Rutgers Women's Basketball improved to 4-0 on Friday with an 81-53 win over Iona at Jersey Mike's Arena. The Scarlet Knights (4-0) used a strong second half to pull away from the Gaels (0-3) with a stifling defensive effort.
In her first game since being named Big Ten Player of the Week, forward Destiny Adams once again dominated in the paint. She led all scorers with 28 points and 11 rebounds for her third consecutive double-double.
Three other Scarlet Knights finished in double-figures. Sophomore guard Lisa Thompson scored 12 points, senior wing JoJo Lacey finished with 10 points and six rebounds, while freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller scored 14 off the bench, all in the second half. She did not play in the first half after not playing in the first quarter in Sunday's win over NJIT.
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Head coach Coquese Washington attributed McMiller's early absence to "adjustments" every freshman makes in their acclimation to the college game.
"Kiyomi's learning how to be on time," Washington continued. "That's her adjustment. We're helping her understand how to be on time... Those things happen, but she'll be fine and we'll be fine."
Rutgers started quickly in the game, going to the paint early and often. This also meant plenty of free throws, with the Scarlet Knights shooting 12 of their 24 free throws in the first quarter alone. They led 21-9 after the first quarter, with Adams scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds.
The second quarter was more back-and-forth, as Iona managed to win the quarter 16-12. The Scarlet Knights went into the halftime locker room with a 33-25 lead.
The second half was a defensive showcase as the Gaels struggled to generate good shots from anywhere on the floor. They struggled from the perimeter in particular, shooting just 4-for-23 for the game.
Rutgers wasn't much better from long range, continuing a season-long struggle with a 5-for-17 clip from the three-point line, but the Scarlet Knights made up for it with 42 points in the paint.
The defensive adjustment from the perimeter was a welcome change for Rutgers, as in wins over NJIT and Cornell, opponents were able to find success shooting from the outside.
"I think our intentionality about defending the three-point line has grown from week one to week two," Washington said. "We don't want to give up a lot of uncontested or open threes and Iona ran a lot of good action to get loose on the three-point line. Our focus was trying to be there, and trying to contest, and not give them some open looks. We were pretty good at that in spurts, I thought, today."
That momentum continued in the fourth quarter, as the Scarlet Knights ran away with it in the final ten minutes. They doubled up the Gaels 26-13, including 10 points from Adams and 6 each from McMiller and Thompson.
The "Recess Game" theme brought local students from around the area to pack Jersey Mike's Arena, with their presence being felt after every bucket. They filled the student section and even took up plenty of room in the upper sections of the arena.
"It was important for us to make that connection," Washington said of the community support. "Especially when you bring in Destiny Adams from here, and JoJo is right across the border in Pennsylvania, local, regional talent. Folks that people in this area have supported and followed during their high school years and their AAU years. Coming back and being able to support them here at Rutgers is very important, and we just want to do everything we can to keep the best local talent here, and build that bridge between our fanbase and folks who grew up here, and want to play for Rutgers and want to do what these two [Adams and Lacey] do on a nightly basis."
Adams echoed that sentiment of inspiring the younger players to start their own basketball paths.
"I think it's just really exciting to hear," she said of the crowd. "I think it's really nice to have all the kids in the stands, and I just hope that me or one of my teammates inspires them to play basketball and chase after their dreams."
The Scarlet Knights' schedule ahead gets raised up a notch from here with a road matchup at Virginia Tech up next, before returning home to play Princeton next Sunday.
Lacey was optimistc about the team's trajectory given the 4-0 start, however.
"I would say it's really exciting," she said. "I think this team has so much potential, and I think we're just reaching the surface. I'd say look forward to our next few games."
RHOOPS PLAY OF THE DAY
Lisa Thompson beats the first-quarter buzzer with the pump fake and foul-line jumper.
UP NEXT...
Rutgers goes on the road for the first time as they travel to return the second half of a home-and-home against Virginia Tech on Tuesday at 6 pm. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX, as well as on WRSU-FM.
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