By John “Woods” Armwood III
Thursday night, the Scarlet Knights took on the Big Red at home and were forced to find unorthodox ways to be effective offensively in this game. Last season, Rutgers struggled to find a consistent offense, ultimately limiting them to only averaging 65 points. In the opening games, the Scarlet Knights are now averaging 79 points as their offense has become more of a threat for opposing teams. They prevailed against the Big Red by having a dominant fourth quarter which led them to the victory, 72-61.
In this game, the Scarlet Knights didn’t establish themselves in the paint as normally. However, they relied on guards Mya Petticord, Antonia Bates, Lisa Thompson, and JoJo Lacey to score from the outside. Despite still not shooting as efficiently as they’d like, they managed to knock down the important shots when it mattered the most. The resiliency of this fairly young team continues to grow, as the season progresses. Rutgers head coach Coquese Washington emphasizes how happy she was to see the girls get the job done.
“Like you said, finding a way to get it done,” Washington stated in the postgame conference. “We’re still kind of working out the kinks and on our chemistry on both ends of the floor. Defensively we made some mistakes, we zigged when we were supposed to zag. However, I think that stuff will come as we get more game experience together. We just want to weather all the storms and get better every game.”
Destiny Adams Takeover
Throughout the tightly contested matchup, it featured nine lead changes and six ties. The turning point appeared to be the fourth quarter when senior forward Destiny Adams began to come alive. Adams ended the game by recording her first double-double of the season with 30 points and 15 rebounds. Once Adams began to find her rhythm, the game changed entirely and momentum eventually shifted.
“I think once I got into the groove, it just kept going,” Adams said. “I really appreciate my teammates for feeding me the ball and knowing I was kind of on. I don’t think I would have had this type of turnout without them.”
“I’ll do whatever for my team,” Adams continued.
What’s next for the Scarlet Knights?
Sunday evening, Rutgers will play the first four games of the 2024-25 season at home. Next up, RU will face NJIT at Jersey Mike's Arena.