For the second year in a row, Rutgers Women's Basketball saw its season come to an end in the Big Ten Tournament's first round, this time at the hands of 10th-seeded Nebraska.
The 15th-seeded Scarlet Knights (11-19, 3-15) were overwhelmed by the Cornhuskers (20-10, 10-8) with their perimeter attack on offense and tough interior defense.
After hitting just 16 three-pointers in the last three games combined between the teams, the Cornhuskers went 13-for-31 from beyond the arc, closer to their usual output from the perimeter. On defense, Nebraska limited Rutgers to 21-for-59 (36%) shooting from the floor, and the Scarlet Knights finished 9-for-20 on layups. They were also without star freshman Kiyomi McMiller for the seventh straight game to end the year.
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In her final collegiate game, Destiny Adams showed out, leading Rutgers with 25 points and 10 rebounds. She also shot a perfect 13-for-13 from the free-throw line, drawing several fouls near the rim and paying off from the charity stripe.
Nebraska star Alexis Markowski extended her school record with another double-double, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds with two three-pointers.
The Scarlet Knights got off to a slow start, as head coach Coquese Washington called a timeout a minute and a half into the game after the Cornhuskers opened up a 6-0 lead.
Rutgers responded well, countering with a run of their own to tie the game at 11. From there, Nebraska got hot from the perimeter and closed the quarter on an 11-2 run.
The Cornhuskers continued their strong two-way play in the second quarter, holding the Scarlet Knights to a 4-for-13 mark, while making another four three-pointers on the offensive end. They led by 15 points going into the locker room at halftime.
Despite trailing heavily for much of the second half, Rutgers continued to battle but Nebraska's depth and offensive performance were too much to handle. The Scarlet Knights' rotation was thinner as well, with only seven players making it on the floor in the game.
Standout forward Chyna Cornwell did not play after suffering an ankle injury against Penn State on Sunday. She was fully dressed for the game and was not listed on the availability report, but evidently was unable to go after trying before the game.
Awa Sidibe made her return after missing the final two regular season games, scoring 11 points in 28 minutes in her final collegiate game. Mya Petticord was the third Scarlet Knight in double-figures with 11 points and three made three-pointers.
With the season coming to a close, Rutgers now looks ahead to the future.
The program loses four seniors (Adams, Cornwell, Sidibe, and JoJo Lacey), all of whom were among the team's top six scorers and top three rebounders. After McMiller, whose status is up in the air for the future, the next-highest returning scorer is Petticord, who averaged 6.4 points per game this season.
While Petticord and Zachara Perkins showed some flashes - with the latter serving as the team's Swiss Army Knife throughout the year, described by Washington - there is not enough proven Big Ten production returning without dipping heavily in the transfer portal.
Listed are all of the players with remaining eligibility next season:
Kiyomi McMiller: 18.7 points per game
Mya Petticord: 6.3 points per game
Lisa Thompson: 4.9 points per game
Zachara Perkins: 4.8 points per game
Antonia Bates: 1.4 points per game (5 games played)
Janae Walker: 0.9 points per game
Deja Young: 0.8 points per game (4 games played)
Kennedy Brandt: 0.5 points per game (11 games played)
With Washington set to enter her fourth season at the helm with a 10-44 record in Big Ten play and a need for improvement.
The program must emphasize the transfer portal and fully form the rotation, as depth issues with injuries have plagued the Scarlet Knights for the past two seasons. The team also only has one committed recruit for the 2025 class in Precious Wheeler, meaning the roster sits at nine returning players with no transfer portal additions, and even fewer if players do opt to leave.
Rutgers faces a critical offseason ahead, one that Washington and her staff need to make an improvement on with the Big Ten only staying stronger with the newcomers and returning standout teams.
RHOOPS PLAY OF THE DAY
Mya Petticord beats the first-quarter buzzer off the dribble.
The transfer portal is set to open on March 25th.
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