Rutgers women's basketball falls to Wisconsin in 1st Big Ten test
The Rutgers women's basketball team fell to Wisconsin 66-64 in a heartbreaking last-second loss. It was a tightly contested game from start to finish, but the Scarlet Knights (5-4, 0-1) fell just short of capturing their first Big Ten victory of the season.
Despite the loss, Rutgers played one of its most complete games of the season and continues to improve each time out. The Knights played one score game with a Badgers (8-2, 1-0) team that is unbeaten at home and has a lot of talent on offense.
Here are three takeaways from Rutgers' hard-fought loss:
Dynamic Duo does it again
Senior forward Destiny Adams and freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller have been special to watch on the floor together. Adams has averaged 19.7 points per game and approximately 10 rebounds per game in her second season on the Banks. A lot of Adams' points come from the low post, where she is able to power through contact and finish at the rim.
McMiller, on the other hand, has been exceptional at creating open shots for herself, averaging 18.4 points per game. With McMiller's slashing ball-handling abilities, teams have to adjust their defense to focus on her explosive play. With efficient scoring and an ability to make space for her teammates, McMiller's skill can elevate the offense for the Knights.
In the loss, McMiller and Adams combined for 43 of Rutgers' 64 points and kept their team in it late in the fourth quarter. Many people knew that the duo would bring a lot of talent to the team and although it has taken some time to develop, both players seem to be getting into an offensive groove at just the right time.
Tightening up the turnovers
This season, the Knights have turned the ball over 129 times, a problem that has plagued the team in the past few years. That was not the case against Wisconsin, only turning the ball over eight times and yielding 8 points off those turnovers. This is the fewest turnovers given up in a loss all season for Rutgers, which is a promising sign for the future.
Of the eight turnovers, only two came from the primary ball handlers of sophomore guard Lisa Thompson, junior guard Mya Petticord, and McMiller. Overall, limiting turnovers has to be a focal point for the Knights as they start to get into their conference schedule.
Other scorers have to step up
Outside of McMiller and Adams, no other Rutgers player tallied double-digit point totals and only 3 points came from the bench. Graduate student center Chyna Cornwell scored 8 points and was the main contributor outside McMiller and Adams.
As the schedule progresses, the opponents continue to get increasingly difficult. This means that the Knights need to find a way to spread the ball around more and integrate more primary scores into the offense. Teams will be quick to center their game plan around limiting the productivity of Adams and McMiller, which could leave Rutgers' offense vulnerable if different players are unable to step up.
Serah Williams led the Badgers to their first conference victory of the year and sixth straight home victory with a 20-point performance, while the Knights have lost 2 of their last 3 games and look to bounce back at home on Wednesday against FDU. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will broadcast on Big Ten Plus and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
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