Rutgers Women’s Basketball Overwhelms Argentina for Second Straight 50-Point Win
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Rutgers women’s basketball continued its commanding start at the FISU America Games on Thursday, defeating Argentina 95-45 in Lima, Peru.
The Rutgers Women continued their dominance in international competition, improving to 2-0 with their second consecutive 50-point or greater victory. Rutgers opened the tournament Wednesday with a 101-51 win over host Peru and has now outscored its first two opponents by a combined 196-96.
Rutgers started the game strong and managed to leave an undefeated Argentina team in the dust. The Scarlet Knights built on their 23-10 lead from the first quarter with a 26-10 scoring in the second frame to carry a 49-20 lead into the half.
Keeping the pace. See you after the break. 😤⏱️#GoRU #fisuamerica #lima2026 pic.twitter.com/kOfqfGAbZG
— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) July 23, 2026
Rutgers’ Defense Controls the Game
The Scarlet Knights applied good pressure and stayed in front of the Argentine offense to stifle any sort of rhythm. Rutgers forced up some tough shots, was able to create some transition opportunities and it put a lot of full-court pressure on Argentina to try and make them make some quick decisions.
Argentina scored only 10 points in the first two quarters of play. Rutgers held its opponent to 15 points in the third and another 10 in the fourth, keeping Argentina below 50 points for the game.
Final Frame Ahead. Full focus.#GoRU #fisuamerica #lima2026 pic.twitter.com/FimZocbzOo
— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) July 23, 2026
“I thought we had a much better defensive effort,” Rutgers coach Gary Redus II said. “I think anytime you get Tara back, I think you’re going to have a better defensive effort. It’s because of the way she plays, how hard she plays, how she gets her hands on loose balls and steals, blocks, deflections; she does all of that.”
Daye made her tournament debut after missing the victory over Peru and immediately added another physical presence to Rutgers’ defensive effort. Pauldo’s strong on-ball pressure additionally gave Rutgers on-ball defensive pressure that was able to translate to disturb the backcourt of Argentina and push for transition opportunities.
Nothing sweeter than hearing it for the defense after a dub. 🗣️🔒#GoRU #fisuamerica #lima2026 pic.twitter.com/BtABe0IWjx
— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) July 23, 2026
Balanced Scoring Powers Rutgers
Rutgers played solid defense down the lineup to go along with the strong numbers from the top of the order. Unofficial scoring tallies from the game that we tracked online have 6 Rutgers players scoring in double figures.
Mia Pauldo and Daye led Rutgers with 16 points apiece. Zennia Thomas followed with 13, while Jaylah Lampley scored 11 to reach double figures for the second consecutive game. Chikae Desdunes and Kennedy Brandt were unofficially credited with 10 points each.
Unofficial game tracking also credited Rutgers with 10 made 3-pointers. Rutgers created several quality three-point shot looks. Rutgers created rim drives for kickouts, transition shots, and players with a defender running towards them who were left open to shoot a three-point shot.
Desdunes was unofficially credited with eight of her 10 points after halftime, building on her performance against Peru. We really like the way the freshman guard can make things happen off the live dribble, as well as shoot the deep shot to stretch the defense.
Rutgers received a boost from Brandt, Hope Masonius, Desdunes, and Precious Gem Wheeler as the Scarlet Knights continued to maintain control of the game going through several lineups.
“It’s Jersey grit, it’s Jersey grind, it’s Jersey toughness,” Redus said. “That’s what this team is built on.”
What Comes Next for Rutgers
Rutgers will have Friday off before returning to action against Ecuador at 9 a.m. ET Saturday. The Scarlet Knights are also scheduled to face Chile at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, with both games available through the FISU America YouTube channel.
Redus and her new lineup will garner much-needed experience from playing in the tournament regardless of how the team does in the games. It will give them a jump-start to the 2026-27 season with some much-needed momentum and added competitive edge. Looking at the first two games of the tournament, Rutgers is showing the type of defensive pressure, depth, and balanced offense that Redus is trying to establish for his first year at the helm of the program.
Offense Locked In. Defense Locked Down. 🔒 #GoRU #fisuamerica #lima2026 pic.twitter.com/9lHGmRpu4S
— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) July 23, 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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