Grappling with Gaels: Rutgers women's basketball bests Iona, extends undefeated streak to 4 games
An 11 a.m. tip-off did not phase the Rutgers women’s basketball team on Friday, defeating Iona 81-53 in a physical defensive battle at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Livingston campus. The Scarlet Knights (4-0, 0-0) are now unbeaten through four games for the first time under head coach Coquese Washington.
It was a slow start for Rutgers and the Gaels (0-3, 0-0) as the two teams traded early scores in the first few minutes of the game, with the Knights leading 3-2 approximately 2 minutes into the game. Both teams would remain scoreless until 6 minutes remained in the first, as senior guard and forward Destiny Adams buried a three to grow Rutgers's lead.
From there, the Knights' defense stood tall, allowing Iona to score just three field goals, holding them to 17.6 percent shooting from the field. Rutgers took advantage of its strong defense on the other end of the court, shooting 7 of 15 from the field. Adams led her team with 12 points as the Knights led 21-9 after the opening frame.
The Gaels flipped the script in the second quarter, scoring 16 points and shooting approximately 44 percent from the field. In part, Rutgers was held in check on the offensive end because Adams spent most of the second quarter out of the game with two fouls. At the end of the first half, the Knights led 33-25.
The third quarter brought some more back-and-forth action, with Iona keeping things close early on with production from several of its players offensively. Despite leading, the Knights could not seem to get the momentum to swing in their favor.
Then, a layup from freshman forward Zachara Perkins sparked a much-needed Rutgers run. The Knights would score 10 consecutive points to boost their lead to 18 points late in the third quarter.
Riding the momentum of the previous quarter, Rutgers took control of the final period and never looked back. The Knights scored 26 points, doubling the Gaels total for the quarter, ultimately putting the game out of reach.
Rutgers saw production from all over the floor with four players tallying double-digit point totals. Adams led the game with 28 points and 11 rebounds, securing her third-straight double-double of the season. Freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller was efficient again, scoring 14 points in 16 minutes and shooting 50 percent from the field.
Graduate student forward Jojo Lacey added 10 points and six rebounds, marking 3 of 4 games with double-digit points. Sophomore guard Lisa Thompson scored a season-high 12 points on 4 of 6 shooting from the floor and approximately 67 percent from beyond the arc.
The Knights played an all-around game on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Early mistakes in the opening few games seem to have been fixed, as Rutgers has been resilient in facing tests this season. The Knights have their biggest test of the season coming up in a few days when they travel out to Blacksburg, Virginia, to take on Virginia Tech for the first road game of the season.
“We’re working on our resilience and we’re working on our toughness,” Washington said. “Our assistant coaches, they do a really good job of harping on playing tough and playing hard-nosed defense and you know, that comes out on game day.”
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