By John "Woods" Armwood III
Internally, there’s always a friendly rivalry set out for New Jersey among the top schools across the state. Unfortunately, Rutgers (4-2) fell short of holding down the fort to the Princeton Tigers (4-2), 66-49. Early in the game, Rutgers struggled to find any rhythm as a team, however freshman guard Kioymi McMiller was sensational. In fact, out of the 15 points recorded, McMiller had eight. Sadly, while she found offense the rest of the team struggled to make shots and find open looks. The defense of the Tigers presented issues due to their size and length.
“It was more discussing what her looks were and what she can look for,” Rutgers head coach Coquese Washington stated. “She was just fatigued at that point, so they did a good job of taking Destiny [Adams] away. She’s a dynamic player, but she had to play in a crowd all night and we just never got into our rhythm offensively.”
@RutgersWBB @PrincetonWBB
— John “Woods” Armwood III (@J_Armwood908) November 26, 2024
“It was more discussing what her looks were and what she can look for,” @CoqueseWashing stated. “She was just fatigued at that point, so they did a good job of taking Destiny [Adams] away." pic.twitter.com/ChMcsXFVQf
As the game progressed, the Scarlet Knights continued to get start forward Adams the ball, however their continuous doubling in the paint made it nearly impossible for her to find success. That said, the Tigers forced Rutgers to have to beat them with their shooting. Throughout the game, the Scarlet Knights shot 35% from the floor and a devastating 20% from the three-point line. The difference in the game was the rebounding alongside the shot-making ability. The Scarlet Knights missed not having their duality of shooting and versatility on defense without their stunt guard Antonia Bates.
“We got to be better and find a way to help her be as productive as possible,” Washington continued. “She does impact the game in a lot of ways, so we have to give her more support when she does have nights like this when their focus point is to take her away.”
“We got to be better and find a way to help her be as productive as possible,” Washington continued. “She does impact the game in a lot of ways, so we have to give her more support when she does have nights like this when their focus point is to take her away.”@RutgersWBB pic.twitter.com/GLUrOpKSzo
— John “Woods” Armwood III (@J_Armwood908) November 26, 2024
Currently, Bates is on day-to-day protocols, however the team would love to have that versatility back into the lineup.
What’s Next for the Scarlet Knights?
Rutgers will host the Battle on the Banks Tournament from Friday, Nov. 29-30. The Scarlet Knights will first face Marquette on BTN at 2 p.m. RU will then face Georgia Southern on the second day of the event, also at 2 p.m.