Rutgers falls to #4 Iowa as Caitlin Clark dazzles with triple-double
A palpable buzz hung over Jersey Mike's Arena for several hours in anticipation for the 4th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes - and Caitlin Clark, the game's biggest star - to take the court. Ultimately, the Hawkeyes (15-1, 4-0) flexed their top muscles en route to a 103-69 victory over the Scarlet Knights (6-11, 0-4) on Friday night.
Clark, in front of a sold-out Jersey Mike's Arena crowd, notched her third triple-double of the season with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in just over three quarters of action. Rutgers had four players in double-figures, led by Chyna Cornwell, Mya Petticord, and Kassondra Brown, who all scored 12 points. Brown also notched a double-double with 11 rebounds, her first of the season. Here's three takeaways from the Scarlet Knights' sixth consecutive loss.
The environment lived up to the hype
Any arena that features Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes figures to be sold out - or at least close to it - and Jersey Mike's Arena tonight was no exception. The building was packed to the brim on a Friday evening that also brought back a couple of Rutgers legends. Former head coach C. Vivian Stringer was honored pregame as a 2024 Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Basketball Award Winner by both teams. Stringer, who led both the Scarlet Knights and Hawkeyes to the Final Four, spent 27 seasons leading Rutgers and 12 at Iowa. The Scarlet Knights' other former head coach, Hall of Famer Theresa Grentz, was also in attendance.
After the game, Clark was mobbed at almost every turn leaving the court by fans attempting to get an autograph, high-five, or even just be in the presence of the All-American.
"I thought the crowd was great," she said. "A lot of little girls, probably the most I've seen in a long time. Obviously at our place we always have a lot, but we don't get to come out to the East Coast much, so this is a fun spot for us to come and play."
Offensive contributors step up without their star
Despite losing by 34, there were positives to take away from the game, especially down star guard Kaylene Smikle for the second game in a row. Smikle is currently dealing with a medical issue, and is "day-to-day, game-to-game" according to head coach Coquese Washington.
Once again, Destiny Adams had an efficient offensive night getting the ball around the basket. Unfortunately, she didn't play as much due to more foul trouble as she had two quick fouls in the first quarter and picked up a third shortly after checking back into the game in the second quarter. Once she was able to play more freely in the second half, she got back into her rhythm as she scored all 11 of her points in the final 20 minutes.
Freshman guard Lisa Thompson has arguably stepped up the most in Smikle's absence, as she has retained the starting spot that she occupied in Mya Petticord's absence. She scored 7 points in the opening quarter, looking comfortable operating with the ball in her hands. It looks like she's found her spot pulling up from the midrange off the dribble, as it's been especially effective over the last three games. Even when Smikle returns, she will still likely be a key contributor to the Scarlet Knights' offensive attack.
Second quarter woes continue
Rutgers has certainly played a tough schedule thus far, and with Big Ten play starting to kick off in full swing, it does not get much easier. One thing the Scarlet Knights must improve on is their play in the second quarter, especially against some of the better teams in the conference. In their toughest matchups against Iowa, Indiana, Virginia Tech, and Princeton, Rutgers has gotten outscored by a combined 89-41.
Whether it's the Scarlet Knights' lack of bench depth or lack of adjustments, teams have been able to feast after a quarter, especially the top ones. In those same four matchups, the first quarter scoring margin is much closer as teams have outscored Rutgers 69-52, and if you take out the Princeton game it drops down to a 47-42 margin. This shows that Washington and the players can clearly bring the energy and early gameplan against some of the top teams on their schedule, but aren't quite at the point where they can hang with them for the full 40 minutes. That's to be expected given the youth and inexperience of the team, but in order to take that next step, it's easy to look at the second quarter as a point of improvement.
Key Stats
Rebounds
Rutgers: 34 total rebounds
Iowa: 51 total rebounds
3-Point Field Goals
Rutgers: 5-for-23
Iowa: 10-for-25
Points in the paint
Rutgers: 36 points
Iowa: 58 points
Assists
Rutgers: 10 assists on 26 made field goals
Iowa: 28 assists on 39 made field goals
The Scarlet Knights are off for six days before traveling to Columbus to take on #20 Ohio State on Thursday, before returning home to host Penn State the following Sunday.
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