21 total blocks on the season. Amoore serves as a floor general for the team, making her impact with her three-point shot and her passing.
Virginia Tech impresses with 81 PPG on offense and a stout 58 PPG allowed on defense. Rutgers' defense will look to contain the Hokies' efficient offense.
Washington is confident that her team can compete against their tough opponents this week.
"We've been finding each other," Washington said on Tuesday. "We're cutting our turnovers down. We're being a little bit less risky with the ball (and) with our decisions, and so, that's kind of worked well for us. We've had good balance on offense … I'd like us to be even more balanced, but we're moving and trending in that direction, so hopefully we can keep that going tomorrow against Princeton."
The Knights and the Tigers will tip off at 7 p.m. at the Jadwin Gymnasium in Princeton. Rutgers will then head back home for its matchup with Virginia Tech for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off at the Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus.
The game against Princeton will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as 88.7 WRSU-FM, while the game with the Hokies will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
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