Rutgers Women’s Basketball Battles Oregon After a Hard-Fought Game

Rutgers Women’s Basketball vs Oregon Home Game Recap

Rutgers Women’s Basketball | Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Rutgers women’s basketball team endured another tough night at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Wednesday. The team fell 74-53 to Oregon in a game that swung decisively in the second quarter. Coming off a physical 76-48 loss to No. 25 Washington just two days earlier, the Scarlet Knights were searching for momentum in Big Ten play. However, they were ultimately undone by Oregon’s shooting.

Second-Quarter Surge Turns the Game for Rutgers Women’s Basketball Team

On the glass, Oregon held a significant 45-30 rebounding advantage. That created second-chance opportunities and limited Rutgers’ ability to generate transition offense.

Final from Jersey Mike’s Arena #GoRU | #RUWBB | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/z1ll9fp0D3

— Rutgers Women’s Basketball (@RutgersWBB) January 29, 2026

For the Scarlet Knights, Lauryn Swann led the way off the bench with 13 points and five rebounds. Freshman Zachara Perkins continued her encouraging stretch with 11 points. And on the other hand, Imani Lester scored nine. Nene Ndiaye returned to the lineup after missing the Washington game due to illness. The athlete contributed eight points, providing a boost inside.

After a competitive opening quarter, the second period proved decisive. Oregon erupted for a 25-9 run that flipped the game in its favor. A quick 7-0 spurt, powered by Avary Cain and Katie Fiso, pushed the Ducks’ lead to eight. However, Rutgers struggled to recover, as turnovers and missed shots led directly to Oregon's fast breaks.

By the time the teams headed to the locker room, the Ducks had built a 44-25 advantage.

The opening minutes offered signs of optimism for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights jumped out to a 6-3 lead with early baskets from Antonia Bates, Imani Lester, and Zachara Perkins. Lauryn Swann energized the crowd with a strong drive to the basket and a timely three-pointer. Meanwhile, Ndiaye made her presence felt early in her return.

Despite that push, Oregon closed the quarter. Ehute banked in a late three-pointer to give the Ducks a 19-16 lead after one, setting the tone for what followed.

Promising Start Shows Rutgers’ Fight

Rutgers showed resilience coming out of halftime, searching for a spark to climb back into the game. Lester hit a turnaround jumper, and Kaylah Ivey capped a possession with a highlight circus shot at the buzzer. Lester later pulled up from the top of the key to trim the deficit to 16.

Ehute scored twice inside, Long buried a corner three, and Fiso followed with a jumper before delivering a behind-the-back assist to Ehute that forced another Rutgers timeout. Cain capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating three, sending Oregon into the fourth with a 65-43 lead.

Swann opened the final quarter with a pull-up three, but Oregon quickly restored control behind baskets from Ehute and Long. Rutgers crossed the 50-point mark late as Ndiaye found Bates cutting to the rim and later finished a drive herself. After the final media timeout, both benches emptied, and Makylah Moore split a pair of free throws to close the scoring.

Now, the Scarlet Knights turn their focus forward. After three straight home losses, Rutgers heads west for a challenging road trip. It will begin with a matchup against USC scheduled for a 5 PM Eastern tip-off, streaming on Big Ten Plus.

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