Losing streak over: Takeaways from Rutgers women's basketball’s defeat of Nebraska for 1st Big Ten win
The Rutgers women's basketball team earned its first Big Ten win of the season in a close-to-the-finish 71-70 victory against Nebraska on Saturday at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Scarlet Knights (7-17, 1-10) ended a 12-game losing streak dating back to Dec. 5, 2023.
Here are three takeaways from Rutgers' nail-biting win.
Staying tit-for-tat with Nebraska in the first half
Slow starts have plagued the Knights this season. Most notably, Rutgers trailed Illinois 23-5 in first-quarter points in a matchup on January 17. The Knights could not climb out of the hole they dug for themselves on January 27 when they fell behind Wisconsin 22-3 after the opening 10 minutes.
Saturday's contest was different, as Rutgers was able to stay neck-and-neck with the Cornhuskers (14-8, 6-5) in the first quarter. Nebraska had a small, 21-20 lead heading into the second quarter.
Graduate student center Kassondra Brown was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, 2-for-2 from the three-point range and 3-for-3 from the free throw line as she cruised to 11 points in the opening period.
The Knights kept chugging along, gaining the advantage over the Cornhuskers in second-quarter points with 18-17 as 6 of 8 Rutgers players were able to score in the second frame.
By the end of the first half, the Knights shot an astounding 68.2 percent from the field while their opponents could not find their stride. Nebraska had a 39.4 percent success rate from the field, hitting just 13 of 33 shots.
Despite 15 turnovers, Rutgers was tied with the Cornhuskers at 38-38 heading into the second half.
Third quarter dominance
Last Tuesday against Michigan State, the Knights were weighed down by third-quarter struggles. Rutgers fell behind 25-11 in the quarter, giving the Spartans (16-5, 6-4) all the momentum they needed to glide to a victory.
Four days later, the Knights turned over a new leaf as they outscored Nebraska 22-11 in third-quarter points. Senior guard Erica Lafayette hit two big three-pointers, and junior guard and forward Destiny Adams scored 7 points of her own.
Rutgers took advantage of the Cornhuskers, going a cold 17.6 percent from the field, and headed into the final quarter with a 60-49 lead over Nebraska.
Nebraska tries turning the tide in the fourth quarter
The Cornhuskers started to find their groove in the fourth quarter, culminating in a down-to-the-wire finish in Lincoln.
At the 8:21 mark of the final quarter, the Knights led 64-54, but 7 straight points from Nebraska inched its deficit to 3 points with 7:17 to go. Soon after, a three-pointer from freshman guard Jillian Huerter gave Rutgers a 6-point lead, but the Cornhuskers did not go down without a fight.
Nebraska, once again, trailed by 3 points after Maddie Krull knocked down a three-point shot at the 4:22 mark. With 2:16 left to go, a made jumper from the Cornhuskers put the score at 69-68 with the Knights still ahead. Sophomore guard Mya Petticord and Alexis Markowski would both then hit layups for their respective teams.
Adams could not hit her two free throws after getting fouled with 5 seconds to go, and with just a few tenths of a second left, Nebraska had to complete an inbound pass from the sideline. The Cornhuskers did just that as the ball found the hands of Markowski, who was able to catch and shoot under the basket, but her attempt was just short. Rutgers was able to hold on, ending a losing streak that had lasted for approximately two months.
Brown finished the game with 21 points while corralling in five rebounds and dishing out four assists. Every single Knight to take the court was able to score as they shot a combined 59.6 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three-point range.
Rutgers will look to be victorious once again when it faces off against Maryland on Tuesday at Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
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