12/13/2023 basketball Edit

Rutgers women's basketball falls to Princeton 66-55

Alec Crouthamel • TheKnightReport

Staff Writer

Beat writer for women's basketball here at TKR, as well as covering all other things Scarlet Knights. Also working as a broadcaster with WRSU student radio and hoping to do more in the future!

After playing close in their Big Ten opener with #15 Indiana, Rutgers women's basketball fell to Princeton 66-55 at Jadwin Gymnasium on Wednesday night. The Scarlet Knights fall to 6-7 on the season as they approach their final nonconference test when they host #16 Virginia Tech.

Rutgers was led by Kaylene Smikle and Kassondra Brown, who each scored 14 points. Kaitlyn Chen led the Tigers with 19 points and 5 assists, while Madison St. Rose added 17. Here's three thoughts on the in-state rivalry loss for the Scarlet Knights.

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Early turnovers killed momentum

Rutgers was plagued by another turnover-filled slow start, giving the ball away 11 times in the opening period as the Tigers opened the game on a 13-0 run in the opening four minutes. The lack of control with the ball made the early Tigers' lead snowball, especially given their already strong half-court offense.

After the first quarter, the Scarlet Knights did a better job keeping the ball, as they only turned the ball over 10 times over the remaining three quarters. However, the turnover bug has bitten the team too many times especially early in games. Both teams shot 50% from the floor in the first quarter, but the turnovers caused Rutgers to shoot ten fewer shots. The turnovers have been a consistent problem and must be fixed if the Scarlet Knights want to move up the Big Ten standings.

Tigers took advantage down low

While the turnovers have been a consistent issue this year, Rutgers surprisingly got beat down low, a spot where they've held a consistent advantage. Princeton outscored the Scarlet Knights 32-18 in points in the paint, a stat Rutgers has dominated all year.

They did manage to outrebound the Tigers 35-32, but the dribble penetration from Princeton, mainly by Chen and St. Rose, diced up the middle of the defense and provided a lot of drive-and-kick opportunities. While it is safe to assume they'll regain their advantage down low, they still must work on defensive rotations as a whole.

It gets no easier in the Scarlet Knights' next game when they match up against Elizabeth Kitley and Virginia Tech.

Brown's role continues to increase

One positive from the game is the increased role of Kassondra Brown, who tied for the team's scoring lead. She took the lion's share of matchups down low, logging 30 minutes on the night while also grabbing seven rebounds.

Chyna Cornwell, who didn't score but once again grabbed ten boards, will figure to stay in the starting lineup, especially in the aforementioned face-off with Kitley, but having a strong rotation of bigs is always important. The two even shared the floor for a short period of time in the game, showing that there's more versatility between the two of them and Destiny Adams.

It will be interesting to see how the big rotation progresses, especially given Brown's floor-spacing skills with the heart of the Big Ten schedule coming soon.

The Scarlet Knights are back in action on Sunday at 5:30 pm as they host the 16th-ranked Hokies in their nonconference finale. The game will be broadcast on FS1, and radio broadcast will be available on WRSU and Fox Sports New Jersey.