Rutgers women's basketball outlasts Lafayette in final non-conference game
The Rutgers women’s basketball team outlasted Lafayette 72-65 in an offensive shootout at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Livingston campus. The Leopards (3-8, 0-0) controlled much of the game, but the Scarlet Knights (8-4, 0-1) stood tall defensively in the fourth quarter to secure a win to close out non-conference play.
Here are three takeaways from Rutgers' final game before Big Ten play.
Kiyomi McMiller is the real deal
Freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller has taken the Banks by storm, averaging approximately 21 points per game and doing so in style. McMiller has garnered a lot of media attention due to her flashy dribble moves, playmaking abilities and dominance in her first stretch of collegiate play. In her short time with the team, McMiller has scored 20 or more points in eight games this season while amassing 30 points twice.
No matter the deficit, it seems that with McMiller on the floor, the Knights are never out of the game, no matter what the scoreboard says. With conference play ahead, having an impact player like McMiller can be the difference between winning and losing a lot of games, especially against some of the top teams in the nation.
“When you add a player like Kiyomi, who can do so many things on both sides of the ball, it makes a big difference,” said head coach Coquese Washington. “It makes a big difference in our confidence, it makes a big difference in our strategy, it makes a big difference in what we are able to accomplish.”
The supporting cast steps up
Throughout the season, Rutgers has heavily relied on the scoring abilities of McMiller and senior forward Destiny Adams. Against Lafayette, McMiller led the way, but ultimately, it was the team around her that secured the win. With Adams not seeing action until late in the game due to restricted availability. Graduate student center Chyna Cornwell and graduate student forward JoJo Lacey stepped up, each tallying 12 points in the victory.
Although the stat sheet may tell a different story, the impact of graduate student guard Awa Sidibe's return cannot be understated. Sidibe checked in for the Knights for the first time in 660 days, scoring 6 points and recording two steals that swung the momentum back in favor of Rutgers. Having Sidibe back on the court provides more depth to the team and is a source of excitement amongst her teammates.
“In this program, we are going to love each other,” Washington said. “We’re going to care about each other, through the ups and downs and we are going to celebrate successes together… Awa had a moment that we needed to celebrate, and we didn't wait to get in the locker room to do it. We did it right in the middle of the madness and that’s who we are."
Closing out in the clutch
The Knights allowed the Leopards to shoot 57 percent from beyond the arc while allowing a collective 22-for-52 from the field. Not the best defensive performance from Rutgers this season by any means, but when it mattered most, the Knights stood tall. This game could have gotten out of hand quickly if it were not for some key stops on defense.
The impressive part of the defensive performance came late in the fourth quarter when Rutgers denied almost everything Lafayette threw forward. In the final 5 minutes of the game, the Knights allowed no field goals and just 1 point. On the other end of the floor Rutgers tallied 12 points, creating just enough separation to come away with the victory.
“We rose to the occasion when we needed to,” Washington said. “The last five minutes of the game was probably our best efforts.”
The Knights have eight days off before they play Ohio State. Sunday’s tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
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