Earlier today, Rutgers Womens Basketball secured a 68-63 victory over the Rhode Island Rams. Despite the game being close the whole way through, the Scarlet Knights kept the lead for the entire game. As this was the first Rutgers Athletics event in a while that which OnTheBanks had received credentials, we thought it necessary to provide a further in-depth analysis of what we saw firsthand.
This game, along with the loss against Stony Brook, serves as a good early eye-test for this squad, as Rhode Island is considered one of the better mid-major programs and is traditionally one of the best programs in the Atlantic 10. After the game concluded, three thoughts came to mind about how the game went and what certain trends could mean for the season overall.
The first thought that came to mind after the Knights victory was the fact that Nene Ndiaye could very well be one of the main go-to scoring options for Rutgers this season. Ndiaye has already put up point totals of 10, 23,16, and 24 through the first four games of the season, averaging 18.25 points per game, and has led the team in scoring in three of their games. This represents a significant improvement from her production for Boston College last season, when she averaged 4.4 points per game.
The shooting in this game looked better than in previous contests. In this game, Rutgers shot 47 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three. That is the teams high-water mark in both categories so far this season. They were able to generate more open looks through good passing and effective screens, which led to easier shots, especially early in the game. In addition, they hit 70 percent of their free throws for the second game in a row.
The last thought that comes to mind is that the Knights must show improvement in the fourth quarter to be successful. This was the second game in a row, and the third game this season, where Rutgers was outscored in the final quarter. This issue should get fixed when players like Lauryn Swann and Faith Blackstone are cleared to play, as the Knights will have more depth to play throughout the game. Regardless, Rutgers will need to compete in all four quarters in Big Ten play to pick up victories, meaning that late-game dips in production cannot happen like they have already.
The Knights will be back in action on Sunday, as they are set to tip off against Fairleigh Dickinson at 2 pm. Live coverage for the game will be available on Big Ten Plus.