11/24/2023 basketball Edit

Scouting South Point: Rutgers women's basketball matches up in Las Vegas

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!

Rutgers women's basketball travels to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving weekend action to participate in the South Point Classic, and will face off against Texas Tech on Friday and Boise State on Saturday, both at 9:30 EST.

Ahead of the two matchups, take a look at what the Scarlet Knights are up against.

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Friday's tilt against the Red Raiders matches the Scarlet Knights up with a Texas Tech team that qualified for the WNIT last season, falling to Arkansas in the quarterfinals. The matchup also pits together two teams whose rosters have been in major flux over the past few seasons. Fourth-year head coach Krista Gerlich welcomes seven newcomers to the roster, including Cheryl Miller Award Watchlist member Jordyn Merritt from Florida.

Merritt has stuffed the stat sheet so far, averaging roughly nine points and five rebounds per game, as well as two steals and a block and a half. She is the "big" in a Texas Tech starting five that features a lot of versatility at guard and forward.

Leading the 5-0 Red Raiders in the scoring department are sophomore guards Jasmine Shavers and Bailey Maupin, each averaging 16 points per game. Maupin was a preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, and Shavers played for former Rutgers assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson in her lone season at Mississippi State.

The starting lineup rounds out with returning point guard Ashley Chevalier, in her second season with the team after transferring in from Texas, as well as sophomore forward Kilah Freelon, who leads the team in rebounding grabbing seven per game.

Depth pieces off the bench for the Red Raiders include even more transfers, such as reigning Conference-USA Defensive Player Elina Arike from UTEP. Also joining the team from the portal are guards Rhyle McKinney and Jada Wynn, from SMU and Colorado, respectively.

While Texas Tech does have a strong guard room, they do lack consistent size, which is where Rutgers can take advantage. Chyna Cornwell and Destiny Adams can be matchup problems for the Red Raiders because of their strong play down low, and if Texas Tech gets into foul trouble, their play down low gets shaky.

One thing the Scarlet Knights will have to look out for is turnovers. The Red Raiders rank second in the Big 12 in turnovers forced and are fresh off a win against UTSA where the Roadrunners turned the ball over 31 times. If Rutgers can limit the turnovers in the backcourt, they'll have a chance to make this game close and pull off a win due to their strong rebounding and forward play.

On Saturday, the Scarlet Knights face off against another undefeated team in Boise State. The 4-0 Broncos provide a balanced scoring attack, with nine different players averaging at least six points per game, led by sophomore guard Natalie Pasco's 12 PPG. While they haven't played an overly tough schedule so far, they are defeating their opponents by an average of 24 points per game, including multiple 30-point victories.

Boise State is also another strong rebounding team, averaging 44.5 per game over the first four games. They're given ample opportunity to rack up the boards since opponents are shooting just 30% from the floor against the Broncos. Rim protection is one of their best attributes, led by senior forward Abby Muse who is tied for third in the country averaging 3.8 blocks per game.

Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell is currently in his 19th season leading the program, holding the program's all-time wins record with a 334-227 ledger. Prior to joining the Broncos, he spent 18 seasons leading Seattle Pacific. He's made six NCAA Tournaments with Boise State, winning five Mountain West titles.

Against the Scarlet Knights, the Broncos will likely use their defense to cause problems, so again Rutgers must be careful in the turnover game and keep working the perimeter to stay away from Muse. This seems like a prime matchup for Chyna Cornwell, considering both of their work down low at the rim.

After a disappointing loss to Fairfield, the Scarlet Knights have a chance to bounce back against two strong teams with different strengths on back-to-back days. Both games will be broadcasted on FloHoops, as well as radio broadcast on WRSU-FM.