Eleven-game drought: Takeaways from Rutgers women's basketball's road defeat to Wisconsin
The Rutgers women's basketball team suffered another defeat to a Big Ten opponent after falling to Wisconsin 73-62 on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights (6-16, 0-9) have extended their losing streak to 11 games and remain winless in the Big Ten.
First quarter failures
The opening 10 minutes against the Badgers (10-9, 3-6) were not pretty for Rutgers, as it went ice cold from the field. The Knights shot 1-15 and struggled to get anything going offensively.
Seven turnovers did not help either as Wisconsin took a commanding 22-3 lead over Rutgers.
Serah Williams was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field as she led the Badgers with 8 points after the first quarter.
It has been very common, as of late, for the Knights to perform much better after settling in after the opening quarter, as seen in their road game against Illinois. That did not change on Saturday. The second quarter was much better for Rutgers as it led Wisconsin 19-15 in second-quarter points.
The second period started off on a high note after freshman guard Lisa Thompson hit a three-pointer on the Knights' opening possession.
From the 8:40 mark to the 2:31 mark of the second quarter, Rutgers went on a small 14-8 run, looking to cut its deficit to as little as possible heading into the second half. By halftime, the Knights trailed 37-22.
Williams once again was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field in the second quarter with a total of 15 points after the opening 10 minutes.
Better-looking second half
Rutgers tried to claw its way back in the third and fourth quarters.
At the 4:41 mark of the third quarter, a layup from Thompson put the score at 42-33 in favor of the Badgers.
From that point on, though, Wisconsin went on an 11-3 run to end the third quarter and headed into the fourth quarter with a 53-36 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Knights seemed to find their stride after going on a 15-4 run from the 7:51 mark to the 3:04 mark. In that span, freshman guard Jillian Huerter hit back-to-back three-pointers in a span of 32 seconds.
With the score at 61-57, Williams scored 7 of the Badgers' last 12 points to help Wisconsin earn the 11-point victory.
Williams led the Badgers in scoring with 31 points while also corralling 12 rebounds for the double-double. Sophomore guard Mya Petticord led Rutgers in points with 15 on the day.
The Knights will once again seek a victory against a Big Ten opponent when they play against Michigan State on Tuesday at Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus. Tip-off starts at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
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