ScarletNation.com - The Rematch

February 24, 2003

Diana Dloughy

I'm sure that I'm not the only Rutgers fan that's had February 26 circled on my calendar for the past month. That agonizing overtime loss at Virginia Tech, followed by a narrow double-overtime escape vs. cellar-dweller St. John's, could have propelled Rutgers into a downward spiral. Instead the team was energized and inspired, first taking out their aggressions on an unsuspecting Providence squad, followed by OOC rival Old Dominion and finally a variety of mid-pack and lower-rung Big East foes. A week ago, the Scarlet Knights visited St. John's, and via a 69-38 thrashing, made it clear that they wouldn't require any Houdini tricks this time around. Finally, this team on a mission visited the nation's capital and served notice that Georgetown was not yet ready to dance with the big girls, in a 93-52 demonstration of complete domination. Even Coach Stringer had difficulty finding any flaws in her team's performance.

Now, with a winning streak now stretched to nine, RU's longest of this short century, here comes the rematch. A change to avenge the most painful loss of the season. A game we "coulda shoulda" won, if not for some errant whistles that sent an endless parade of Hokies to the free throw line. A game in which Rutgers led by 5 at the half and actually made 6 more field goals than Virginia Tech, but couldn't make up for the 26-9 disparity in free throws.

The Rutgers team that hosts Virginia Tech this Wednesday night at the RAC is a more mature and revitalized squad that is playing with a tremendous amount of confidence and skill. Cappie Pondexter is everything she was supposed to be and then some, and it no longer matters that the opposing team's defensive strategy is to stop her, because you just can't. The team that was out-rebounded 39-22 in Blacksburg is now hitting the boards with a vengeance and pushing the ball up the floor for easy baskets, as they did repeatedly at Georgetown. Back on January 22, Virginia Tech made more trips to the line in large part because they challenged us in the paint, and we didn't return the favor. We've learned our lesson well, and in recent games we've been pounding the ball inside whenever we can.

Tech's best player is all-Big East forward Ieva Kublina, who is averaging 16.3 ppg and 8.4 rpg in conference play. We already know that Mariota Theodoris will be unavailable due to a knee injury. The return of Shalicia Hurns would be welcome, otherwise the ability of Michelle Campbell and Rebecca Richman to contain Kublina and control the boards while staying out of foul trouble will be critical. The keys to winning this game are to keep on doing what we've been doing so well in the past few weeks: pressing, rebounding, fast-breaking, and - when all else fails - get the ball in Cappie's hands.

DMD's Rutgers women's basketball page

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