Rutgers Women’s Basketball Defeats Chile, Advances to FISU America Games Gold Medal Match
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Rutgers women’s basketball will play for gold.
As members of Team USA competing at the 2026 FISU America Games, The Rutgers Scarlet Knights clinched the top spot in pool play scoring with a 70-44 win over Chile yesterday at the FISU America Games in Lima, Peru.
Rutgers improved to 4-0 in the tournament and secured its place in today's gold medal game against Argentina. The Scarlet Knights previously defeated Argentina by 50 points during pool play.
Rutgers Takes Command Early
Rutgers asserted control early as they dominated Chile on both ends of the floor in the 1st quarter.
Lead after one. Business isn’t finished. 💼#GoRU #fisuamerica #lima2026 pic.twitter.com/0X8As9eE7i
— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) July 26, 2026
The Scarlet Knights held the Chile team to only 6 points as they scored 24 points of their own to open up an 18-point margin in the first 10 minutes of play. Rutgers continued to play well in the second quarter of their match against Chile, scoring 26 points and finishing the quarter 26-9 in their favor. The team scored 50 points in the first two quarters of play, with Chile scoring 15 points in the first two quarters to put Rutgers up 50-15 at the half.
With a 32-point lead at the half, Rutgers sets themselves up to win all 3 pool matches and earn the 1st seed in the Championship Round. Through four first halves at the tournament, the Scarlet Knights consistently used their defense and transition offense to create separation from their opponents.
Sunday’s Rutgers game against Chile showed familiarity for the first 45 minutes or so but then brought on a set of very different challenges in the second half.
Locked in on defense. Leading at the half. 🔒#GoRU #fisuamerica #lima2026 pic.twitter.com/VZTRFc1luD
— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) July 26, 2026
Chile Challenges Rutgers After Halftime
The Scarlet Knights remained comfortably ahead throughout the second half, although Chile outscored Rutgers in both of the final two quarters.
Lead in hand. Ten minutes to finish the job. ⏳🏀#GoRU #fisuamerica #lima2026 pic.twitter.com/LyUq3VzpqE
— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) July 27, 2026
Chile opened the second half with a 15-11 advantage in the third quarter, trimming Rutgers’ lead to 61-33 entering the final period. Chile then held an 11-9 scoring edge during the fourth, producing the final 70-44 margin.
Business finished? Not yet. 😤🏀
— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) July 27, 2026
Team USA to meet Argentina in the gold medal match 🏅#GoRU #fisuamerica #lima2026 pic.twitter.com/BnBGvI0wbr
Rutgers head coach Gary Redus II stated his team played well in the first half of play, but did not stay focused in the second half of play.
“The second half, I thought we lost focus and didn’t stay together,” Redus said.
The score never really got down to a close margin, but the second half of the action provided more experience to the new Rutgers roster. Redus stated on multiple occasions that the international tournament will consist of developing chemistry and scenarios to see how the team handles different situations before the 2026-27 season.
Rutgers Earns Gold Medal Rematch With Argentina
Rutgers faced Argentina in the gold medal game on Monday, July 27, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
“We came here to win a gold medal,” Redus said.
Argentina completed pool play with a 3-1 record and earned its place in the championship game after defeating Ecuador 62-37 on Sunday. Rutgers, in their second pool play game, defeated Argentina 95-45 for their only loss to date.
The championship rematch allowed Rutgers to complete its stay in Peru with a perfect record and return home with a gold medal. This also gave Redus another chance to find out how his team would react when playing for a championship.
Mission - 🏅 Gold Medal Game 🏅 - Monday - 7:30 pm (ET)#GoRU #fisuamerica #lima2026 pic.twitter.com/KTWQQ5MOT5
— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) July 27, 2026
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Edward Blair II is a journalist, sportscaster, news producer, and multimedia professional with experience spanning sports journalism, broadcast production, coaching, and digital media. He currently serves as a News Producer for KOTA Territory News in Rapid City, South Dakota, while continuing to contribute sports coverage across multiple platforms. Blair has covered professional, collegiate, and pro sports as a writer for Sports Illustrated's On SI network, including coverage of the Seattle Storm, Philadelphia 76ers, Illinois Fighting Illini, and other programs. He also wrote for Last Word on College Football, where he covered Michigan Wolverines football and college football storylines nationwide. He is a contributor to Rutgers On SI.
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