Women’s Basketball to Host No. 4/5 Ohio State on C. Vivian Stringer Day
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers women’s basketball team (4-5, 0-0 B1G) will open Big Ten play against No. 4/5 Ohio State on Sunday, Dec. 4 at Jersey Mike’s Arena. The game, set to start at 12 p.m. will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
The Scarlet Knights will also celebrate C. Vivian Stringer Day on Dec. 4, honoring the legendary coach throughout the game.
Last Time Out
The Scarlet Knights fell to Boston College, 75-61, on the road in the ACC/B1G Challenge on Wednesday night.
Antonia Bates paced the team with a career-high 12 points. The freshman went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, going 3-for-3 from deep in the fourth quarter.
They haven’t seen anything yet ??#GoRU | #RUWBB pic.twitter.com/NTNiJA4qYt
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) December 1, 2022
Kassondra Brown, Kaylene Smikle and Abby Streeter also added 11 points each to land four Scarlet Knights in double-digit scoring. Brown also added eight rebounds and four steals on the night.
Following a legendary career at the helm of Rutgers women’s basketball from 1995-2022, Hall of Fame head coach C. Vivian Stringer will be enshrined on the court at Jersey Mike’s Arena with a dedication ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 4.
The Scarlet Knights will celebrate C. Vivian Stringer Day as the team opens Big Ten play against Ohio State. The contests will broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network, tipping off at 12 p.m.
Rutgers will celebrate Stringer’s career and legacy throughout the day, welcoming letterwinners and fans back “On the Banks” with pregame and halftime ceremonies.
Need more of a reason to join us for C. Vivian Stringer Day on Sunday?
The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive this commemorative court dedication magnet ??
?️: https://t.co/mvvw7BfGgw#GoRU | #RUWBB pic.twitter.com/a5vYqWLLf0
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) December 2, 2022
You won’t want to miss Sunday’s festivities for C. Vivian Stringer Day at Jersey Mike’s Arena ??#GoRU | #RUWBB pic.twitter.com/nizeLQz5vn
— Rutgers W.Basketball (@RutgersWBB) December 1, 2022
Holiday Toy Drive
Rutgers and women’s basketball will hold a Holiday toy drive on Dec. 10, hosted by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Donations will benefit the New Brunswick Public School District Early Childhood Education pre-schools (children ages 3-5).
The toy drive will take place at the women’s game against Hampton on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. Dropoff at the women’s game will be inside the arena on the concourse.
SAAC has the goal to provide gifts to over 300 kids this holiday season. The donated gifts are set to be wrapped and distributed by Dec. 16.
As a thank you for donating, fans will receive two free tickets to the women’s basketball game against Nebraska at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. Everyone who donates a toy will also be given one voucher for one free hot chocolate to be used at the game on Dec. 10. Rutgers women’s basketball fans can use the voucher at concessions on the concourse at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
? ? ?
Help us spread holiday cheer at the Dec. 10/11 @RutgersWBB and @RutgersMBB games! https://t.co/7Is6PtDzL2
— Rutgers Scarlet Knights (@RUAthletics) December 2, 2022
First Year Phenom
Nine contests into the season, freshman Kaylene Smikle has made a big impact for the Scarlet Knights.
While leading the team with 13.3 points per game, Smikle is the only Scarlet Knight to net 20+ points in a game, scoring 22 against South Dakota State (Nov. 20) and a career-best 23 against Cornell (Nov. 27). She has reached double-digit scoring in six outings this campaign, including the last six of seven games.
The Farmingdale, New York product has also been solid from beyond the arc, shooting 37.5 percent from deep to rank third on the team. Her 15 three-pointers currently ranks second for the Scarlet Knights while her five three’s against the Jack Rabbits for the highest performance in a single game this season for RU.
Strong Off the Boards
In all four wins for Rutgers this season, Rutgers has secured more rebounds than its opposition.
The team has recorded 30+ rebounds in eight of nine outings, including a season-high 53 against Cornell (Nov. 27). The team also earned its highest rebounding margin against the Big Red, +23.
Chyna Cornwell leads the Scarlet Knights off the boards, with 8.6 rebounds per game to rank fourth in the Big Ten. Her 16 rebounds against Cornell also measures up as the second-best single game performance this season.
The Scarlet Knights Against the Top-25
RU will meet nine teams mentioned between the AP Top 25 and the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls, including six Big Ten and three nonconference opponents:
- No. 4/5 Ohio State*
- No. 5/4 Indiana*
- No. 10/10 Iowa*
- No. 20/21 Maryland*
- No. 22/18 Texas#
- No. 17/20 Michigan*
- RV/RV Tennessee#
- NR/RV Nebraska*
- RV/RV South Dakota State#
*Big Ten contest
# Battle4Atlantis
Staying Home
The Scarlet Knights will compete in 12 nonconference games this season before jumping into Big Ten play.
Of the 12 games, RU will play eight at their home court of Jersey Mike’s Arena, including the first four. The only time the team will leave “On The Banks” will be for three games at the Battle4Atlantis Tournament, held in Paradise Island, Bahamas and to face Boston College for the ACC/B1G Challenge.
Washington Returns to the Big Ten
The Washington era at Rutgers signals the head coach’s return to the Big Ten, after serving as the head coach at Penn State for 12 seasons. From 2012-14, the Lady Lions claimed three consecutive Big Ten regular-season titles, becoming one of four programs in conference history to win three or more regular-season crowns in a row. She guided Penn State to two Sweet 16 appearances in 2012 and 2014 while developing 17 players to All-Big Ten status on 32 separate occasions.
Washington earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors three times (2012-14), WBCA Regional Coach of the Year twice (2012, 2013), and was named a finalist for WBCA National Coach of the Year two times (2012, 2013). She was also selected as the 2011 and 2014 Black Coaches Association (BCA) Female Coach of the Year.
Successful Staff
Washington won’t be the only new face on the sidelines this season as she named Tasha Pointer, Nikki McCray-Penson and John Hampton assistant coaches during the offseason.
Pointer returns “On The Banks,” bringing 18 total years of coaching experience, including eight seasons on the sidelines with the Scarlet Knights from 2007-15. As a player from 1997-2001, Pointer led Rutgers to the 2000 Final Four, the hallmark of a 128-game career that produced program-record totals of 839 assists and 292 steals while scoring 1,456 points. Pointer was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008, which was also her first year on the coaching staff that guided the Scarlet Knights to an NCAA Elite Eight, a Sweet 16, and a WNIT Championship during seven overall trips to the postseason.
McCray-Penson comes to Piscataway, New Jersey with 15 years of college coaching experience, most recently as a head coach at Mississippi State and Old Dominion, which followed a standout college playing career at Tennessee, nine seasons in the WNBA and two gold-medal winning performances with Team USA at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.
Hampton, the former head coach at Clarkson University, has spent the last seven seasons at St. Joseph’s, including the last three as the Hawks’ assistant head coach. At St. Joe’s, Hampton helped lead the Hawks to the postseason twice, an Atlantic 10 Tournament title game, a Hawk Classic crown, and a WNIT victory. Hampton graduated from Mansfield University in 2008, where he joined the men’s basketball program as a walk-on and went on to earn the team’s MVP twice in 2007 and 2008. He was selected as a PSAC All-Conference honoree as a senior.
Scarlet Knights on the Big Screen
The Scarlet Knights are set for eight appearances between the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports 1.
- vs. Ohio State – Dec. 4 – 12 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. New Orleans – Dec. 18 – 2 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. Maryland – Jan. 2 – 2 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. Nebraska – Jan. 7 – 2 p.m. (BTN)
- at Minnesota – Jan. 12 – 8:30 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. Michigan – Jan. 19 – 8:30 p.m. (BTN)
- at Iowa – Feb. 12 – 3 p.m. (FS1)
- at Wisconsin – Feb. 20 – 8 p.m. (BTN)
- vs. Illinois – Feb. 26 – 2 p.m. *Could be flexed to B1G+
The entire Big Ten Tournament run will also be broadcast nationally.
The remaining 11 home games on the schedule not set to air on TV will be streamed on Big Ten+.
History Against Ohio State
Read More: Women’s Basketball to Host No. 4/5 Ohio State on C. Vivian Stringer Day