Rutgers women's basketball mashed by Michigan State in road Big Ten matchup
The Rutgers women's basketball team was dismantled by Michigan State at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan, 93-57 on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights (8-22, 2-15) fell behind quickly after two quarters and fell apart in the third against the Spartans (20-7, 10-6).
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
Rutgers down to seven players
Before the game, it was announced that sophomore guard Mya Petticord and sophomore guard and forward Antonia Bates would be out due to injuries.
Coupled with graduate student guard Awa Sidibe missing the entire season and sophomore guard Kaylene Smikle being out since late December, Rutgers was down to seven active players on the bench.
Michigan State, on the other hand, was able to perform much better due to its larger bench.
Moira Joiner dominates on offense in the first half
Moira Joiner was able to lift the Spartans to a 51-27 lead at the end of the first half.
In the opening 10 minutes, Joiner was a perfect 4 for 4 from beyond the arc with 14 points. She was able to hit two more three-pointers in the second quarter for a total of 20 points, outpacing the next leading scorer on her team by 13 points heading into halftime.
After two quarters, Michigan State was shooting 63.3 percent from the field and 61.1 percent from downtown.
Third quarter woes
Opposite from their previous game's third-quarter performance against Maryland, the Knights struggled mightily in the third against the Spartans, which did not help after trailing by 24 points heading into the period.
Michigan State outscored Rutgers 27-8 in the third quarter, as Abbey Kimball and Julia Ayrault both scored 8 points and combined for 7 for 8 shooting from the field.
By the end of the third quarter, the Knights were trailing by an unideal 43 points.
Despite outscoring the Spartans in the fourth quarter, it did not make a difference for Rutgers, as Michigan State cruised to a 36-point victory.
Joiner and Ayrault both finished the game with an 8 for 11 shooting ratio. Joiner quieted down in the second half but still finished with 22 points, three rebounds and four assists. Ayrault scored 17 points while corralling in six rebounds and dishing out three assists.
The Knights will return to the court for their regular season finale against Northwestern next Sunday at Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. and be broadcast on Big Ten Plus and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
For more updates on the Rutgers women's basketball team, follow @TargumSports on X.
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