Rutgers Women's Basketball Falls Short Against No.24 Michigan State 70-64
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Rutgers women's basketball fell short in their game against No.24 Michigan State, 70-64. Despite only being given a one percent chance to win by ESPN's match-up predictor at the outset of the game, the Scarlet Knights almost pulled off their first ranked win in years and held their own against a talented Spartan lineup.
Both teams started out going blow for blow in the first quarter, as they were tied up at 15 apiece heading into the second. It wouldn't be until the second quarter that one of the teams started to pull away. Michigan State would mass an 11-point lead to start the second quarter before Rutgers would fight their way back into the game with a run of their own. They would draw the game within two possessions before halftime, as the Spartans would go into the locker room up 32-27.
The game would largely remain the same throughout the third quarter. Rutgers would score a couple of buckets, Michigan State would answer. The Spartans would score a few themselves, and the Knights would reciprocate. However, Imani Lester would hit two consecutive free throws at the end of the third quarter for Rutgers to cut Michigan State's lead to three with one quarter left to go. The Knights would outscore the Spartans in the third quarter 22-20.
Nene Ndiaye once again led the Knights in scoring with 16 points. She has set herself apart as the go-to scoring option on this team and has done so once again against a ranked team.
Faith Blackstone has started to prove herself to be a solid scoring option for the Knights outside of Ndiaye. In Rutgers last game against Lafayette, she scored 22 points and stepped up time and time again when the Knights needed points in a close win against the Leopards. This was her second game in a row scoring double-digit points, as she netted 15 against the Spartans
Kaylah Ivey, Imani Lester, and Zachara Perkins rounded out the starting lineup that played well as a whole this game. Lester netted 11 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, while Ivey scored 10 and had five assists. Perkins led the team on the boards as she grabbed seven total rebounds.
One area where Rutgers has to improve to give itself a shot to win a game like this is turnovers. Michigan State won the turnover battle by 13 and was able to score 20 points off them compared to Rutgers 9. Aside from that, the Knights proved in this game that they can hang with some of the better teams in the conference.
Rutgers women's basketball will be back in action on Thursday, January 1st, against Wisconsin at home. That game is set for a 2 pm tip-off. Live viewing options are yet to be announced.
