Rutgers women's hoops unable to overcome second-quarter woes at Maryland
Through much of this season, Rutgers women's basketball has had struggles finding its offensive footing in the first quarter.
In tonight's road matchup against Maryland, the Scarlet Knights (8-21, 2-14 Big Ten) were able to fend off their opening woes, putting up 16 points in the first quarter and drawing within 5 points.
Rutgers couldn't exorcise those demons for long, however, as they scored just 4 points in the second quarter and went down by 23 at halftime, en route to an 81-62 win for the Terrapins (16-10, 8-7).
Both teams started off relatively hot in the first quarter, as Rutgers was able to put up points in the paint thanks to 8 and 7 from Destiny Adams and Chyna Cornwell, respectively. 12 of the Scarlet Knights' 16 points in the opening period came in the paint, and they were able to stick with the Terrapins despite a strong scoring quarter of their own.
The second quarter proved to be a disaster, as Rutgers hit just one field goal on 12 attempts. Couple that with eight turnovers in the period, and the Terrapins were able to build a 22-point lead heading into halftime. The deficit proved to be too much to overcome, despite playing well for the rest of the game.
The third quarter was a much stronger effort, putting up one of their most efficient stretches of the season. They outscored Maryland 27-17 and shot 58% from the floor. The Scarlet Knights went into the fourth quarter trailing by 13, but they could not turn the corner in the final ten minutes and ultimately fell short.
Adams led the way for Rutgers once again, scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds before fouling out after 21 minutes. Brown, who also fouled out, was the second Scarlet Knight to score in double figures with 11 points and eight boards.
Freshman Lisa Thompson, who has been on a minutes restriction of late due to a medical issue of her own, scored 11 points in one of her better performances of late getting more comfortable operating in the offense.
The second half as a whole was a much better offensive effort, as they were able to outscore Maryland by 4 even after being down by over 20.
Despite the loss, the effort throughout the other three quarters can be a positive takeaway for the Scarlet Knights as they head into the stretch run of the season.
Up next: Rutgers goes on the road for the second straight game, as they travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State. The game will tip off at 2 pm EST and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Talk about it inside The Round Table Message Board
• Talk about it on the Rutgers Women's Hoops Free Message Board