By John "Woods" Armwood III
In the season opener, the Scarlet Knights (1-0) set the tone by defeating the Manhattan Jaspers (0-1), 85-79. This season, the Scarlet Knights are much healthier and have a far deeper bench than previously. Throughout the game, the Scarlet Knights displayed aggression that they appeared to be missing from last season. In 2023, the team continued to grow under Rutgers head coach Coquese Washington in her second season, however the newly acquired Kiyomi McMiller, Zachara Perkins, and JoJo Lacey are making a huge impact offensively.
In the exhibition against Caldwell University, the Scarlet Knights put on an offensive masterpiece defeating them by 54 points. It appears against the Jaspers the Scarlet Knights were looking to build off that momentum. Graduate student and veteran Chyna Cornwell had a career night, she recorded a double-double (21 points and 15 rebounds).
“The team was so hyped every time she got an And1, I think she got three or four of them tonight,” Washington explained the impact of Cormwell’s mindset on the team. “She’s down there fighting and battling for everything she gets. Her teammates respect and appreciate that, it also lends a spark when she’s down there playing like that. I think it gets everyone else going, so she embraces her role of rebound and dominate down low, and she did that tonight in spades.”
@RutgersWBB
— John “Woods” Armwood III (@J_Armwood908) November 6, 2024
“The team was so hyped every time she got an And1," @CoqueseWashing explained. "... Her teammates respect and appreciate that, it also lends a spark when she’s down there playing like that. ... Her role is to dominate down low, and she did that tonight in spades.” pic.twitter.com/Y9zlg2tU57
Key Takeaways from the Game
The Scarlet Knights appear to have found the ability to gain momentum much quicker than previous seasons. The Scarlet Knights made the most three-pointers in a game while under Washington’s tenure. Despite shooting 22% from deep, the veteran guards Antonia Bates and Mya Petticord delivered timely points late in the ballgame.
“I thought our three-point shooting was ok, I think we shot better in practice,” Washington continued. “I think as the season goes along, we’ll get more comfortable and confident in our ability to knock it down. I like the pace we played with, if we can keep playing at that pace we’ll get a lot of opportunities. … Overall, I was pretty pleased with the shot opportunities that we got.”
@RutgersWBB
— John “Woods” Armwood III (@J_Armwood908) November 6, 2024
“I thought our three-point shooting was ok, we shot better in practice,” @CoqueseWashing stated. “I think as the season goes along, we’ll get more comfortable in our ability to knock it down. … Overall, I was pretty pleased with the opportunities that we got.” pic.twitter.com/pzFhwKnExu
Cornwell displayed a dominant performance to help set the tone for the remainder of this season. Her performance helped spark and open up the offense. Manhattan often doubles Cormwell on the low block, ultimately relieving one of her shooters from coverage. As the game progressed, she found angles and granted her offense numerous chances at the rim. Overall, the team shooting wasn’t the most efficient, however the improvement from last season was drastic. They hope to continue to build upon that as the season progresses.
What’s Next for the Scarlet Knights?
Rutgers will play the first four games of the 2024-25 season at home. Next up, on Thursday night, RU will welcome Cornell to Jersey Mike's Arena.