Strong 2nd half powers Rutgers women's basketball past Georgia Southern to end 3-game losing streak
The Rutgers women's basketball team capped off the Battle on the Banks tournament with a 77-60 win against Georgia Southern on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights (5-3, 0-0) outscored the Eagles (5-2, 0-0) 22-5 in the third quarter to earn the bounce-back win following a three-game losing skid.
Rutgers started the opening quarter with a 7-2 lead, following a fast break jump shot from freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller. Georgia Southern would slowly inch its way back to take a 16-13 lead with less than 2 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Senior forward Destiny Adams responded with a layup, and McMiller followed up with a fast break jump shot to give the Knights the lead again. But with 3 seconds remaining, a turnaround jumper from Eagles’ Indya Green gave Georgia Southern an 18-17 lead heading into the second quarter.
McMiller and graduate student forward JoJo Lacey combined for 15 of the 19 second-quarter points for the Knights. They shot a combined 3-4 from three-point range, with McMiller stunning the crowd with a three from the Jersey Mike’s Arena logo.
With 4 minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Eagles mounted a 10-0 run to lead 34-27. Rutgers responded with a 9-0 run via two three-pointers from Lacey and a jumper from McMiller.
Georgia Southern took advantage of a sleeping Knights defense and scored 6 unanswered points in the final minute of the first half, including a Knights turnover that led to a buzzer-beating jump shot by the Eagles. Rutgers trailed 40-36 heading into the locker room.
The Knights took complete control of the game in the third quarter. Rutgers scored 22 points, limiting Georgia Southern to just 5. The Knights went on a 17-0 scoring run that started with 7:20 remaining in the third.
The Eagles had trouble establishing any offensive traction in the third quarter. Eleven of their 16 turnovers occurred in the third, with four coming from traveling violations.
A jump shot from McMiller gave Rutgers a 13-point lead heading into the final quarter.
In the final quarter, McMiller added 9 more points to her tally, while Adams had 4 points and four rebounds to finish a solid outing.
Triple zeros sounded on the clock as the Knights held a 17-point lead to defeat Georgia Southern. McMiller, Adams and Lacey scored double-digit points with 25, 16 and 15 points, respectively. McMiller and Lacey each added career-highs in rebounds with 11 to complete their double-doubles.
It was McMiller’s first career double-double and Lacey’s second of her career and first at Rutgers. Adams also had six steals, tying her career high.
“We’re still finding our chemistry, finding what works, finding lineups. So to have a (third) quarter like that when you get some things done and sustain it for a stretch of time that’s stuff that we can build on,” said head coach Coquese Washington.
With an eight-day break, the Knights look to regroup and recover before they head to Madison, Wisconsin, to open Big Ten play against Wisconsin on Sunday. Tip-off will begin at 3 p.m. and be broadcast on Big Ten Plus and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
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